Healthy Homes Assessment Pakipaki

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords now have to ensure that their Pakipaki rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

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

Failure to meet the obligations of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors for rental properties, as well as fully qualified to assess both 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, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Pakipaki rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be completed by the end of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Pakipaki rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the landlord or property manager does not provide the information requested within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they can be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who offer a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person responsible for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy agreement as the one who is renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is signed. It should be kept updated through the tenancy period as necessary work related to it is finished.

It is crucial to keep in mind that a landlord with multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down for the most serious violations. Those who have six or more properties could receive fines of 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 large fines in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have a house assessment done on your rental property.

Check out the complete details of details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Pakipaki, and research shows us that these rental houses tend to be older, colder, have less effective heating and have lower quality than the houses of owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. Additionally, those who reported at least four major house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Pakipaki rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of diseases. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Control for Pakipaki rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having a Pakipaki Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Pakipaki

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in houses. A damp house will cost more to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

If a draught could be perceived as a result of gaps or holes the area needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the sound of a clear draught emanating out of a hole or gap, then it’s most likely a gap or an opening that needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out from the house require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring such draughts are eliminated whenever possible.

There is no require to block gaps or holes that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for the movement of the building when the house is heated and cools so that they are able to be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will test the windows and doors during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Pakipaki

Pakipaki rental properties need to have a stable heating source that can warm the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heating requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if your current installed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

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

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like heat pumps, it could require some additional energy to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the standard as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

See the full details on the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Pakipaki

Each liveable space in a rental home must have at least one openable door or window to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

The ventilation standard is all about acknowledging it is that dried air can be much easier to heat and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t considered liveable and therefore don’t need an opening door or window.

Each door, window or skylight requirements at least to open up to the outside, and stay closed, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will require appropriate extractor fans that vent to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A dry and warm house is an ideal home

Insulation Pakipaki

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory on all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure the insulation meets this new standard. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can reduce condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, as well as making more easy for the household to hold heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values of your area.

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Pakipaki Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s frequently the things you don’t notice that could be a huge problem, causing damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go and that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your property has an enclosed space between floorboards and the ground, a ground water barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the property. It also helps prevent 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 Pakipaki

The areas of rental property that are affected to Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Pakipaki include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Pakipaki for Rental Properties

There are many things to be able to examine in an house assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy services ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert advice get in touch today to schedule your rental properties house assessment.