Healthy Homes Assessment Totara Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure that their Totara Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals must be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work required. needs to be completed, and provide an evaluation report with all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes relevant fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties, as well as completely certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed contract is signed on a Totara Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be finished inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new or renewed contract is signed on the Totara Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in the new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they are living in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to supply the required information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they could receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers who offer a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person liable for this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it should be maintained throughout the duration of the tenancy when any relevant work gets completed.

It is important to note that a landlord who have several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are handed down for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Contact us now and request a home assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households in New Zealand and Totara Park, and research indicates that rental homes are likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating, and generally are of lower quality than the houses of owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are linked to negative well-being results, specifically for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as heart diseases. In addition, people who have reported at least four key issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental wellbeing.

The improvement in the quality of Totara Park rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and living due to illnesses. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp , which means lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping for Totara Park rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss having a Totara Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Totara Park

Draughts increase the likelihood of lower temperatures in homes. A damp house costs more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a hole or gap that is, it’s probably a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in the way you can. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out within your house require to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it may cause draughts and should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring such draughts are eliminated as much as imaginable.

There is no require to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement of the building when the home gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be opened and closed rather than sticking. We will test the windows and doors in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Totara Park

Rental properties in Totara Park should have a permanent source of heat that can heat the{ main or largest|| largest or main| principal or the biggest} living area to at minimum 18degC, 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 health and mental well-being.

The source of heating requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if your current fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), it needs to include an thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and efficient. In most homes, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in certain instances like apartments with small spaces the smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source like the heat pump, it might just need an update to be able to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the quality because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Check out the complete details regarding details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Totara Park

Every living space in a rental property has to have at least one opening window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

The ventilation standard is all about acknowledging how dried air can be more easy to heat and the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

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

Each window, door or skylight needs for them to be in a position of opening to the outside and remain set in an opening position to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your home with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will require suitable extractor fans that can be vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

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

A cozy dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Totara Park

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory for all rent houses as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure the insulation meets current quality. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may require to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated property can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness as well as making more easy to the house to retain the heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values of your area.

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and floor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Totara Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about the inside of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it is often not apparent that it could be a huge problem that can cause damage to your investment as well as affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of floodwaters, surface water and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water is able to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your flooring and ground, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from getting into the property. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the 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 Totara Park

The areas of rental property that are affected with the Healthy Homes Standard in Totara Park include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Totara Park for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to be able to examine during a house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an ruling on tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For specialist assistance, get in touch today and book your rental properties house evaluation.