Healthy Homes Assessment Parkvale

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 make sure their Parkvale rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks which needs to be completed, and provide the report with all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes connected fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties and are completely qualified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 894 138

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Parkvale rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be completed inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new or renewed lease is entered into on a Parkvale rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within the new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the property manager is unable to provide the required information within 21 days of receiving the request, they may receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty of up to $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s also important to remember that landlords with multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches, and landlords with at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, with huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and request an home inspection performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

A majority of households homes in New Zealand and Parkvale, and research indicates that rental houses are more likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Moldy, damp and cold homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who report at least four key issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improving the quality of Parkvale rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of illness. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping on Parkvale rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Parkvale Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Parkvale

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside homes. A damp house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a hole or gap or crack, then it is probably a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in any way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out from the home need seals. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it can cause draughts and should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated as much as imaginable.

There is no need to block off holes or gaps which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for the movement of the building when the home is heated and cools to allow them to be closed and opened rather than sticking. We will inspect all doors and windows as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Parkvale

Rental properties in Parkvale require a reliable heating source that can heat the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The heating source needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the current installed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top up" with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is electric heating or heat pump, it must have the thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, like apartments with small spaces an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a central heating source such as a heat pump, then it may require some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the standard since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

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

Ventilation Parkvale

Every living space of the rental property should have at least one openable doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation standard is about recognising that dried air can be more easy to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living spaces, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable areas. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered living spaces and therefore do not require an opening door or window.

Each door, window or Skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside, and stay set in an opening position in order to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your home that has shower, bath cooker or any other water-generating appliance will need appropriate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Parkvale

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required on all rental homes since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure that the insulation meets current quality. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated house will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and it will make much easier to the house to retain heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 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 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

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

Parkvale Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from moisture isn’t just about what’s inside the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and ground water to go, and stop it from coming into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s typically not apparent that it can become a big problem and end up causing damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water is able to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between the floor and ground, a ground water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from rising into the property. It also assists in preventing any damage to your 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 Parkvale

Areas of rental properties that are impacted by Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Parkvale include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Parkvale for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things you should look for when conducting the house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require replenishment or replacement?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an tenant services ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For professional guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental property house assessment.