Healthy Homes Assessment Fernhill

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

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

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the tasks required. needs to be completed and offer the report with all the necessary information for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes relevant fines.

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

Call Now 0800 894 138

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 Fernhill rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be taken care of inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a new or renewed contract is signed on the Fernhill rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed by the end of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in a new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to provide the necessary information within 21 days of receiving the request, they will receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty up to $900 for property owners or property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person responsible for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy contract as the person renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it is finished.

It is crucial to note that a landlord who own multiple rental properties may receive even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved only for serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 for hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in significant fines and still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Contact us now and arrange to have a house evaluation performed on your rental property.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Fernhill, and research has shown that these rental homes are likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating and tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who report at least four major issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

The improvement in the quality of Fernhill rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health, and lessen the disturbance to learning, work and living because of health issues. Your investment will be protected from mould, mildew and damp damage, meaning less maintenance costs in the long run.

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

Contact us now to discuss having a Fernhill Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Fernhill

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in homes. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting money and energy.

If a draught could be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area requirements to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it is probably a gap or hole which requirements sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air to enter or exit into your house need to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped whenever possible.

There is no require to block off holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement of the structure when the house heats and cools, so that they can still be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will inspect every window and door in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important for healthy houses

Heating Fernhill

Rental properties in Fernhill should have a permanent source of heat that can warm the principal or the biggest living room to at least 18degC even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The heating source requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the existing installed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued 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 an electric heater or heat pump it should have an thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source such as the heat pump, it might require an update to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the quality as they are either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Fernhill

Every living space of a rental property has to have at least one opening doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to take moisture away.

A ventilation standard is all about acknowledging it is that dried air can be less difficult to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable , and thus do not require an opening window or door.

Each window, door , or Skylight needs to have the ability to open to the outside while remaining closed in order to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your house that houses shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture-producing item will require proper extractor fan systems that can be vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

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

A warm dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Fernhill

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required for all rent homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to ensure that the insulation is in line with the new quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness, and also makes an easier task to the household 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 withstands heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the more efficient 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 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Fernhill Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from moisture isn’t just about the inside but you must make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it is typically what you don’t see that could be a huge problem, causing damage to your investment and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is usually made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from entering the home. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Fernhill

Areas of rental properties that are impacted through Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Fernhill include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Fernhill for Rental Properties

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

• Are the floor spaces protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an ruling on tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental properties home evaluation.