Waikato Healthy Homes

Healthy Homes Manawatu

offers support, guidance and expertise by means of house inspections, certificates of compliance and statements to ensure your rental property meets the 2019 Healthy Homes Standards.

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2019 Healthy Home Regulations

What you need to know!

On 1 July 2019, the New Zealand government passed the Healthy Homes Standards with the goal to improve the living standards and wellbeing of Kiwi families, particularly those in rental houses.

With the focus on improvements to ventilation, insulation, moisture, heating and draughts, many landlords have had to upgrade their rental properties in order to comply with these new regulations.

A full set of documents outlining the standards every rental property MUST follow to meet these regulations is available from Tenancy Services.

Timeline to meet Regulation Deadlines

  • Insulation must meet RTA standards set in 2016.

  • New/Varied Tenancy Agreements to include declaration of intention to comply to the 5 Healthy Homes Standards.

  • New/Varied Tenancy Agreements to include information on current levels of the 5 Healthy Homes Standards.

  • Rentals must comply with all the new Standards within 90 days from entering any new or varied Tenancy Agreements.

  • All Kāinga Ora (formerly Housing New Zealand) houses and registered Community Housing Provider houses must comply with the Healthy Homes Standards.

  • ALL rental properties must be compliant with the 5 Healthy Homes Standards.

We are here to help you

With the new Healthy Homes Standards coming into effect on 1 July 2019 for all private landlords and boarding houses, getting a certificate of compliance is more important than ever before. Furthermore, since 1 December 2019, all landlords must include which level of compliance they have currently reached for each of the 5 standards at the beginning of each new as well as renewed tenancy agreement.

These five standards include:

Insulation

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In addition to underfloor and ceiling insulation which became compulsory in all rentals 1 June 2019, the new standards might require further upgrades or replacements.

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Draught Stopping

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Landlords must block all unreasonable gaps within their rental property to avoid noticeable draughts. This includes closing off unused fireplaces and chimneys.

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Ventilation

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Landlords must ensure openable windows are present in areas such as dining and living room, kitchen and bedroom. Kitchen and bathrooms also need to have extractor fans.

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Moisture and Drainage

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Landlords must ensure their rental property has adequate drainage to remove storm, surface and ground water. Ground moisture barriers need to be in place for sub-floor spaces.

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Heating

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Landlords must provide fixed heating devices that will directly heat the main living area. All heaters must also meet the minimum heating capacity outlined by the WHO.

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At Healthy Homes Manawatu, we will assess your property against the 5 standards and complete an extensive 20-page report covering each one. This will include photos of any areas that fail to meet the standards, outlining what needs to be done in order to achieve compliance.

What if my property fails on some of the standards?

Should your property not meet any or all of the Healthy Homes Standards, you will be given time to complete any necessary work towards achievement. We do offer a post-inspection service where we can comply with any work after the initial inspection via email, at no additional cost. However, you will need to provide sufficient evidence to prove the work has been completed accordingly. Examples to prove completion can include supplier certificates or builder’s invoices.

If a landlord chooses to undertake their own upgrade or repair work, we need to be able to clearly evidence the work by photos. This may result in a further charge should we have to physically visit the property again to comply with any standards.

We will update the certificate of compliance on your behalf with the supplier’s name and the date the work was completed. Please note, that any liability for the completed work remains with the company or landlord undertaking all necessary construction.

Why Healthy Homes Manawatu?

We have been involved with both the RTA Regulations and the Healthy Homes Standards since 2016. We have completed thousands of inspections since and all our teams are experienced and employed by us.

We understand the complexity of meeting the new standards and we are available to help you navigate through the process for your property to become compliant.

Most importantly, we are local, and this is reflected in our special rates we offer.

Request a quote

To request a free, no-obligation quote, please click the button below and fill in your contact details. Our team will contact you within 48 hours. Alternatively, call us today on (06) 353 0088

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