Healthy Homes Assessment Pakowhai

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords must make sure their Pakowhai 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 are required to be completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the work that requirements to be completed and provide an evaluation report with all the details required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes associated fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental properties we are completely certified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Pakowhai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be finished by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new or renewed contract is signed on the Pakowhai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days of being informed of the request, they can receive an infringement notification and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty as much as $900 for landlords or property managers who provide a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is who is letting the property which could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be kept updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It’s also important to be aware that landlords who manage several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved only for serious violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 for hearing claims.

If you fail to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket and result in huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have an home assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

A majority of households rent in New Zealand and Pakowhai, and research indicates that rental homes are most likely to be colder, older, have less effective heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. In addition, people who experience at least four key issues with their housing often have less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental health.

Improve the standard of Pakowhai rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and daily life due to illnesses. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Control within Pakowhai rental properties.

Begin now by calling about getting a Pakowhai Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Pakowhai

Draughts increase the likelihood of less temperature in homes. A humid house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes that it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear out of a hole or gap, then it is likely to be a gap or crack that needs sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from the home need to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and must be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

There is no need to block off holes or gaps in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement of the structure when the home warms and cools so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will check every window and door in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is crucial to ensure healthy houses

Heating Pakowhai

Pakowhai rental properties need to have a stable heating source 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 recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The heating source requirements to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the existing installed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to top up by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is an electric heater or heat source, it needs to be equipped with the thermostat. This will help make your heating more consistent and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the main living room already has a permanent heating source, like the heat pump, it may require an update to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the quality as they are either expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Pakowhai

Each liveable space in the rental property should contain at minimum one open door or window to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

A ventilation quality is about recognising how dry air will be more easy to heat and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable , and thus don’t require an opening door or window.

Every window, door or the skylight needs to be able open to the outside, and stay at an open angle, allowing for fresh air circulation and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your house that houses a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture-producing item will need suitable extractor fans that vent to the outdoors. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A dry and warm home is an ideal home

Insulation Pakowhai

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure that the insulation is in line with the new quality. In certain situations, the existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated house can reduce condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, as well as making more easy for the household to keep the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values required for your area

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Pakowhai Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building; you have to 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 about damp and water, it is typically those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem and cause damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go, and that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from entering the home. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Pakowhai

Rental property areas affected through Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Pakowhai include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Pakowhai for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to check during the home inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist assistance, get in touch today and book your rental properties home evaluation.