Healthy Homes Assessment Raupunga

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords must make sure their Raupunga rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals must be completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

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

Failure to fulfill the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not in compliance could face fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes relevant fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties as well as fully certified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 894 138

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

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

As of 1st July 2021, when a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for a Raupunga rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation 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 necessary information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they may receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords or property managers who offer a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as the person who is leasing the property out 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 maintained during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s important to keep in mind that a landlord who have multiple rental properties may receive additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved only for serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

If you fail to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in massive fines as well as having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property Call us today and arrange to have a house evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households the property in New Zealand and Raupunga, and research has shown that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and have less effective heating and tend to be lower quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

Moldy, damp and cold houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who have reported at least four major home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced well-being.

Improve the standard of Raupunga rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and living due to illnesses. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp , which means less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Control in Raupunga rental properties.

Start now and call about the Raupunga Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Raupunga

Draughts can lead to lower temperatures in houses. A humid house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

If a draught could be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a gap or hole or crack, then it is likely a crack or an opening that needs sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be stopped permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out from your house need to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it may cause draughts and should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped whenever 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 within the structure when the household gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be closed and opened rather than securing. We will check the windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial for well-being houses

Heating Raupunga

Rental properties in Raupunga should have a permanent source of heating that can heat the living space to a minimum of 18degC, even during the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heat needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether your current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating or heat source, it should have an thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and efficient. In most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your living space already has a fixed heating source, like the heat pump, it may require an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to comply with the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details to details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Raupunga

Each liveable space in a rental property must contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation quality is all about understanding the fact that the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not living spaces and therefore don’t require an opening window or door.

Each door, window or the skylight needs to have the ability open to the outside and remain at an open angle in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

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

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

A warm dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Raupunga

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is mandatory in all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure that the insulation is in line with standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space may need to be replaced or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness, and also makes more easy to allow the household to retain the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – all area of 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

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Raupunga Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from moisture isn’t just about the inside of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and ground water to go, and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is often those things that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem that can cause damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have effective drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water is able to go, and it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your rental is enclosed between your flooring and the ground, a ground water barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to stop any moisture in the ground from accumulating into the property. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Find out all the details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Raupunga

Areas of rental properties that are impacted through the Healthy Homes Standard in Raupunga include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Raupunga for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns you should look for when conducting a house review to determine if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenant solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For expert advice, call today to schedule your rental property home evaluation.