Healthy Homes Assessment Karamu

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Karamu rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must 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 evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work required. requirements to be completed and provide an evaluation report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards to comply with 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 as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors for rental properties, and are completely 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, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Karamu rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be taken care of within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Karamu rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done by the end of 90 days.

Failure to comply with all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the property manager does not provide the required information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant may receive an infringement letter and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out which could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be maintained throughout the tenancy as any associated work has been completed.

It is also crucial to keep in mind that landlords who own multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are handed down for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account resulting in significant fines and still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and ask us to conduct a home inspection performed on your rental property.

Get the full description of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households in New Zealand and Karamu, and research indicates that rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower standard than those owned by owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly ailments like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who experience four or more key house quality problems often experience low life satisfaction and reduced well-being.

Improve the standard of Karamu rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of illnesses. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught-stopping for Karamu rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss the Karamu Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Karamu

Draughts increase the likelihood of dropping temperatures within homes. A cold home costs more to heat, resulting in wasted money and energy.

If a draught is felt through gaps that are too large or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or a clear draught from a crack or a gap or crack, then it is most likely a gap or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Large cracks and gaps should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out into your house need the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be shut off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever possible.

You don’t need to block gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for the movement of the structure when the house is heated and cools to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will inspect the windows and doors as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Karamu

Karamu rental properties need to have a stable source of heating which can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heating requirements for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) that is, at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether your current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to top up by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options for those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating or heat pump then it must include the thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your living space already has a central heating source like heat pumps, it might just require an upgrade to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the standard since they’re either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Find the complete specifications to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Karamu

Each liveable space in a rental property must include at least one open door or window to offer natural airflow. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable venting fan outside to take moisture away.

A ventilation quality is about recognising that the dry atmosphere is easier to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable , and thus are not require an opening door or window.

Each door, window or skylight requirements at least to open to the outside, and stay at an open angle to allow for fresh air circulation and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your property with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture-producing item will require proper extractor fan systems that can be vented towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

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

A dry and warm home is an ideal home

Insulation Karamu

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure that the insulation is in line with standards that are in line with the latest standard. In certain situations, the existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness and it will make it easier to the household to hold warmth.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The more high the R-value, higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, 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 and underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Karamu Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it is usually the concerns you don’t notice that could become a major issue and cause damage to your investment and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water, and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent moisture ingress, if your rental has an enclosed gap between the floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from rising into the building. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Karamu

Rental property areas affected to the Healthy Homes Standards in Karamu include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Karamu for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns you should look for during a house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Does the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For professional advice, call today and book your rental properties home assessment.