Healthy Homes Assessment Te Awanga

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure their Te Awanga rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager of the work required. needs to be completed and provide an evaluation report with all the information required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes relevant fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental property, and are completely certified to evaluate both 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 contract is signed on a Te Awanga rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for a Te Awanga rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager fails to provide the information requested within 21 days from receiving the request, they may receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy agreement as the person who is leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be completed, and should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it is finished.

It is also crucial to note that a landlord who have several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved for the most serious violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in significant fines and still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Contact us now and ask us to conduct a house evaluation performed on your rental property.

See the full details for this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households from New Zealand and Te Awanga, and research has shown that these rental houses tend to be colder, older and have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are associated with negative well-being outcomes, especially for illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who report at least four major home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

Improve the quality of Te Awanga rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health, and lessen the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to diseases. Your investment is also protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping on Te Awanga rental properties.

Start now and call about the Te Awanga Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Awanga

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within households. A damp home will cost more to heat, meaning 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 unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole, then it’s probably a gap or hole which requirements sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out into your home need to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it may cause draughts and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as much as possible.

There is no need to block holes or gaps in the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow movement of the structure when the household heats and cools, so that they can still be closed and opened rather than securing. We will examine every window and door as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Te Awanga

Rental properties in Te Awanga require a reliable source of heat that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living space. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options for those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat pump, then it must be equipped with a thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. For most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the living area already has a central heating source like an air conditioner, it might just require an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Get the complete information to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Te Awanga

Each liveable space in the rental property should have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is about recognising the fact that dry air is more easy to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or the skylight requirements at least to open up to the outside and remain set in an opening position to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, as well as any other space in your house that houses shower, bath cooker or any other moisture generating item will require adequate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Te Awanga

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is mandatory on all rental homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords should make sure that the insulation is in line with the new standard. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, as well as making much easier to allow the house 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 gauge of how well the insulation resists heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder 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 below floor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Te Awanga Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from moisture isn’t just about the inside; you have to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and also stop it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s frequently not apparent that it could be a huge problem and end up causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with effective drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture from entering, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to stop any moisture in the ground from getting into the home. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Te Awanga

Rental property areas affected to The Healthy Homes Standards in Te Awanga include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Awanga for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to be able to examine in a house evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there stopping of draughts?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a Tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today to schedule your rental property home assessment.