Healthy Homes Assessment Flaxmere

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 now have to ensure that their Flaxmere rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties are required to be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property to determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks required. needs to be done and offer an assessment report that includes all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes connected fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental property, we are fully certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 232 113

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Flaxmere rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be taken care of inside of 90 days.

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

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy contract as the person leasing the property out which could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be correct before the tenancy agreement can be completed, and must be updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It is also crucial to note that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches, and landlords with at least six rental properties could be penalised up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet resulting in massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and arrange to have an house assessment performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

A majority of households rent from New Zealand and Flaxmere, and research shows us that these rental homes are likely to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who reported four or more major housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Flaxmere rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health, and lessen the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to health issues. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught stopping for Flaxmere rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Flaxmere

Draughts may lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A damp house will cost more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and increased bills.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area needs 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 crack that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from your house require seals. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and should be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched whenever possible.

You don’t need to block off holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for the 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 test every window and door during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is crucial to ensure healthy houses

Heating Flaxmere

Rental properties in Flaxmere need to have a stable source of heating that can warm the living space to a minimum of 18degC, even during the coldest winter days. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The source of heating requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) that is, at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether your current fix heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), then it must be equipped with an thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and efficient. For most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In some instances, like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a central heating source, such as an air conditioner, it may need a top up to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or are unsafe to operate.

See the full details on details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Flaxmere

Each liveable space in a rental house must contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

A ventilation standard is about recognising that dry air will be less difficult to heat, and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or the skylight needs to be able to open to the outside while remaining closed in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your property with shower, bath and cooktop or another moisture-producing item will need adequate extractor fans that vent towards the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Flaxmere

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is mandatory on all rental houses from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure that the insulation is up to this new standard. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space might require to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, as well as making more easy for the household to keep warmth.

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

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest of the 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 below floor R 1.3

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Flaxmere 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 also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s frequently what you don’t see that can become a big problem and cause the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water is able to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between floorboards and ground, a ground water barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from getting into the structure. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Flaxmere

The areas of rental property that are affected through the Healthy Homes Standards in Flaxmere include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Flaxmere for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to look over when conducting an home review to determine if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the Tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For expert advice, call today to schedule your rental properties house evaluation.