Healthy Homes Assessment Poukawa

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Poukawa rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks required. needs to be done and provide a report with all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, in addition, we’re fully certified to assess 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, when a brand new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Poukawa rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a brand new or renewed lease is entered into on a Poukawa rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within the renewal, new or revised tenancy contract, there may be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the the property manager doesn’t provide the necessary information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they may receive an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy agreement as the person who is leasing the property out and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be current when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s crucial to remember that landlords who own several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket resulting in huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have an house inspection performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households rent from New Zealand and Poukawa, and research shows us that these rental homes are most likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. Additionally, those who experience four or more key home quality issues often suffer from poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Poukawa rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and living due to health issues. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Stopping on Poukawa rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Poukawa Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Poukawa

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside households. A damp house is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes that it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the sound of a clear draught emanating out of a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it is most likely a gap or hole that requirements sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit into your home need to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace is not in use, it could cause draughts, and should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

There is no need to block gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for the movement of the structure when the home warms and cools in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will test all windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Poukawa

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

The heating source requirements to be fixed (i.e., not portable) with at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the existing fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, it needs to be equipped with an thermostat. This will help make the heating more consistent and efficient. In most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like small apartments an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as an air conditioner, it might require an upgrade to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the standard because they’re not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

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

Ventilation Poukawa

Every living space in a rental home must contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

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

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable , and thus are not require an opening window or door.

Each door, window or the skylight needs for them to be in a position of opening to the outside while remaining fixed in an open position to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your property with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will require appropriate extractor fans that vent to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A dry and warm home is a healthy home

Insulation Poukawa

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory on all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is in line with current quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of dampness and mould, and also makes it easier for the home to hold heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest 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 below floor R 1.3

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

Poukawa Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain or ground water, and stop it from coming into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s usually the things you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble that can cause damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water, and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to the drainage system that will prevent moisture from entering, if your rental is enclosed between the floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from entering the property. It also helps in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Poukawa

The areas of rental property that are affected with Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Poukawa include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Poukawa for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to be able to examine during an home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Is the sub floor space well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation require replenishment or replacement?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy services ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental properties home evaluation.