Healthy Homes Assessment Brown Owl

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Brown Owl rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work that needs to be done and provide the report with all the details required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes connected fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, we are fully certified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Brown Owl rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be completed inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on the Brown Owl rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the property manager does not provide the necessary information within 21 days from receiving the request, they can receive an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who offer a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person letting the property out It could also be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be current at the time that the tenancy agreement is completed, and should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is also important to note that landlords who own multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are given for severe breaches, and landlords with at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet and result in large fines in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Do not risk your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct a home assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households in New Zealand and Brown Owl, and research shows us that these rental homes are likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating and have lower standard than those owned by owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who reported four or more major issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Brown Owl rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and living because of illness. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in 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 Draught Stopping in Brown Owl rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about the Brown Owl Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Brown Owl

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within homes. A humid home will cost more to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a gap or hole or crack, then it’s likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in any way. Large gaps and cracks should be stopped permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out from the house require to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated as much as imaginable.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps in the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow movement of the building as the house is heated and cools to allow them to be opened and closed rather than being stuck. We will inspect all doors and windows in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Brown Owl

Brown Owl rental properties should have a permanent source of heat that can heat the living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is 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) that is, at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the existing fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to "top up" with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued 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 system you offer is electric heating or heat source, it should be equipped with an thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and effective. In most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. However, in some cases like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might need an update to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Brown Owl

Each liveable space in a rental house must contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

A ventilation quality is all about understanding how dry air is much easier to heat and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable areas. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t liveable and therefore are not require an opening window or door.

Each door, window or skylight requirements at least to open to the outside, but remain set in an opening position in order to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your house that houses a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture-producing item will require appropriate extractor fans that can be vented out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Brown Owl

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory on all rental homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure that the insulation is up to current standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated house can help control condensation and lower the chance of dampness and mould, as well as making more easy to the house to hold heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Brown Owl Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from dampness isn’t just about the interior of the building It’s about having 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 not apparent that it could become a major issue and cause damages to your investment and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have effective drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water, and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a location to go and that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent water ingress, if the property has an enclosed space between floorboards and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it’s 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 in the ground from entering the building. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Find out all the details of the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Brown Owl

The areas of rental property that are affected through Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Brown Owl include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Brown Owl for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to be able to examine in the home assessment to see if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an Tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For expert advice, call today and book your rental properties house assessment.