Healthy Homes Assessment Pakipaki

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Pakipaki 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 certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks that needs to be done and provide an assessment report that includes all the details required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes relevant fines.

We are fully independent assessors for rental properties, as well as fully qualified to assess both 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, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Pakipaki rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be taken care of within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Pakipaki rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the property manager does not supply the information requested within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant may receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

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

The information contained in the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is signed. It should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as associated work has been completed.

It is important to note that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are reserved only for serious violations. Those who have at least six rental properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

If you fail to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet with large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property Call us today and ask us to conduct an house evaluation performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households rent the property in New Zealand and Pakipaki, and research has shown that these rental houses are more likely to be colder, older and have less effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly for ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. In addition, people who experience four or more major housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

The improvement in the standard of Pakipaki rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and living due to illness. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping on Pakipaki rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss receiving a Pakipaki Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Pakipaki

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within houses. A humid home is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole and you are able to feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from the house require to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This should be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as far as imaginable.

There is no require to block off holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement of the building when the home warms and cools so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will inspect all windows and doors during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Pakipaki

Rental properties in Pakipaki require a reliable source of heat that can warm the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18degC even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The source of heat needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) with at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether your current fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top up" with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), it should have an thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and effective. For most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. In certain situations, like apartments with small spaces an electric, fixed heater could be enough.

If the main living room already has a permanent heating source, like the heat pump, it might just need an update to be able to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to comply with the standard since they’re either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Pakipaki

Every living space in a rental house must have at least one opening doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms should have an venting fan outside to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation quality is all about recognising it is that the dry atmosphere is easier to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

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

Every window, door or skylight needs at least open to the outside while remaining at an open angle to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your property with a bath, shower cooker or any other water-generating appliance will need adequate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Pakipaki

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is mandatory to all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure that the insulation is up to current quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, as well as making more easy for the home to retain the heat.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Pakipaki Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface or ground water and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it is typically what you don’t see that could become a major issue, causing damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to remove storm water, surface water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent the ingress of moisture, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture in the ground from rising into the structure. It also assists in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Pakipaki

Property rental areas that are affected to Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Pakipaki include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Pakipaki for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to look over during a home review to determine if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor protected and does it have a 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 enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a Tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For expert assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.