Healthy Homes Assessment Ōtāne

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Ōtāne rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property and determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any tasks that requirements to be done and offer an evaluation report with all the information required for your tenancy contract’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 any landlord who is found to be not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes relevant fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors for rental properties, we are completely qualified 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, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Ōtāne rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be finished by the end of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on the Ōtāne rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within the renewal, new or revised tenancy contract, there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the landlord or property manager does not provide the information requested within 21 days of being informed of the request, they could be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is letting the property out which could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be current when the tenancy contract is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It’s also crucial to be aware that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may receive additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for severe violations. Those who have six or more properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and ask us to conduct an home inspection performed for your rental property.

Find the full information on how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Ōtāne, and research shows us that these rental homes are likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who reported at least four key home quality issues often suffer from less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the standard of Ōtāne rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and living due to diseases. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping in Ōtāne rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Ōtāne

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within households. A damp home will cost more to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a crack or a gap that is, it is probably a gap or hole which needs sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air to enter or exit of the house require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure such draughts are eliminated whenever possible.

There is no require to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow movement of the structure when the household heats and cools, so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will test all doors and windows during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Ōtāne

Ōtāne rental properties require a reliable source of heat that can warm the living room to at least 18degC even on the coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The heating source requirements to be fixed (i.e., not portable) and at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the existing fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), it should be equipped with an thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as the heat pump, it could need some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Ōtāne

Each liveable space in the rental property should contain at minimum one open door or window to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

A ventilation quality is about recognising how the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered living spaces and therefore do not need an opening door or window.

Each window, door or skylight requirements at least to open up to the outside, but remain set in an opening position, allowing the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and every other room of your home with shower, bath and cooktop or another moisture generating item will need suitable extractor fans that vent out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

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

A dry and warm home is an ideal house

Insulation Ōtāne

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure the insulation meets this new quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and will also make more easy to the house to hold warmth.

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

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder of the 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 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Ōtāne Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from moisture isn’t just about the inside of the building it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s typically what you don’t see that can become a big problem and cause damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to be equipped with effective drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and it can’t linger underneath the buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the soil, a ground-water barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to prevent any moisture in the ground from accumulating into the home. It also assists in preventing 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 Ōtāne

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

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Ōtāne for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to look over when conducting an house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home with regard to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today to schedule your rental properties home evaluation.