Healthy Homes Assessment Hospital Hill

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 ensure that their Hospital Hill rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be fully conforming by the 1st 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. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work required. 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 comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes associated fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental property, and are fully certified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, when a brand new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Hospital Hill rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be taken care of within 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Hospital Hill rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in a new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to supply the information requested within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the lease agreement as the one who is leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be correct before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It is updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that a landlord who have several rental properties can face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved for severe breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet resulting in massive fines as well as having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property Call us today and ask us to conduct an home assessment performed for your rental property.

Find the full information on how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

Around 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Hospital Hill, and research has shown that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and have lower standard than those owned by owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are linked to negative health results, specifically for illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who report at least four key issues with their housing often have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Improve the standard of Hospital Hill rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of illness. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught Control for Hospital Hill rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Hospital Hill Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hospital Hill

Draughts may lead to low temperatures inside houses. A draughty home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole and you are able to feel it, it is likely to be a gap or hole which requirements sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air in or out from the home need sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring such draughts are eliminated as far as possible.

There is no require to block up intentional gaps or holes which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow movement of the building when the home gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will inspect the windows and doors as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial for healthy homes

Heating Hospital Hill

Rental properties in Hospital Hill need to have a stable source of heating that is able to heat the{ main or largest|| largest or main| principal or the biggest} living area to at minimum 18degC even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable), at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if the existing fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to top up by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it needs to have the thermostat. This will help make the heating more consistent and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, like small apartments an electric, fixed heater could be enough.

If your main living space already has a central heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might just require some additional energy to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Check out the complete details on details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Hospital Hill

Every living space in a rental property has to have at least one openable window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about acknowledging the fact that the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat and a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallways are not liveable and do not need an opening door or window.

Each door, window or the skylight requirements for them to be in a position of opening to the outside and remain set in an opening position to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your house that houses shower, bath or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will require adequate extractor fans that are vented to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient air circulation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Hospital Hill

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required for all rent houses from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure the insulation meets current standard. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might require to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness, and also makes more easy to allow the home to hold the heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 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 - 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 standard.

Hospital Hill Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building but you must ensure there is somewhere for surface as well as groundwater to move, and stop it from coming inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s typically the concerns you don’t notice that could become a major issue and cause damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to have efficient drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a place to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from accumulating into the home. It also assists in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hospital Hill

Areas of rental properties that are impacted by The Healthy Homes Standards in Hospital Hill include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hospital Hill for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to be able to examine when conducting a house assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Are the floor spaces protected and does it have a waterproofing barrier?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught-stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch today and book your rental properties home evaluation.