Healthy Homes Assessment Raupunga

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Raupunga rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties must be fully compliant 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 will advise you or your property manager of any tasks needed to be completed. needs to be completed, and offer an assessment report that includes all the information required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes relevant fines.

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

Call Now 0800 894 138

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Raupunga rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be finished by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Raupunga rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the required information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant can receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as the one who is leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be accurate when the tenancy agreement is completed, and should be maintained throughout the duration of the tenancy when any associated work has been completed.

It is also important to keep in mind that landlords with multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for serious violations. Those who have more than six properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, and result in huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and arrange to have an house assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

See the full details for 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 homes in New Zealand and Raupunga, and research indicates that rental homes are more likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating and tend to be lower standard than those owned by owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative well-being outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who have reported four or more major home quality issues often suffer from poor life satisfaction and lower mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the standard of Raupunga rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and minimise the disruptions to their work, education and living due to illnesses. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which results in less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping in Raupunga rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Raupunga

Draughts increase the likelihood of lower temperatures in homes. A cold home is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it’s probably a gap or crack that needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out within the home require seals. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and should be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever possible.

There is no need to block off holes or gaps that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the structure as the house heats and cools, so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will examine the windows and doors during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial for healthy homes

Heating Raupunga

Rental properties in Raupunga should have a permanent source of heating that can heat the main or largest living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The source of heat requirements for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether your current installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

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

If the main living room already has a central heating source such as a heat pump, then it could need some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the standard because they’re expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Raupunga

Every living space of a rental property must contain at minimum one open doors or windows to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

This ventilation standard is all about acknowledging how dry air will be easier to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or the skylight needs for them to be in a position to open up to the outside while remaining set in an opening position in order to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will need adequate extractor fans which are vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Raupunga

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is a requirement for all rent homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated house can reduce condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, and it will make more easy to the household to hold warmth.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective the 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, underfloor R 1.3
• 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 standard.

Raupunga Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s often those things that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem and end up causing damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage to get rid of rainwater, storm water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a location to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture ingress, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the building. It also helps to prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Raupunga

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Raupunga for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things you should look for when conducting the home assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an tenant solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For expert assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental properties house evaluation.