Healthy Homes Assessment Te Mata

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must make sure their Te Mata 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 completely conforming by the 1st 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 to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the work which needs to be done, and provide a report with all the necessary information for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties as well as fully qualified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 894 138

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Te Mata rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be done within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed lease is entered into on the Te Mata rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the property manager does not provide the information requested within 21 days of receiving the request, they will receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty approximately $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy contract as the person leasing the property out, so it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it must be updated during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It’s important to be aware that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are given for the most serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet with huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and make arrangements to have a house inspection performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Te Mata, and research shows us that these rental homes are likely to be colder, older, have less effective heating and have lower quality than the houses of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Additionally, those who report four or more key issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Te Mata rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health, and lessen the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to illnesses. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp , which means lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping within Te Mata rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Te Mata Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Mata

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within households. A damp house will cost more to heat, resulting in wasted money and energy.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or the air is clear from a hole or gap that is, it’s likely to be a gap or crack that requirements sealing in somehow. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air into or out of the home need to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be blocked from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever possible.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for the movement of the building as the house is heated and cools to allow them to be opened and closed rather than being stuck. We will inspect all windows and doors as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important for healthy homes

Heating Te Mata

Rental properties in Te Mata should have a permanent source of heating that can heat the living space to at least 18degC, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The source of heating needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) with at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if your current fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to top up by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating or heat pump it must include the thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and efficient. For most homes, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source, like an air conditioner, it might require an update in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or are unsafe to operate.

See the full details for details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Te Mata

Each living space within the rental property should have at least one opening doors or windows to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about understanding how dried air can be much easier to heat and heat, and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or the skylight requirements to be able of opening to the outside, and stay set in an opening position to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your property with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will require proper extractor fan systems which are vented to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm house is an ideal house

Insulation Te Mata

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required for all rent homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure that the insulation is in line with current standard. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation and lower the chance of dampness and mould, and will also make it easier for the household to hold warmth.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values required for your area

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The greater the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all part 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

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Te Mata Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow, and stop it from coming inside. When it is damp and moisture, it’s typically not apparent that it could become a major issue that can cause damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have effective drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go and that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture present in the ground from accumulating into the property. It also helps to prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Te Mata

The areas of rental property that are affected by Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Te Mata include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Mata for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to be able to examine in a home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Is the sub floor space well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For professional assistance, get in touch today and book your rental properties home assessment.