Healthy Homes Assessment Napier

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure their Napier rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals are required to 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 can evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work required. requirements to be done and offer an evaluation report with all the information required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes relevant fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties, and are completely certified for each of 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 tenancy is signed for a Napier rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be done within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for the Napier rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the landlord or property manager does not supply the necessary information within 21 days of receiving the request, they could receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the person who is 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 Compliance Statement requirements to be correct when the tenancy contract is completed, and is updated during the entire tenancy, as associated work has been completed.

It’s also important to be aware that a landlord who have multiple rental properties may receive additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are given for serious breaches, and landlords with at least six rental properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet with huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and arrange to have a house evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households homes in New Zealand and Napier, and research indicates that rental houses tend to be older, colder, are not as effective heating and are of lower quality than the houses of owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who experience four or more key housing quality problems frequently have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improving the quality of Napier rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and living because of diseases. Your investment is also protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower maintenance costs 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 Draught-stopping on Napier rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Napier Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Napier

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in homes. A humid home costs more to heat, which results in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught could be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a gap or hole or crack, then it is probably a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in somehow. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out of the home require to be sealed. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent possible.

You don’t require to block up intentional holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for the movement of the structure as the house heats and cools, in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will examine every window and door in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details for the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Napier

Napier rental properties require a reliable heating source that can heat the main or largest living space to a minimum of 18degC even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The source of heat needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the existing fix heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat pump it requirements to include an thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and efficient. In most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room is already equipped with a fixed heating source such as the heat pump, it might just need an update to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications regarding the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Napier

Each liveable space in a rental property must have at least one opening door or window to provide natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

This ventilation quality is about recognising how dry air is much easier to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

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

Every window, door or skylight requirements at least to open up to the outside and remain fixed in an open position in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, as well as any other space in your property with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will need suitable extractor fans that vent out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Napier

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is mandatory on all rental houses from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure that the insulation is in line with the new quality. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might require to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, as well as making an easier task to the house to hold warmth.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The more high the R-value, higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder 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

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Napier Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about the interior of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is usually the things you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble, causing damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between floorboards and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

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

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Napier

Rental property areas affected with Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Napier include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Napier for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to be able to examine during an house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For professional guidance, contact us today and book your rental property home evaluation.