Healthy Homes Assessment Roys Hill

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords must ensure their Roys Hill rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the work which requirements to be done, and offer a report with all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes related fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, and are fully qualified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 894 138

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Roys Hill rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be done inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, if a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for the Roys Hill rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within a new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they will be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a fine of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy contract as the person who is letting the property It could also be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is completed, and must be updated throughout the tenancy as any relevant work gets completed.

It is important to keep in mind that landlords who have multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are handed down only for serious violations, and landlords who own at least six rental properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

If you fail to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and request a house assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households rent in New Zealand and Roys Hill, and research shows us that these rental homes tend to be older, colder, have less efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who report at least four major home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

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

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Stopping for Roys Hill rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Roys Hill

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside houses. A damp home costs more to heat, which means wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or a clear draught from a gap or hole or crack, then it is likely a crack or an opening that requirements sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out into your house require the sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement within the structure when the house gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be closed and opened instead of instead of being stuck. We will examine every window and door during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is crucial to ensure healthy homes

Heating Roys Hill

Rental properties in Roys Hill require a reliable source of heating that is able to heat 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 that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The source of heating requirements for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the current permanent heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top up" with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, it needs to include an thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and efficient. In most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the living area already has a permanent heating source, like a heat pump, then it could require an update to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the quality because they’re not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Roys Hill

Each liveable space in a rental property must have at least one openable doors or windows to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about acknowledging that the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and heat, and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Each window, door , or the skylight needs for them to be in a position of opening to the outside, but remain closed, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your property with shower, bath and cooktop or another moisture generating item will need suitable extractor fans that vent out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A dry and warm home is a healthy home

Insulation Roys Hill

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is mandatory to all rental houses from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest standard. In certain situations, the an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, and will also make more easy for the household to hold heat.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the higher the standard of 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, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

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

Roys Hill Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from dampness isn’t just about the inside of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface as well as groundwater to move, and prevent it from getting inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is usually the concerns you don’t notice that can become a big problem and cause the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must have effective drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go, and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between the floor and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from getting into the home. It also assists in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Roys Hill

Property rental areas that are affected to The Healthy Homes Standards in Roys Hill include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Roys Hill for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to be able to examine when conducting a home review to determine if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an tenant services ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional guidance, contact us today and book your rental properties home evaluation.