Healthy Homes Assessment Bay View

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? Landlords must ensure their Bay View rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals must be fully 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 check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks which needs to be completed and offer a report with all the information required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

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

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties as well as completely certified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 856 525

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Bay View rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be done within 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, if a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Bay View rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done within 90 days.

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the necessary information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant may receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person liable to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property which could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate when the tenancy contract is executed, and it must be updated during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It’s crucial to note that a landlord who have multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down only for serious violations. Those who have six or more properties can be penalised up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account with large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and make arrangements to have an home assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Bay View, and research shows us that these rental homes are likely to be older, colder, have less efficient heating and tend to be of poorer quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

Moldy, damp and cold houses can have negative well-being outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Additionally, those who experience at least four key home quality issues often suffer from less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Bay View rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health, and lessen the disruption to work, learning and daily life due to health issues. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught stopping within Bay View rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss the Bay View Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Bay View

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within houses. A damp home costs more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or an unobstructed draught coming from a crack or a gap, then it’s probably a gap or crack that requirements sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from your house require sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it could cause draughts, and should be blocked from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as possible.

You don’t need to block holes or gaps which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement of the structure when the household heats and cools, to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will test all windows and doors in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

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

Heating Bay View

Rental properties in Bay View must have a fixed source of heating that can heat the largest or main living room to at least 18degC, even during the coldest winter days. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heating requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable), at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if the current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to top up with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters, such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, it should have a thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and efficient. 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 an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might require a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the quality since they’re either expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Bay View

Each liveable space in a rental property must have at least one opening windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about recognising how dried air can be more easy to heat and heat, and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to develop damp and mould.

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

Each window, door , or the skylight requirements to have the ability open to the outside, but remain set in an opening position, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, as well as any other space in your home with a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture generating item will require adequate extractor fans that are vented to the outdoors. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

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

A warm dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Bay View

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor has been compulsory on all rental homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is in line with current standard. 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 can help control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness and also makes much easier to the home to hold heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The greater the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

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

Bay View Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from dampness isn’t just about the inside; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is typically not apparent that it can cause a lot of trouble and cause damage to your investment as well as affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of floodwaters, surface water and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go, and 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 property has an enclosed space between your flooring and the ground, a ground water barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the structure. It also helps to prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Bay View

The areas of rental property that are affected through Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Bay View include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Bay View for Rental Properties

There are many things to look over in a house assessment to see if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of the Tenancy services ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For professional advice, call now and schedule your rental property home evaluation.