Property Management

Many tenants will experience problems with rats and mice at some stage during a tenancy. New Zealand’s mild climate along with an abundant supply of food can help rodents thrive during the summer months. However as winter approaches they will often look for somewhere warm with a plentiful supply of food, and this could well be your rental property. Usually this is not a case of infestation and the problem can be easily resolved by using bait and traps.

The presentation and cleanliness of a property can also increase the chances of rodent infestation. Piles of garden debris and/or garbage left lying around the property (and on neighbouring properties) create ideal places for rats and mice to nest and breed. Regular property inspections and working together with your tenant to tackle the issue will give you a better outcome. Often landlords need to educate tenants on what their responsibilities are in regard to proprety presentation including rubbish removal and ensuring the lawns are mowed regularly. Once these issues are taken care of the landlord could then provide bait and traps (readily available from the hardware store) and ensure that trees on the property are trimmed.

If you have a reoccurring or serious rodent problem, pest control professionals should be used. If the property is infested with cockroaches, it is recommended that professionals are used to treat the problem to ensure thorough eradication. In the case of flea or cockroach infestation, landlords should not assume it is the tenants fault as eggs can lay dormant and could have been in the property prior to the tenant moving in.

Rodent problems should be taken seriously as there is a possibility they could eat their way through pipes causing leaks as well as damage electrical wiring, which could cause a house fire.

If your tenant or property manager has reported a problem with rodents or other pests, then the best solution is to work together to eliminate the problem as quickly as possible. Rodents, fleas, ants and cockroaches do not make pleasant house guests and if left unattended could result in your tenants moving out.

Proactive landlords minimise issues by dealing with problems efficiently, resulting in happy, long term tenants.

The Residential Tenancies Amendments Act 2010 has seen an introduction of various new unlawful acts. These inclusions also raise the monetary jurisdiction of the Tenancy Tribunal from $12,000 to $50,000. The new inclusions are forecasted to take effect approximately 1st October 2010.

Greater Protection for landlords and tenants

Post a thorough review the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act officially passed in to law at the end of July 2010. It is the product of years of review and is welcomed by many in the property management industry who all agree there is a requirement for additional clarification and balance between the rights and obligations of both landlord and tenants.

The focal point of the changes provides greater protection for landlords and tenants. This includes lengthening the Act to include more tenancies such as boarding houses and introducing more obvious guidelines for the termination and renewal of tenancies.

Property Management: The Importance of Smoke Alarms

There is no doubt that smoke alarms save lives and reduce the number of deaths caused by fires in homes. According to the NZ Fire Service, smoke alarms were either not installed or not in working order in 80% of house fires they attended last year!

There is huge interest and debate about whether property owners should be required, by law, to supply smoke alarms for their rental properties.