Healthy Homes Assessment Flaxmere

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords must make sure 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 must be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas 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 requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks needed to be completed. 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 comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not complying may be liable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes related fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties in addition, we’re completely qualified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 232 113

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new or renewed contract is signed on a Flaxmere rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed lease is entered into on a Flaxmere rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done within 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they can receive an infringement letter and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of up to $900 for property owners or property managers who provide a false or incorrect 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 agreement as the one who is letting the property out, so it could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is crucial to be aware that landlords who own multiple rental properties may receive additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved only for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in large fines in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and request an home evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

A majority of households rent from New Zealand and Flaxmere, and research has shown that these rental houses are more likely to be older, colder, have less efficient heating and are of lower quality than the houses of owners.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who experience at least four major house quality problems often experience low life satisfaction and reduced well-being.

The improvement in the quality of Flaxmere rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health as well as lessen disruptions to their work, education and daily life due to illness. Your investment is also safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance 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 on Flaxmere rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Flaxmere

Draughts increase the likelihood of lower temperatures in homes. A cold home costs more to heat, resulting in wasted money and energy.

If a draught is noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes that it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or the air is clear from a crack or a gap and you can feel it, it’s likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be stopped permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit into the house need to be sealed. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped whenever imaginable.

There is no require to block holes or gaps in the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow movement of the building as the household heats and cools, to allow them to be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will inspect the windows and doors in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Flaxmere

Flaxmere rental properties must have a fixed source of heat that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The heating source requirements to remain fixed (i.e., not portable), at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity and have the minimum heating capacity needed to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the existing fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to top up by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat source, it should be equipped with an thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces an electric, fixed heater may suffice.

If the main living room already has a central heating source such as heat pumps, it may need a top up to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the quality as they are either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

Find the complete specifications on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Flaxmere

Every living space of a rental property must have at least one opening door or window to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is about recognising how dried air can be less difficult to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable areas. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t liveable , and thus are not require an opening window or door.

Each door, window or the skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside, but remain set in an opening position to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your house that houses a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture generating item will need appropriate extractor fans that vent out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough air circulation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Flaxmere

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement in all rental homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest quality. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, as well as making more easy to allow the home to hold warmth.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest part of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Flaxmere Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about what’s inside the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it’s often not apparent that it could be a huge problem, causing damage to your investment as well as affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties require to have effective drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your floor and ground, a ground water barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the home. It also assists in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

See the full details of the 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 with the Healthy Homes Standards in Flaxmere include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Flaxmere for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to check when conducting a home assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice, call today to book your rental property house assessment.