Healthy Homes Assessment Pandora

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure that their Pandora rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

• Draught Stopping
• Heating
• Insulation
• Ventilation
• Moisture Ingress & Drainage

We will evaluate your rental property and determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager of any work needed to be completed. requirements to be completed, and provide the report with all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes associated fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties in addition, we’re fully qualified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 365 444

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Pandora rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be done by the end of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Pandora rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is also a fine of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is whoever is named on the lease contract as the person letting the property out which could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any associated work has been completed.

It is crucial to keep in mind that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved for the most serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in significant fines and still being required to adhere to the regulations. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and arrange to have an home evaluation performed for your rental property.

Get the full description of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households in New Zealand and Pandora, and research suggests that rental houses are most likely to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating and have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes can have negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who reported at least four key home quality issues often suffer from poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Improving the standard of Pandora rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of illnesses. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught stopping on Pandora rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss the Pandora Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Pandora

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within homes. A humid house will cost more to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap, then it’s probably a gap or an opening that needs sealing in any way. Large gaps and cracks should be fixed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air to enter or exit of your home need sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent imaginable.

There is no need to cover up gaps or holes in the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for movement within the building as the household gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will test all doors and windows during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Pandora

Rental properties in Pandora require a reliable heating source which can warm the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The heating source needs for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) with at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if the installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top up" with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat pump then it must be equipped with the thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings an electric, fixed heater might be enough.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source like an air conditioner, it might just need some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

Check out the complete details to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Pandora

Each living space within a rental home must have at least one opening door or window to provide natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about acknowledging how dry air is easier to heat and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t considered liveable and therefore are not need an opening door or window.

Each window, door , or the skylight requirements at least of opening to the outside while remaining set in an opening position to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and every other room of your house that houses shower, bath or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will require proper extractor fan systems that are vented towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Pandora

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure the insulation meets current quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might require to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of dampness and mould, and also makes much easier to the home to hold heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Pandora Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about what’s inside the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface as well as groundwater to move, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it’s frequently the concerns you don’t notice that could become a major issue and end up causing the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage to remove rainwater, storm water and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water is able to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between the floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from getting into the building. It also assists in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

Find out all the details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Pandora

Property rental areas that are affected with Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Pandora include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Pandora for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to be able to examine in a home assessment to see if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For expert advice, call today to schedule your rental properties house evaluation.