Rent controls not the answer
Pressure to introduce rent controls is growing, but all it will lead to is fewer rental homes on the market, the New Zealand Initiative concludes. Rent controls come in various forms. They can cap the rent charged or, more commonly, rent increases during a tenancy. (Source: Landlords.co.nz)
Sharp increase in renting Kiwis forced to give up their dogs
While nearly two thirds of Kiwi households own at least one pet, less than a tenth of landlords allow pets, and many of those who do restrict it to cats and small dogs. (Source: Stuff.co.nz)
Methamphetamine use doesn’t mean eviction
A landlord who wanted to evict a tenant because of possible methamphetamine use by two flatmates has been slapped down by the Tenancy Tribunal. The tribunal found there was no legal requirement to apply the New Zealand Standard for Testing and Decontamination of Methamphetamine Contaminated Properties in the landlord’s case for eviction of the tenant. (Source: Landlords.co.nz)
More policing of landlords ‘total waste of money’
Some of the $80 million to be spent over the next four years to police Healthy Homes standards, fix the bond centre and fund RTA disputes could be better spent, says the Property Investors Federation. (Source: Landlords.co.nz)
Keep your privacy waivers!
Principle 3 in the Privacy Act 2020 states that organisations should be open about why they are collecting personal information and what they will do with it. Your tenancy application form should include a Privacy Statement to ensure your prospective tenants are aware that you may use their personal information to perform a tenant check on them. This will give you consent, also known as a ‘privacy waiver’ to perform a tenant check as part of your tenant selection process. We highly recommend you save and securely store the tenancy applications submitted by any tenant whom you have performed a tenant check on for at least 6 years from date of your tenant check. Why? Because a record of your tenant check is stored on the tenant's Tenant Report for 6 years. In the case of a privacy complaint or enquiry by a tenant, you will be required to present confirmation you obtained a privacy waiver from the tenant. This also applies if you did not accept the tenant.
|
