The recent review of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 resulted in the Residential Tenancies (Prohibiting Letting Fees) Amendment Act being passed and as of 12 December 2018 we can no longer charge a letting fee to tenants.
Moving house is an inevitable part of our lives and can be very stressful without a little planning. There is a lot to consider, whether you’re moving across town, to a new town/city or even to a new country and each will require a different plan of attack.
You may be privy to the government’s recent decision to undertake a broad review of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 with the key goal of improving tenant security and stability while protecting landlords’ interests. While the review is currently in the consultative phase, the introduction of a bill to prohibit the charging of letting fees has been brought forward and is currently before parliament. We thought this was a prime opportunity to answer a few FAQs on just exactly what a...
Recent news of property managers vetting prospective tenants’ bank statements has REINZ calling for industry regulation that offers clarity and transparency for renters, landlords and property managers. Conduct of Property Managers under microscope Around a third of Kiwis are now renting, making the rental market a pressure cooker for all parties involved. The result is property managers and landlords taking extra measures to ensure candidate tenants are capable of paying the rent. A social services select committee hearing submissions on the...
Recent numbers indicate Christchurch’s housing market is fit, healthy and a great place for first-home buyers to get on the real estate ladder. In March we looked at the state of New Zealand’s housing market, asking if it was as bad as the picture painted by the ‘housing crisis’-focused media? We looked at CoreLogic’s report from January 2018, which noted that fewer investors and prices being flat for over a year had led to first-time buyers making up a quarter of...
Earlier this year an Auckland landlord was fined $2,000 by the Tenancy Tribunal for not fitting his rental property with smoke alarms in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act and Regulations. The ruling was a stern reminder that all landlords must comply with smoke alarm legislation. Let’s look at how landlords and tenants can both ensure their rental properties meet the standard… How many smoke alarms does a house need? Smoke alarm requirements for rental properties are clearly outlined in the...
In March we talked about the state of the New Zealand housing market, sharing some developments that show it’s not all doom and gloom for house buyers and renters. In that post we touched on Housing Minister Phil Twyford commenting that the KiwiBuild policy, planning to construct 100,000 homes in ten years, was the answer to freeing up housing stock and increasing availability in the rental markets. The KiwiBuild policy isn’t without its detractors who say the target is unattainable and...
While responsibility for building maintenance of the actual house on a rental property is clearly the responsibility of the landlord or property manager, upkeep of the gardens and lawns is much more open to interpretation. It begs of landlords the questions: do I take care of them? Do I leave it to the tenants, or do I get a contractor in? Let’s delve into the pros and cons of each option and how they may affect your relationship with your tenants...
Talk of reform to address the ‘housing crisis’ has been dominating our headlines since the new coalition government took up house in parliament back in October 2017. One could be forgiven for assuming all is not well in the housing market and that now is not the time to buy, sell or rent. But a quick revision of recent developments paints a not so gloomy picture for all those involved. Foreign house-buyer ban policy may be eased, resulting in more housing...
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