Healthy Homes Assessment Hawkes Bay

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure that their Hawkes Bay rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals must be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the work which needs to be done, and provide the report with all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in 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 healthy homes connected fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental property, and are completely qualified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Hawkes Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be taken care of within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed lease is entered into on a Hawkes Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Failure to meet one 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 isn’t included within a new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they are living in. If the landlord or property manager does not supply the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they can receive an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is an additional fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is who is letting the property It could also be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be current when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it is updated through the tenancy period as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is important to be aware that landlords who own multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are reserved for severe breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

If you fail to comply with compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and arrange to have a home assessment done on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

Around 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Hawkes Bay, and research has shown that these rental houses are likely to be older, colder, are not as effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who reported at least four key issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improving the quality of Hawkes Bay rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and daily life because of diseases. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping within Hawkes Bay rental properties.

Begin now by calling about getting a Hawkes Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hawkes Bay

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside households. A humid home will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

If a draft can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a crack or a gap that is, it’s most likely a gap or an opening that needs sealing in any way. Large gaps and cracks should be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out within your house need sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This must be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent possible.

There is no need to cover up gaps or holes in the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for the movement of the building when the house heats and cools, in order to let them be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will check the windows and doors during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Hawkes Bay

Rental properties in Hawkes Bay need to have a stable source of heating that can heat the{ main or largest|| largest or main| principal or the biggest} living room to at least 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable) and at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the current permanent heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, then it must include an thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. In most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your main living space already has a central heating source like the heat pump, it could need some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard because they’re not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Hawkes Bay

Each liveable space in the rental property should include at least one open window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an venting fan outside to take moisture away.

A ventilation standard is all about understanding it is that the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable areas. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway are not considered liveable and don’t require an opening door or window.

Every window, door or Skylight needs to be able to open to the outside, and stay closed in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your home with a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture generating item will need proper extractor fan systems that vent out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan in high moisture areas.

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm home is a healthy home

Insulation Hawkes Bay

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement for all rent houses as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords must make sure that the insulation is up to the new standard. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property will reduce the risk of condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, and will also make an easier task to the household to hold the heat.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective the insulation.

• 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 and underfloor R 1.3
• 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 the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Hawkes Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from moisture isn’t just about what’s inside the building it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move, and also stop it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s typically the things you don’t notice that could become a major issue that can cause the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a place to go, and that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture present in the ground from rising into the structure. It also assists in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hawkes Bay

Areas of rental properties that are impacted to Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Hawkes Bay include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hawkes Bay for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things you should look for in a home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Does the subfloor space insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert advice get in touch today to schedule your rental property home assessment.