Healthy Homes Assessment Te Mata Hills

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 that their Te Mata Hills rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties must be completely conforming by the 1st July 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 if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks which needs to be completed and offer the report with all the information required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors for rental properties, and are completely certified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 894 138

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Te Mata Hills rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be finished inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new or renewed contract is signed on a Te Mata Hills rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Failure to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they are living in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to provide the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they will receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is liable to pay this fine is the one who is identified 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 information in the Compliance Statement needs to be current when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It is crucial to keep in mind that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are reserved only for serious violations. Those who have six or more properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, and result in huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have a house inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

Around 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Te Mata Hills, and research suggests that rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and have less effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who have reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Te Mata Hills rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and living due to illnesses. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping in Te Mata Hills rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Te Mata Hills Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Mata Hills

Draughts can lead to less temperature in households. A humid home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole, then it’s likely to be a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in any way. Large cracks and gaps should be sealed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out within the house need to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace is not in use, it could cause draughts, and should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched in the maximum extent imaginable.

There is no need to block off holes or gaps which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow movement of the building when the home is heated and cools so that they can still be closed and opened instead of instead of being stuck. We will examine all doors and windows during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial for healthy homes

Heating Te Mata Hills

Te Mata Hills rental properties require a reliable source of heating that is able to heat the main or largest living space to a minimum of 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if your current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating or heat source, it should have the thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and efficient. For most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater could be enough.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source, such as heat pumps, it could need a top up to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the quality since they’re either expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Te Mata Hills

Each living space within a rental property has to contain at minimum one open door or window to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

A ventilation quality is about recognising that dried air can be more easy to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway are not considered liveable and therefore do not require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or Skylight needs to have the ability of opening to the outside, and stay closed to allow the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other room in your house that houses a bath, shower, cooktop or other high moisture-producing item will need adequate extractor fans that vent out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

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

A dry and warm house is a healthy house

Insulation Te Mata Hills

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required to all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure that the insulation meets the new quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and lower the chance of dampness and mould, and also makes it easier for the home to keep the heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well insulation resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest area of 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

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

Te Mata Hills Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from dampness isn’t just about the interior of the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere for surface or ground water and stop it from coming into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s typically what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble, causing damage to your investment as well as harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of rainwater, storm water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water is able to go and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your flooring and ground, a ground water barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from rising into the structure. It also assists in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Te Mata Hills

The areas of rental property that are affected to Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Te Mata Hills include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Mata Hills for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to check when conducting a house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Is the sub floor space protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an Tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional advice get in touch today and book your rental property house evaluation.