Healthy Homes Assessment Fernhill

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Fernhill 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 completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work required. needs to be done, and offer an evaluation report with all the details required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes related fines.

We’re fully 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

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Fernhill rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

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

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

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

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty up to $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy agreement as the one who is letting the property out It could also be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement requirements to be current at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be maintained throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s also important to be aware that landlords who own multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could 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 requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with significant fines and still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct an home evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

A majority of households in New Zealand and Fernhill, and research suggests that rental houses are likely to be colder, older and have less effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who report at least four major house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Fernhill rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and living because of illnesses. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping in Fernhill rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Fernhill Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Fernhill

Draughts can lead to lower temperatures in homes. A damp home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught could be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming from a hole or gap that is, it’s probably a gap or an opening that needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. Any 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 used it can cause draughts and should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as much as imaginable.

There is no require to block off gaps or holes in the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement of the building when the home warms and cools so that they can still be closed and opened rather than sticking. We will check all doors and windows as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial to ensure healthy houses

Heating Fernhill

Fernhill rental properties must have a fixed source of heat which can warm the{ main or largest|| largest or main| principal or the biggest} living space to a minimum of 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable), at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater or heat pump then it must include a thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and efficient. In most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like heat pumps, it may require an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the standard since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or are unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Fernhill

Each liveable space in a rental property has to have at least one opening doors or windows to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

A ventilation quality is about recognising that dry air is more easy to heat and the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

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

Each door, window or the skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open up to the outside, but remain at an open angle, allowing the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your property with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will need proper extractor fan systems which are vented towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Fernhill

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement for all rent houses from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to ensure that the insulation meets the new standard. In certain situations, the an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated house can help control condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, as well as making much easier for the house to hold warmth.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest 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 (underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Fernhill Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about what’s inside the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it is usually what you don’t see that can become a big problem and end up causing damage to your investment as well as affecting the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from accumulating into the property. It also helps to prevent 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 Fernhill

Rental property areas affected with the Healthy Homes Standards in Fernhill include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Fernhill for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns you should look for when conducting an house 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 insulated and is a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice, call today to book your rental properties home evaluation.