Healthy Homes Assessment Karamu

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Karamu rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about the work which requirements to be completed, and provide the report with all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes connected fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental properties as well as completely qualified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 894 138

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Karamu rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be done inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on the Karamu rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed by the end of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there could 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 are living in. If the property manager does not supply the information requested within 21 days of being informed of the request, they will receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy contract as the person leasing the property out It could also be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is completed, and should be maintained throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It is also important to be aware that landlords who have multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are reserved for severe violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and arrange to have a house evaluation performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Karamu, and research indicates that rental homes are likely to be older, colder, are not as effective heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses can have negative health results, specifically for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as heart diseases. In addition, people who experience at least four major home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

Improving the quality of Karamu rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health, and lessen the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to health issues. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in 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 in Karamu rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss receiving a Karamu Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Karamu

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside houses. A humid house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes that it needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap or crack, then it is most likely a gap or crack that requirements sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out within your house require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it may cause draughts and should be blocked off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that these draughts are stopped whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement of the structure as the house heats and cools, so that they can still be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will test the windows and doors during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important for healthy houses

Heating Karamu

Karamu rental properties need to have a stable source of heating that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heat requirements to be fixed (i.e. not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if your current fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to "top up" with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it must include an thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source like an air conditioner, it could need some additional energy to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to meet the standard because they’re expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information to the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Karamu

Each living space within a rental property must have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should be equipped with an venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about acknowledging how dry air will be easier to heat and heat, and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

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

Every window, door or Skylight requirements to have the ability open to the outside, and stay at an open angle, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and every other room of your property with a bath, shower and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will need proper extractor fan systems that can be vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable for areas that are high in moisture.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm house is a healthy home

Insulation Karamu

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is a requirement on all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure that the insulation is in line with standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might need to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated house can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of dampness and mould, and will also make much easier for the home to hold heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest part of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

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

Karamu Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about the inside It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain as well as groundwater to move, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s typically those things that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble and cause damage to your investment as well as harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water, and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and also that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your rental has an enclosed gap between the floor and surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier usually made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the structure. 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 Karamu

The areas of rental property that are affected through The Healthy Homes Standard in Karamu include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Karamu for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to be able to examine in an home review to determine if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replenishment or replacement?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught-stopping?
• Does the home has enough 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 an Tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For professional advice, call today to schedule your rental properties house assessment.