Healthy Homes Assessment Hastings

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? Landlords must ensure their Hastings 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 are required to be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property and determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work that requirements to be completed, and offer a report with all the details required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes connected fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties and are fully certified 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, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Hastings rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be completed within 90 days.

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

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as being the person letting the property out and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any related work is completed.

It’s crucial to remember that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved for the most serious violations, and landlords who own at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

If you fail to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in large fines in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Contact us now and ask us to conduct a home inspection performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households in New Zealand and Hastings, and research shows us that these rental houses are more likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Moldy, damp and cold homes are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who have reported at least four key home quality issues often suffer from poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Hastings rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and daily life due to illness. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Control in Hastings rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hastings

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside homes. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught is noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes the area needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the air is clear out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or crack that requirements sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out from the house need the sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

There is no require to block holes or gaps which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for the movement of the structure as the home gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will inspect every window and door during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is crucial for healthy homes

Heating Hastings

Rental properties in Hastings require a reliable source of heat that can warm the largest or main living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The heating source needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if the existing fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top-up" with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater (or heat pump), it should include an thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the living area already has a permanent heating source such as the heat pump, it might require a top up to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard because they’re not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Check out the complete details for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Hastings

Each living space within the rental property should contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to offer natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

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

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

Each door, window or Skylight needs to be able open to the outside, and stay set in an opening position, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your property with shower, bath and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will need appropriate extractor fans that can be vented towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan in high moisture areas.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm house is an ideal home

Insulation Hastings

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required in all rental houses since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and also makes it easier to the household to keep heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and floor 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

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Hastings Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about what’s inside the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and ground water to go and stop it from coming inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s typically those things that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem and end up causing damage to your investment as well as affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage for the removal of storm water, surface water and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your flooring and the surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from rising into the home. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hastings

Rental property areas affected to Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Hastings include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hastings for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to be able to examine when conducting an home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home in relation to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the ruling on tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For professional guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental properties house assessment.