Healthy Homes Assessment Karamu

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords now have to make sure their Karamu rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties must be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work required. needs to be done and provide an evaluation report with all the details required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes connected fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, and are fully certified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 894 138

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed contract is signed on a Karamu rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be finished inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Karamu rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to comply with all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within the new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the required information within 21 days from receiving the request, they can be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty as much as $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be maintained throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is important to remember that landlords who have multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are reserved for severe violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

If you fail to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with significant fines and continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and arrange to have an house assessment performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

Around 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Karamu, and research suggests that rental houses are more likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than the houses of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are linked to negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as heart diseases. In addition, people who experience at least four major issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Karamu rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health as well as lessen disruptions to their work, education and living due to illness. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Control for Karamu rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Karamu Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Karamu

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in households. A cold house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught could be felt through gaps that are too large or holes that it requirements to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a hole or gap that is, it’s likely to be a gap or hole which requirements sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out from your house require sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it could cause draughts, and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent imaginable.

There is no need to block holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement of the structure as the house heats and cools, so that they are able to be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will check every window and door during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Karamu

Rental properties in Karamu should have a permanent source of heat that can heat the living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the existing fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it requirements to include a thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and efficient. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a central heating source, such as heat pumps, it may need an upgrade to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the standard because they’re costly, not cost-effective to run, or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications for details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Karamu

Every living space in a rental property has to contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

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

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

Each window, door or Skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside and remain fixed in an open position to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your property with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will require appropriate extractor fans that can be vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient air circulation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in high moisture areas.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Karamu

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required for all rent houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must make sure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might need to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness, and it will make an easier task for the house to hold heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values of your area.

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The more high the R-value, better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder area of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and 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

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Karamu Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property 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 as well as groundwater to move and also stop it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s often the things you don’t notice that can become a big problem and end up causing the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go, and also that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

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

Ground moisture barriers are usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to prevent any moisture present in the ground from entering the structure. It also helps prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Karamu

The areas of rental property that are affected by the Healthy Homes Standard in Karamu include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Karamu for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to look over during the home evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of the ruling on tenancy services ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For expert assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental properties home assessment.