Healthy Homes Assessment Te Awanga

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure that their Te Awanga rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully certified 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 to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work which requirements to be completed, and provide an assessment report that includes 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 breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes associated fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, we are completely qualified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 856 525

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new or renewed contract is signed on a Te Awanga rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be done inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for a Te Awanga rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Failure to comply with one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they can receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there is an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is named on the lease contract as the person renting the property, so it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it is updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It’s also important to remember that landlords who manage multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be fined up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, and result in massive fines as well as having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and request an home inspection performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

A majority of households in New Zealand and Te Awanga, and research indicates that rental homes are most likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Additionally, those who report at least four key housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the standard of Te Awanga rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and daily life due to health issues. Your investment is also safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught stopping on Te Awanga rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss getting a Te Awanga Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Awanga

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside households. A cold home is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and increased bills.

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

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the air is clear from a gap or hole that is, it is likely to be a gap or hole which needs sealing in the way you can. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air into or out into your home require to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it may cause draughts and should be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to block gaps or holes which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement of the building as the household is heated and cools to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will check all doors and windows during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial to ensure healthy homes

Heating Te Awanga

Rental properties in Te Awanga must have a fixed heating source that can heat the largest or main living space to a minimum of 18degC, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The heating source needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if your current installed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to "top-up" with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat pump, it must be equipped with the thermostat. This will help make the heating more consistent and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the main living room is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like heat pumps, it may require a top up to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to comply with the quality because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unsafe to run.

Find the complete specifications for the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Te Awanga

Each living space within a rental home must have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

The ventilation quality is all about recognising the fact that dry air will be more easy to heat and a property that is well ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

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

Each window, door or skylight needs to have the ability open to the outside and remain at an open angle in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your property with a bath, shower, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will need appropriate extractor fans which are vented to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Te Awanga

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor has been compulsory to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure that the insulation is in line with this new 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 will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and it will make it easier to allow the home to retain heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder part of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

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

Te Awanga Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move, and prevent it from getting inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s typically the concerns you don’t notice that could be a huge problem that can cause damage to your investment and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent the ingress of moisture, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the structure. It also helps to prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Te Awanga

Rental property areas affected through the Healthy Homes Standards in Te Awanga include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Awanga for Rental Properties

There are many concerns you should look for in a home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For professional advice, call now and schedule your rental properties home assessment.