Healthy Homes Assessment Te Mata Hills

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure their Te Mata Hills rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas 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 is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the tasks that requirements to be completed and provide the report with all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties, as well as fully certified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 894 138

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Te Mata Hills rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for the Te Mata Hills rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done within 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they live in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the information requested within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant may be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is leasing the property out and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be correct when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s also crucial to be aware that a landlord with multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet with large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct an house assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

See the full details for this law. 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 Te Mata Hills, and research suggests that rental homes are likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating and tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are associated with negative health results, specifically for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who experience four or more major issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

Improve the standard of Te Mata Hills rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health, and lessen the disruptions to their work, education and daily life due to illness. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping within Te Mata Hills rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss the Te Mata Hills Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Mata Hills

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in homes. A cold house costs more to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or an unobstructed draught coming from a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or an opening that needs sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit within your house require to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that such draughts are squelched as much as imaginable.

You don’t need to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for the movement of the building as the household is heated and cools so that they can still be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will check every window and door in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Te Mata Hills

Te Mata Hills rental properties must have a fixed source of heating that can heat the principal or the biggest living room to at least 18degC, even on the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the existing installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating or heat pump, then it must be equipped with an thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, like apartments with small spaces the smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your main living space already has a central heating source, such as an air conditioner, it might need some additional energy to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to achieve the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information for the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Te Mata Hills

Each liveable space in the rental property should contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to remove moisture.

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

Bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallways are not liveable , and thus don’t require 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 fixed in an open position, allowing ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your house that houses shower, bath or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will require suitable extractor fans that vent out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Te Mata Hills

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is mandatory to all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure that the insulation meets the new quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated house can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness as well as making it easier to the house to hold heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest 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 the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Te Mata Hills Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from moisture isn’t just about the interior of the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move and prevent it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s typically those things that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble and cause the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and it can’t linger underneath the buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between the floor and ground, a ground water barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture present in the ground from rising into the structure. It also helps prevent 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 Te Mata Hills

Property rental areas that are affected through Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Te Mata Hills include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Mata Hills for Rental Properties

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

• Is the sub floor space well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an tenancy services ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental properties house assessment.