May 2018 Newsletter

• Tenant forced to hand over Airbnb profits after angry landlord investigates
• Asbestos clarifications welcome relief for landlords
• Consumer NZ warns about ionisation smoke alarms
• Landlords fear bigger damage bills if tenant liability rules change
• 18 Degrees Celsius. Putting the heat on Lanldords
• Nowhere can you get a Personal Character Check like TINZ supplies
  

Tenant forced to hand over Airbnb profits after angry landlord investigates  The landlord of a Wellington property has been handed the tenant's Airbnb profits, by the Tenancy Tribunal. The tenant had illegally sublet the Bellagio apartment, in central Wellington, on at least 54 occasions over six months. He made more than $12,450. The rent for the apartment was $650 a week. The owners, based in the United States, asked a property manager, Keith Powell, of Nice Place Property Management, to investigate.

Asbestos clarifications welcome relief for landlords  On 4 April this year new rules came into force under the Health and Safety at Work (asbestos) Regulations which means that if you own or occupy a building which contains asbestos you needed to have a management plan in place. Bindi Norwell, Chief Executive at REINZ says: “REINZ has been seeking clarification from Worksafe NZ regarding asbestos management plans and rental properties for a number of months now. “The Guidance, released today, clarifies that asbestos management plans are required when there is a risk that asbestos fibres will be released into the air, for example, when renovations or other building work occurs. This means that asbestos management plans are not automatically required for all rental properties,” she continues.

Consumer NZ warns about ionisation smoke alarms   It’s a good time to upgrade your smoke alarms as Consumer NZ recommends that older ionisation-type smoke alarms should no longer be sold. These alarms give much less warning of smouldering fires, such as those caused by faulty electrical wiring, curtains draped over a heater, or a hot ember igniting upholstery foam, making it less likely you or your tenants can exit safely. You can identify an ionisation alarm from a radioactive symbol somewhere on the alarm body – it may be underneath, so you might need to remove it to check. The Residential Tenancies Act requires all new smoke alarms to be photoelectric long life battery. The New Zealand Fire Service also recommends photoelectric alarms..

Landlords fear bigger damage bills if tenant liability rules change Landlords are worried they could be left with a big bill for tenant damage, if the proposals in a select committee report are taken up. The select committee considering the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill has suggested a significant change to tenant liability for careless damage. It had been proposed that tenants be liable for an amount equal to four weeks' rent, or the landlord's excess – whichever was lower, per incident. But the select committee has recommended removing the "per incident" directive. It is common for one insurance claim to cover several "incidents" – such as damage to carpet in several rooms of a house, or a fire that damages the house and its contents, triggering claims on each policy. NZ Property Investors Federation executive officer Andrew King said it was a concern. "It's not a very fair situation."

18 Degrees Celsius. Putting the heat on Landlords.   As winter approaches, few will dispute that the majority of rental properties in New Zealand are not up to standard. Thousands of tenants up and down the country live in cold, damp properties that makes a mockery of our global clean green image. Late last year a bill was passed through Parliament that will literally change the face the housing in New Zealand forever, yet many people are unaware as to the true impact of this legislation and the cost of compliance.
 The Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill became law in December 2017 and many landlords are utterly oblivious as to the impact of this bill. 

        TINZ tip 

Nowhere can you get a Personal Character Check like TINZ supplies.
With each prospective tenant always complete a PCC before your main Tenant Check. This inexpensive check is invaluable. It runs through a dozen sources and will supply you with a raft of possible, relevant information on your prospective tenant. The one search ncludes Google, Bing, Facebook, LinkedIn, Interpol, Tenancy Tribunal, Insolvency, Court Judgements, News sites, Companies office, Police Ten7, Parole board, Sensible Sentencing trust, plus.

18 Degrees Celsius. Putting The Heat On Landlords

Why the Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill is going to be a game changer

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From the desk of the NZPIF

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