Healthy Homes Assessment Te Awa

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords must make sure their Te Awa rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

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

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

We can assess your rental property and determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks which requirements to be completed, and offer an assessment report that includes all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach 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 plus additional healthier homes associated fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors for rental properties, and are completely certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 894 138

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Te Awa rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be taken care of within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for a Te Awa rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Failure to comply with all of the 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 currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they can be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty up to $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person responsible for this fine is whoever is named on the lease agreement as being the person letting the property out, so it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It should be maintained throughout the duration of the tenancy when any associated work has been completed.

It’s also important to keep in mind that a landlord who own multiple rental properties may face additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down for severe breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet and result in massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and arrange to have an home assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent the property in New Zealand and Te Awa, and research shows us that these rental homes are likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating and are of lower quality than the houses of owners.

Moldy, damp and cold homes are associated with negative health results, specifically for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who have reported at least four key housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

Improving the quality of Te Awa rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health, and lessen the disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of diseases. Your investment will be protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for Heating, Insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping for Te Awa rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about getting a Te Awa Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Awa

Draughts can lead to less temperature in households. A draughty home costs more to heat, which results in wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a hole or gap or crack, then it’s probably a gap or hole which requirements sealing in any way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out within the house require to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and should be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as imaginable.

There is no require to block holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for the movement of the structure as the house heats and cools, so that they can still be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will examine the windows and doors as part of your 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 Te Awa

Rental properties in Te Awa require a reliable source of heating that can warm the main or largest living room to at least 18degC even on the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heating needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the existing fix heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options in those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating or heat pump, it should be equipped with an thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like the heat pump, it could require an update to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the quality since they’re either costly, not affordable to run, and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details to details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Te Awa

Every living space of the rental property should contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about acknowledging the fact that dry air will be easier to heat and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens, and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered liveable and therefore are not need an opening door or window.

Each door, window or skylight needs for them to be in a position to open to the outside, and stay set in an opening position in order to allow for fresh air circulation and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your property with a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture generating item will need proper extractor fan systems that are vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A warm dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Te Awa

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is mandatory in all rental homes since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must make sure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may need to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, and it will make more easy to the home to hold heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation resists heat flow. The greater 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 rest of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

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

Te Awa Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go and also stop it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s frequently those things that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem and cause the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a location to go, and it doesn’t get sucked into structures is a crucial aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture ingress, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the soil, a ground-water barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the building. It also helps in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Te Awa

Property rental areas that are affected with The Healthy Homes Standards in Te Awa include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Awa for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to check in a home evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Is the sub floor space insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For professional advice, call today to schedule your rental property house assessment.