Healthy Homes Assessment Meeanee

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure that their Meeanee 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 completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work that requirements to be completed, and offer a report with all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes connected fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties we are fully qualified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 232 113

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Meeanee rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed by the end of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Meeanee rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to the possibility of a fine up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the the property manager doesn’t supply the required information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant will be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of up to $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy agreement as the person who is who is letting the property and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate when the tenancy contract is signed, and ideally it is updated throughout the tenancy as any associated work has been completed.

It’s important to remember that landlords who own multiple rental properties may face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property Call us today and make arrangements to have a home assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

A majority of households in New Zealand and Meeanee, and research has shown that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating and tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who experience at least four major house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the quality of Meeanee rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and reduce the disruption to work, learning and daily life due to illness. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which results in lower costs for maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping for Meeanee rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss the Meeanee Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Meeanee

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in homes. A cold house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted money and energy.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it is probably a gap or hole which requirements sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out of the house require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that such draughts are squelched as far as imaginable.

There is no require to block off holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the building as the home gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will inspect all windows and doors during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important for healthy houses

Heating Meeanee

Meeanee rental properties need to have a stable heating source that can heat the main or largest living room to at least 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if your current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater or heat source, it should include a thermostat. This will help make the heating more consistent and efficient. In most houses, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances like apartments with small spaces small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If your main living space already has a central heating source such as heat pumps, it may need an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard because they’re costly, not affordable to run, and/or unhealthy to run.

Check out the complete details regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Meeanee

Every living space in a rental property has to include at least one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

The ventilation quality is about recognising it is that dry air will be much easier to heat and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or skylight needs for them to be in a position of opening to the outside while remaining set in an opening position to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your home that has a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture-producing item will require suitable extractor fans that are vented towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A dry and warm home is a healthy home

Insulation Meeanee

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor has been compulsory for all rent houses since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure that the insulation is in line with the new standard. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may require to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, and it will make much easier to the household to retain the heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 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 floor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Meeanee Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about the interior of the building it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow and stop it from coming inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is often the concerns you don’t notice that could be a huge problem and cause damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water, and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water has a location to go and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between the floor and soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to prevent any moisture present in the ground from getting into the structure. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Find out all the details of the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Meeanee

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

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Meeanee for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to be able to examine in an house evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the Tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For expert advice, call today and book your rental property home evaluation.