Healthy Homes Assessment Longlands

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords must ensure their Longlands rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties must be completely certified 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 if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any tasks which needs to be completed and offer an evaluation report with all the details 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 in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors for rental properties, and are fully qualified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 894 138

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Longlands rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be taken care of within 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a new or renewed contract is signed on a Longlands rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to supply the information requested within 21 days of receiving the request, they can receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is letting the property out and it could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be correct before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it should be maintained through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It’s crucial to note that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for serious violations. Those who have six or more properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, with huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct an house inspection performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

A majority of households from New Zealand and Longlands, and research indicates that rental houses are more likely to be colder, older and have less effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold houses can have negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who report four or more key issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Improve the standard of Longlands rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and daily life due to health issues. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less costs of maintenance over the long term.

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

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Longlands

Draughts can lead to less temperature in homes. A humid house costs more to heat, which results in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or an unobstructed draught coming from a crack or a gap and you are able to feel it, it’s likely a crack or an opening that needs sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out into the house need sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for the movement of the structure when the household gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be closed and opened rather than securing. We will examine all doors and windows during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Longlands

Rental properties in Longlands require a reliable heating source that can heat the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most 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 well-being.

The source of heating needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the fix heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to top up with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), it must be equipped with a thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and efficient. In most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If your living space already has a central heating source such as the heat pump, it could need a top up to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

See the full details on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Longlands

Each liveable space in a rental property has to include at least one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation quality is about recognising the fact that dry air is less difficult to heat and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway are not considered living spaces and therefore are not need an opening window or door.

Each door, window or skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open to the outside, but remain set in an opening position, allowing for fresh air circulation and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your property with shower, bath and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will require suitable extractor fans that vent to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces and will also check for the proper extractor fans in high moisture areas.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Longlands

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required to all rental homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure that the insulation is up to this new standard. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may need to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated house can reduce condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, and will also make it easier to allow the house to hold the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well insulation resists heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and 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 the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Longlands Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow and stop it from coming into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is typically the things you don’t notice that can become a big problem, causing the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have effective drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between the floor and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from accumulating into the home. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Longlands

Areas of rental properties that are impacted by Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Longlands include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Longlands for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to be able to examine in a house assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an ruling on tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice, call today to book your rental properties home assessment.