Healthy Homes Assessment Raupunga

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords must ensure their Raupunga rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals must be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

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

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors for rental properties, in addition, we’re completely qualified to evaluate both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 232 113

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Raupunga rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be completed within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new or renewed Tenancy is signed for a Raupunga rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there may be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the landlord or property manager does not provide the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may receive an infringement notification and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is an additional fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy contract as the person renting the property which could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be correct before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it must be updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any related work is completed.

It’s crucial to note that a landlord who own multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are reserved only for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be penalised up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and request an home inspection performed for your rental property.

Get the full description of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

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

Moldy, damp and cold homes can have negative health outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who report four or more key home quality issues often suffer from poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Improving the quality of Raupunga rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of illnesses. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping for Raupunga rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Raupunga

Draughts may lead to less temperature in households. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it’s likely a crack or hole which requirements sealing in any way. Large gaps and cracks should be stopped permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit of your home require seals. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring such draughts are eliminated whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to block up intentional gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement within the building when the house warms and cools to allow them to be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will test the windows and doors in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Raupunga

Raupunga rental properties must have a fixed source of heat which can warm the living area to at minimum 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 to remain fixed (i.e., not portable), at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if your current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat pump it should be equipped with an thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and efficient. For most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If the main living room already has a central heating source like heat pumps, it might just require an upgrade to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to comply with the quality because they’re not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

Find the complete specifications for details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Raupunga

Each living space within a rental property has to have at least one openable window or exterior door to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation quality is all about recognising how dry air will be more easy to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t liveable and don’t require an opening door or window.

Each window, door , or the skylight needs to have the ability to open up to the outside and remain closed in order to allow for fresh air circulation and air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your house that houses a bath, shower and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will require suitable extractor fans that can be vented towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Raupunga

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory to all rental homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to ensure that the insulation is up to standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some instances, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space may require to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property will reduce the risk of condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and also makes much easier to the home to keep heat.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all part 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 and underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Raupunga Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is typically what you don’t see that can become a big problem that can cause the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s health.

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

Alongside a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your floor and ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the home. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Raupunga

Property rental areas that are affected through the Healthy Homes Standard in Raupunga include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Raupunga for Rental Properties

There are numerous things you should look for during an home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Does the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today to schedule your rental property house assessment.