Healthy Homes Assessment Pandora

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords must ensure their Pandora rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property and determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work that requirements to be completed, 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 breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes relevant fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, and are fully qualified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 894 138

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Pandora rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be finished inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Pandora rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager is unable to provide the required information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant may receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of up to $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property It could also be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate when the tenancy contract is executed, and it is updated through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It’s also crucial to remember that landlords who manage several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are given for severe breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could be penalised up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and make arrangements to have a house assessment done for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

A majority of households the property in New Zealand and Pandora, and research suggests that rental homes are more likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are linked to negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who have reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Pandora rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and living due to diseases. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which results in lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping within Pandora rental properties.

Begin now by calling about getting a Pandora Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Pandora

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside houses. A cold house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes that it requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a crack or a gap or crack, then it is likely to be a gap or hole that needs sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit into your home need seals. For example, if an open fireplace is not in use, it could cause draughts, and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that these draughts are stopped whenever imaginable.

You don’t need to block up intentional gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement of the building when the house heats and cools, to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will examine all windows and doors in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial to ensure healthy houses

Heating Pandora

Rental properties in Pandora need to have a stable source of heating that can warm the main or largest living room to at least 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether your current fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to top up with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options for those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat pump it must include a thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings an electric, fixed heater may suffice.

If the living area already has a central heating source such as heat pumps, it might just need an update to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality since they’re either costly, not cost-effective to run, and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details for details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Pandora

Every living space in a rental property has to include at least one open door or window to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to remove moisture.

A ventilation quality is all about understanding the fact that the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Each door, window or Skylight needs for them to be in a position to open up to the outside, and stay closed in order to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other room in your home with a bath, shower, cooktop or other high humidity-generating items will require adequate extractor fans which are vented out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Pandora

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required for all rent homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure the insulation meets current quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might need to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness and will also make an easier task to allow the home to keep warmth.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all part 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

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Pandora Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s typically those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem and end up causing damage to your investment as well as affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to have efficient drainage to get rid of floodwaters, surface water and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and the ground, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to stop any moisture from the ground from rising into the building. It also helps to prevent any damage to your 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 Pandora

Rental property areas affected through the Healthy Homes Standard in Pandora include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Pandora for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to be able to examine during the house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Is the sub floor space insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the tenant services ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For expert assistance, get in touch today and book your rental properties home evaluation.