Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Must know
Thursday, November 09, 2017
Asbestos - the invisible threat to your property
Asbestos-related illness is the number one cause of death in New Zealand workplaces. For that reason alone, the government will require, from April 2018, for all properties undergoing major renovation to be checked for asbestos. This will have significant impact on property investors who are likely to become PCBUs during renovation projects. Related article: Health & s... read more
Sunday, November 05, 2017
Ouch! Absent or defective insulation statement could set you back $500
From 1 July 2016, all new residential tenancy agreements are required to include a signed insulation statement detailing the extent of insulation in the property. At the time of passage, this requirement was seen by many as a bureaucratic intermediary in anticipation of universal insulation by 2019. But if its recent orders are anything to go by, it is apparent that the Tr... read more
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Could this be the start to the end of FM Custodian?
The landlord industry has been rocked, in recent months, by the effects of the High Court's decision of Anderson v FM Custodians Ltd [2013] NZHC 2423. Specifically, the case has been cited as authority for tenants to claw back 100% of all rents paid throughout the time of tenancy at the point of dispute. It doesn't take much to acknowledge the gross injustice in ... read more
Monday, August 21, 2017
What does Peter Dunne’s resignation from Parliament mean for investors?
This afternoon, Hon Peter Dunne announced his resignation from Parliament after serving 33 years for the Ōhāriu Electorate. This move came shortly after the One News Colmar Brunton poll released just last week putting Labour’s Greg O’Connor well ahead of the polls. National has since announced that it will be throwing its full support behind its own candi... read more
Thursday, May 25, 2017
What you need to know about the proposed amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act
This week the Government introduced the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill (2) to Parliament. There are three main parts to this Bill that are worth noting by landlords: Tenants liability for damage Since Holler v Osaki, tenants are no longer liable for damages they unintentionally cause to a rental property. This Bill addresses the inherent inequitable ... read more
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
NZS8510 - What property owners need to know about meth decontamination and detection standards for now
Standards New Zealand has, as of yesterday, published Draft Number DZ8510 - NZS8510 - Testing and decontamination of methamphetamine-contaminated properties for public comment. Though DZ8510 is but a draft which will most certainly be altered before final publication, it is an opportunity for property investors to get insight and give feedback on the likely standard. Full tex... read more
Monday, October 17, 2016
Government signalling partial reversal of Holler v Osaki
For some months, the New Zealand Property Investors' Federation (the NZPIF), the Tenancy Tribunal and other key tenancy organisations have been in dialogue with the government as well as major party leaders to give feedback on how Holler v Osaki affects the landscape of residential tenancies in New Zealand. Legitimate concerns have been raised by these groups that Ho... read more
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Holler Practice Note changes the rules of damage claims to the Tribunal
Following the recent Court of Appeal decision on Holler & Rouse v Osaki, the Tenancy Tribunal prepared Practice Note 2016/1 outlining, to its adjudicators, how applications relating to tenant liability for damages are to be treated from 1st August 2016. As an aside: For those who are unfamiliar with Holler, the case hinged on whether a residential tenant would be prote... read more
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Return serve can cost you as much as $2,000… Ouch!
The amended Residential Tenancies Act came into effect on the 1st of July. While smoke alarms and insulation are without a doubt the most significant of all changes (and rightly received a good level of publicity), other more subtle changes to the RTA are not any less relevant. One such issue to note has to be the strengthening of the retaliatory notice provision. A retaliat... read more
The 5 biggest mistakes investors make
Upcoming Events
22-Jan-2018
RPNZ training for property investors
13-Feb-2018
Keynote: Residential tenancy panel - How landlords can understand and navigate the challenges of 2018
