Healthy Homes Assessment Mangateretere

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 now have to ensure that their Mangateretere 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 areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about the tasks needed to be completed. requirements to be done, and provide an assessment report that includes all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes connected fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties as well as completely certified for 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, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Mangateretere rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be completed by the end of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Mangateretere rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they are living in. If the landlord or property manager does not provide the information requested within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant could be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty up to $900 for landlords 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 named on the lease agreement as being the person who is letting the property which could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it is updated through the tenancy period as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is also crucial to remember that a landlord who have multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet and result in large fines in addition to still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property Call us today and ask us to conduct a house assessment done on your rental property.

Find the full information on the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households homes in New Zealand and Mangateretere, and research indicates that rental houses are likely to be colder, older and have less effective heating and tend to be lower quality than the homes of owners.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who have reported at least four key housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Mangateretere rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health, and lessen the disruptions to their work, education and daily life because of illness. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping within Mangateretere rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about the Mangateretere Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Mangateretere

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in households. A humid home is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught can be perceived as a result of gaps or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it is most likely a gap or hole which requirements sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out within the home need the sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and should be blocked off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t need to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for movement within the structure when the house warms and cools in order to let them be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will test every window and door during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Mangateretere

Rental properties in Mangateretere require a reliable source of heating that can warm the principal or the biggest living room to at least 18degC, even on the most coldest days of the year. 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), at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if your current fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), then it must be equipped with the thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a permanent heating source, like a heat pump, then it might need some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the quality because they’re not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information on details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Mangateretere

Each living space within a rental property has to contain at minimum one open door or window to offer natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about recognising it is that dried air can be less difficult to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated 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 living spaces and therefore do not need an opening window or door.

Each door, window or Skylight requirements to be able to open up to the outside and remain closed to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your home that has shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture-producing item will need suitable extractor fans that can be vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan in high moisture areas.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Mangateretere

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory to all rental houses from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some instances, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, and it will make much easier to the house to keep warmth.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The higher 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 area 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 this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Mangateretere Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from moisture isn’t just about the inside of the building it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and ground water to go and also stop it from getting inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is typically those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could become a major issue, causing damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must be equipped with efficient drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a location to go and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your property has an enclosed space between floorboards and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to prevent any moisture in the ground from accumulating into the property. It also helps to prevent any damage to your 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 Mangateretere

Property rental areas that are affected with Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Mangateretere include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Mangateretere for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to check when conducting an house evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home in relation to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenant solutions ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert guidance, contact us today and book your rental property house evaluation.