Healthy Homes Assessment Bay View

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure that their Bay View rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals are required to be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any tasks required. requirements to be done, and offer the report with all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes connected fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental property, in addition, we’re fully certified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Bay View rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be done inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for the Bay View rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in the new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the property manager does not supply the required information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they could be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is whoever is named on the lease agreement as the one who is renting the property and it could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current when the tenancy agreement is completed, and is updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It’s also important to keep in mind that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for severe violations. Those who have six or more properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket resulting in large fines in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and request an home assessment performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

A majority of households in New Zealand and Bay View, and research suggests that rental houses are likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who have reported four or more key issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Enhancing the quality of Bay View rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of health issues. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less costs of maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught stopping in Bay View rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about receiving a Bay View Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Bay View

Draughts may lead to low temperatures inside households. A humid house costs more to heat, which results in wasting money and energy.

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

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or the air is clear from a crack or a gap and you are able to feel it, it is likely to be a gap or hole that needs sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out of your home require to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be shut off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped whenever imaginable.

You don’t need to block up intentional gaps or holes that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement of the structure as the house gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will examine the windows and doors as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Bay View

Bay View rental properties should have a permanent heating source that is able to heat the{ main or largest|| largest or main| principal or the biggest} living space to at least 18degC, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The heating source needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if the permanent heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to "top up" by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat source, it requirements to be equipped with an thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and effective. For the majority of houses, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, such as small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source like heat pumps, it could need a top up to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the standard because they’re not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

See the full details for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Bay View

Each liveable space in the rental property should have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about understanding the fact that the dry atmosphere is easier to heat and heat, and a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable and don’t need an opening door or window.

Each door, window or the skylight requirements at least of opening to the outside and remain closed in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your home that has shower, bath and cooktop or another moisture generating item will require suitable extractor fans that are vented to the outdoors. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

Find out all the details about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Bay View

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required on all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is up to the new quality. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may need to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property can reduce condensation and lessen the likelihood of dampness and mould, and it will make much easier for the house to retain heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the better the insulation.

• 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 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Bay View Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface or ground water and stop it from coming inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s usually the things you don’t notice that can become a big problem, causing damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to be equipped with effective drainage to remove rainwater, storm water, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between your floor and ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture present in the ground from rising into the home. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Bay View

Rental property areas affected through the Healthy Homes Standard in Bay View include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Bay View for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to look over in a house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Is the sub floor space well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need replacement or topping?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of an ruling on tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice get in touch today to book your rental properties house assessment.