Healthy Homes Assessment Kotemaori

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure their Kotemaori rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed 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 assess your rental property to determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about any work required. needs to be completed, and offer the report with all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes associated fines.

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

Call Now 0800 894 138

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 Kotemaori rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be done by the end of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new or renewed lease is entered into on a Kotemaori rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done by the end of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they will receive an infringement notification and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty up to $900 for property owners or property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy contract as the person renting the property which could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate when the tenancy agreement is completed, and is updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any related work is completed.

It is also important to keep in mind that a landlord with multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet resulting in large fines in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and ask us to conduct a house assessment done 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?

A majority of households from New Zealand and Kotemaori, and research shows us that these rental houses are most likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly for ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who report at least four key housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

The improvement in the quality of Kotemaori rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and living because of illness. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp , which means less costs of 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, as well as Draught stopping in Kotemaori rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having a Kotemaori Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kotemaori

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside houses. A humid house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be perceived as a result of gaps or holes that it needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or a clear draught out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it is most likely a gap or hole that needs sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from the house require the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure such draughts are eliminated in the maximum extent possible.

You don’t require to block up intentional holes or gaps in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow movement of the structure when the household heats and cools, so that they can still be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will test all windows and doors during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Kotemaori

Rental properties in Kotemaori should have a permanent source of heating that is able to heat the main or largest living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The source of heat needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and must meet the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), it should include a thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and efficient. In most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source like heat pumps, it might need a top up to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

Check out the complete details to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Kotemaori

Every living space in a rental property has to contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an venting fan outside to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about understanding it is that the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t living spaces and therefore are not require an opening door or window.

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

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your property with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture-producing item will require suitable extractor fans that are vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas of high moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Kotemaori

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required to all rental homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure that the insulation is up to the new quality. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might need to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, and will also make much easier for the house to retain heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values of your area.

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more high the R-value, higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

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

Kotemaori Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from moisture isn’t just about what’s inside the building it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move, and stop it from coming inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is often what you don’t see that can become a big problem, causing damages to your investment and affecting your tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with effective drainage to remove rainwater, storm water, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an important aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your floor and soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from getting into the property. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kotemaori

Areas of rental properties that are impacted with Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Kotemaori include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kotemaori for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to look over when conducting an home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of an tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental properties house evaluation.