Healthy Homes Assessment Pirimai

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Pirimai rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties are required to be completely 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 satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work which requirements to be done, and offer the report with all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes associated fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties, we are fully qualified to evaluate both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Pirimai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be taken care of within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for the Pirimai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to supply the necessary information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is executed, and it is updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any associated work has been completed.

It’s crucial to remember that a landlord who own multiple rental properties may receive even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket 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 ask us to conduct an house evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Pirimai, and research suggests that rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and have less effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Additionally, those who have reported at least four major housing quality problems frequently have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

The improvement in the standard of Pirimai rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and living due to illnesses. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means 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, and Draught Stopping for Pirimai rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Pirimai Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Pirimai

Draughts may lead to dropping temperatures within households. A cold home is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes that it requirements to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear out of a hole or gap or crack, then it’s likely to be a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in any way. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out of your home require the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it could cause draughts, and should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t require to block gaps or holes in the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement within the building as the house is heated and cools in order to let them be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will examine the windows and doors in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important for healthy homes

Heating Pirimai

Pirimai rental properties should have a permanent source of heating which can warm the{ main or largest|| largest or main| principal or the biggest} living room to at least 18degC even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if your current fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is an electric heater (or heat pump), then it must have an thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases such as small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source such as the heat pump, it may require an update to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the quality since they’re either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

Get the complete information for the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Pirimai

Every living space of a rental property must contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan to get rid of moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about recognising how dry air will be less difficult to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t liveable and therefore do not require an opening door or window.

Every window, door or Skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open to the outside while remaining fixed in an open position in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and every other room of your home with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will require suitable extractor fans that vent out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

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

A warm dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Pirimai

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement for all rent houses from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must make sure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and it will make much easier for the house to keep heat.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well insulation resists heat flow. The more high the R-value, higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – all part of 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

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Pirimai Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain or ground water, and stop it from coming into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s typically those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem that can cause damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must have efficient drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water is able to go, and also that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the property has an enclosed space between the floor and soil, a ground-water barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from entering the home. It also assists in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Pirimai

Rental property areas affected through Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Pirimai include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Pirimai for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to be able to examine in the house evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation require replenishment or replacement?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home in relation to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a Tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch today to book your rental property house evaluation.