Healthy Homes Assessment Tamatea

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Tamatea rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals are required to be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to check whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the work needed to be completed. requirements to be done and provide an assessment report that includes all the necessary information for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes connected fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental property, and are completely certified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 365 444

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Tamatea rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be completed within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Tamatea rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done within 90 days.

Failure to comply with all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if the most current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within the new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant may request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the property manager is unable to provide the information requested within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as the person who is leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be correct when the tenancy agreement is completed, and is updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s also important to be aware that landlords who manage several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are given for the most serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, with huge fines, in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and arrange to have a house inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Check out the complete details of the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

Around 1 in 3 households in New Zealand and Tamatea, and research indicates that rental homes are likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are linked to negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who experience four or more key home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced psychological well-being.

The improvement in the quality of Tamatea rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and living due to illness. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught stopping on Tamatea rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Tamatea Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Tamatea

Draughts may lead to low temperatures inside homes. A damp house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes that it requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a crack or a gap or crack, then it is likely to be a gap or an opening that needs sealing in any way. Large cracks and gaps should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit within the home require sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever possible.

There is no require to block holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement of the structure as the household gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will test the windows and doors in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details for the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is crucial for healthy houses

Heating Tamatea

Rental properties in Tamatea need to have a stable source of heating that is able to heat the main or largest living room to at least 18degC, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The heating source requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable), at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if your current fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat pump, then it must have a thermostat. This will help make the heating more consistent and effective. For most homes, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as heat pumps, it could require a top up to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the quality since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications regarding the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Tamatea

Each living space within the rental property should contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

A ventilation quality is all about understanding how dried air can be more easy to heat and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway are not considered liveable and do not need an opening window or door.

Each door, window or skylight requirements at least to open to the outside, but remain at an open angle in order to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your home that has a bath, shower cooker or any other humidity-generating items will need suitable extractor fans which are vented to the outdoors. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A dry and warm home is a healthy home

Insulation Tamatea

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required in all rental homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure that the insulation is in line with current quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might require to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, and will also make it easier to the house to keep heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

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

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Tamatea Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move, and prevent it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is often the things you don’t notice that could become a major issue and cause the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to have effective drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water, and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between the floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture in the ground from getting into the structure. It also assists in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Tamatea

Areas of rental properties that are impacted by the Healthy Homes Standards in Tamatea include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Tamatea for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns you should look for in an home review to determine if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Is the sub floor space insulated and is a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For expert advice, call now and schedule your rental properties home evaluation.