Healthy Homes Assessment Jervoistown

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Jervoistown rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

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

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

We will evaluate your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any tasks that needs to be completed, and offer a report with all the necessary information for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes associated fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental properties, as well as completely certified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Jervoistown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be completed inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for a Jervoistown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Failure to comply with any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a currently-in place 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 can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to provide the necessary information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant can be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of up to $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as being the person letting the property out, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be correct when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated through the tenancy period as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s also important to keep in mind that a landlord who have multiple rental properties may receive additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for severe violations. Those who have six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 for hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, with huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and arrange to have an home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

A majority of households rent homes in New Zealand and Jervoistown, and research suggests that rental homes are most likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Moldy, damp and cold houses can have negative well-being outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who have reported four or more key housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

Improve the quality of Jervoistown rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of illnesses. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Control on Jervoistown rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Jervoistown Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Jervoistown

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in households. A humid home is more expensive to heat, which results in wasting money and energy.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a gap or hole or crack, then it is probably a gap or hole that needs sealing in any way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out within your home require to be sealed. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be blocked off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as far as possible.

There is no require to block holes or gaps in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow movement of the structure when the home warms and cools in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will inspect all doors and windows in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure healthy houses

Heating Jervoistown

Jervoistown rental properties require a reliable heating source that can warm the{ main or largest|| largest or main| principal or the biggest} living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable), at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the existing fixed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, it must include the thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and efficient. In most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. In some instances, like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source, like a heat pump, then it may need some additional energy to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the standard since they’re either costly, not affordable to run, or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Jervoistown

Each liveable space in the rental property should contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an venting fan outside to remove moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about understanding how dry air is much easier to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are all considered living spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t liveable , and thus don’t need an opening window or door.

Each window, door or skylight needs to be able of opening to the outside and remain at an open angle in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other area in your house that houses a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture-producing item will require appropriate extractor fans that are vented towards the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas of high moisture.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Jervoistown

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required to all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure the insulation meets current standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, and it will make more easy for the house to keep warmth.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The more high the R-value, better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 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 - 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 the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Jervoistown Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from moisture isn’t just about the inside; you have to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow, and stop it from coming inside. When it is damp and moisture, it’s typically what you don’t see that could become a major issue and end up causing damage to your investment as well as affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with effective drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a location to go, and that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between the floor and the ground, a ground water barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture from the ground from rising into the structure. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Jervoistown

The areas of rental property that are affected through Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Jervoistown include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Jervoistown for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to look over when conducting the house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• 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?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of the ruling on tenancy services ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental property house evaluation.