Healthy Homes Assessment Bay View

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Bay View rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work that needs to be done, and offer an evaluation report with all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

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

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties we are completely qualified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Bay View rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be completed inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed lease is entered into on a Bay View rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if the most current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there may be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they may be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy agreement as the one who is leasing the property out which could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is executed, and it should be kept updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any relevant work gets completed.

It’s also crucial to be aware that landlords who have several rental properties can face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved 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 the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in significant fines and still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and ask us to conduct a house evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Bay View, and research indicates that rental homes are most likely to be colder, older, have less effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who report four or more key house quality problems often experience low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

The improvement in the standard of Bay View rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and minimise the disruptions to their work, education and living because of diseases. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp , which means lower maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught-stopping for Bay View rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Bay View Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Bay View

Draughts increase the likelihood of dropping temperatures within homes. A damp home will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear out of a hole or gap or crack, then it’s likely a crack or an opening that needs sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out of the house require to be sealed. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped whenever possible.

You don’t need to block up intentional holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement of the structure when the house warms and cools to allow them to be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will inspect all doors and windows as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Bay View

Rental properties in Bay View should have a permanent heating source that is able to heat the{ main or largest|| largest or main| principal or the biggest} living space to a minimum of 18degC even on the coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 kW 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 your current fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top-up" with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat source, it must have an thermostat. This will help make your heating more consistent and efficient. For most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as an air conditioner, it may need a top up to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the quality because they’re not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details on details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Bay View

Every living space in the rental property should include at least one open door or window to provide natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is about recognising how dry air is much easier to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

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

Each window, door , or skylight requirements to be able to open to the outside, and stay set in an opening position, allowing ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your home with shower, bath or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will need proper extractor fan systems that can be vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas of high moisture.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Bay View

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required to all rental homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords should make sure that the insulation is up to this new standard. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may need to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness and it will make much easier to the household to retain the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 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 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Bay View Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s usually what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble, causing the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must have efficient drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a place to go and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between floorboards and the surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the property. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring 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 Bay View

Property rental areas that are affected through The Healthy Homes Standard in Bay View include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Bay View for Rental Properties

There are many things to be able to examine during a house evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the ruling on tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For professional guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental property home evaluation.