Healthy Homes Assessment St Leonards

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords must ensure their St Leonards rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely conforming by the 1st 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 determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager of any tasks needed to be completed. needs to be done and provide a report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes connected fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties as well as fully certified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 856 525

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new or renewed tenancy is signed on a St Leonards rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a St Leonards rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed by the end of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the required information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement letter and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy agreement as the one who is renting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be current when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It’s also crucial to note that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in significant fines and still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and arrange to have an house evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

See the full details for this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

Around 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and St Leonards, and research has shown that these rental houses are likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who reported four or more major house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower mental health.

Improving the standard of St Leonards rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and reduce the disruption to work, learning and living due to illnesses. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp , which means lower maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Stopping in St Leonards rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about getting a St Leonards Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping St Leonards

Draughts may lead to less temperature in houses. A damp house costs more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be perceived as a result of gaps or holes or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a gap or hole or crack, then it is probably a gap or hole that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air to enter or exit within your home require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent possible.

There is no require to block up intentional holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement of the structure when the household is heated and cools so that they can still be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will examine every window and door as part of 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 St Leonards

St Leonards rental properties should have a permanent heating source which can warm the main or largest living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. 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 heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the current fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is electric heating or heat pump, it should be equipped with the thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and effective. For the majority of houses, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces the smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as heat pumps, it could require a top up to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation St Leonards

Every living space of a rental property must contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about recognising how the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat, and that an apartment that is well-ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered living spaces and therefore don’t require an opening door or window.

Each window, door or skylight needs to be able of opening to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position, allowing the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your house that houses a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture-producing item will need proper extractor fan systems that are vented to the outdoors. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A dry and warm home is an ideal home

Insulation St Leonards

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory to all rental homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is in line with standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might require to be replaced or replaced.

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

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

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest 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 and underfloor R 1.3

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

St Leonards Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building but you must ensure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go and stop it from coming inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s typically not apparent that it could become a major issue and cause damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water is able to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an crucial aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the building. It also helps prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments St Leonards

The areas of rental property that are affected by Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in St Leonards include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments St Leonards for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to be able to examine in an home evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an ruling on tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice get in touch today to book your rental property house evaluation.