Healthy Homes Assessment Kotemaori

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure that their Kotemaori rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals are required to be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the work needed to be completed. requirements to be completed and offer the report with all the information required for 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 in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes relevant fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties, we are fully qualified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Kotemaori rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be completed inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Kotemaori rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the renewal, new or revised tenancy contract, there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the property manager is unable to supply the required information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant may receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a fine of up to $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property It could also be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it must be updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s important to remember that landlords who have multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down for severe violations, and landlords who own six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

If you fail to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Do not risk your rental property call us now and make arrangements to have an house assessment done for your rental property.

See the full details for the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Kotemaori, and research indicates that rental homes are more likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who have reported at least four key house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower mental health.

Enhancing the quality of Kotemaori rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and living due to diseases. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught stopping within Kotemaori rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about having a Kotemaori Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kotemaori

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within homes. A cold home costs more to heat, which means wasting money and energy.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or the air is clear from a crack or a gap or crack, then it’s probably a gap or hole that requirements sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out of the home require to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure such draughts are eliminated whenever possible.

You don’t need to block off holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for the movement of the structure as the house gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will inspect all doors and windows during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Kotemaori

Rental properties in Kotemaori require a reliable source of heating that is able to heat the{ main or largest|| largest or main| principal or the biggest} living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The source of heat needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the existing fix heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to "top-up" with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), it must include an thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. In most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If your main living space already has a central heating source, like heat pumps, it might require an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the quality since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

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

Ventilation Kotemaori

Every living space in a rental house must include at least one open doors or windows to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about understanding it is that dry air will be more easy to heat and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

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

Every window, door or the skylight requirements to be able of opening to the outside while remaining set in an opening position in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture-producing item will require appropriate extractor fans that are vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A dry and warm home is a healthy house

Insulation Kotemaori

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings has been compulsory on all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is in line with this new standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

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

Insulation needs to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder part of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Kotemaori Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from moisture isn’t just about the inside but you must make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain or ground water and prevent it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s usually not apparent that it can become a big problem and end up causing the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage for the removal of rainwater, storm water and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a place to go, and that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and soil, a ground-water barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the structure. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kotemaori

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kotemaori for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to look over in a house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home with regard to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the Tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For specialist advice, call today to schedule your rental properties house evaluation.