Healthy Homes Assessment Grenada North

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords now have to ensure that their Grenada North rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks which needs to be completed, and provide the report with all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes associated fines.

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

Call Now (04) 280 6790

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Grenada North rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be taken care of within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new or renewed lease is entered into on the Grenada North rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done by the end of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in a new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the the property manager doesn’t provide the required information within 21 days of receiving the request, they could receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as being the person who is letting the property, so it could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it must be updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s also important to note that landlords with multiple rental properties may face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for serious violations, and landlords who own at least six rental properties could be fined up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in large fines in addition to still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and make arrangements to have a house inspection performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

Around 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Grenada North, and research shows us that these rental houses are most likely to be colder, older and have less effective heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly for ailments like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who have reported at least four key issues with their housing often have less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

The improvement in the quality of Grenada North rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to health issues. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Stopping within Grenada North rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss getting a Grenada North Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Grenada North

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within houses. A damp house is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

If a draught is felt through gaps that are too large or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or the air is clear from a gap or hole, then it’s likely to be a gap or crack that needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be stopped permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out from your house need the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it may cause draughts and should be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t need to block off holes or gaps in the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement of the building when the home is heated and cools to allow them to be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will examine all doors and windows as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

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

Heating Grenada North

Grenada North rental properties should have a permanent source of heating that can heat the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The heating source requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating or heat source, it should have a thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and effective. For most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source such as an air conditioner, it might just need an update in order to comply with the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient and/or unhealthy to run.

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

Ventilation Grenada North

Each liveable space in the rental property should contain at minimum one open doors or windows to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can take moisture away.

It is the ventilation standard is all about recognising the fact that dry air will be less difficult to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallways are not liveable and therefore don’t need an opening door or window.

Each window, door , or the skylight needs for them to be in a position of opening to the outside while remaining at an open angle, allowing the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your home that has shower, bath or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will need appropriate extractor fans that can be vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas of high moisture.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm house is a healthy home

Insulation Grenada North

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is mandatory to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure that the insulation is up to current quality. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might need to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and it will make more easy to allow the household to hold the heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.

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

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Grenada North Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building but you must ensure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is often those things that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble that can cause damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water is able to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture in the ground from entering the home. It also helps prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Grenada North

Property rental areas that are affected with Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Grenada North include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Grenada North for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to be able to examine in the home assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the ruling on tenancy services ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice get in touch today to book your rental properties house evaluation.