Kate Hawkesby: Will new rental rules fix more problems than they create?

 

Today the new rules for landlords come in. It’s something they’ve had plenty of warning about, something tenants should also be across in term of understanding their new rights.

And it just makes me wonder how much smooth sailing we’re in for here versus choppy waters.

The tenancy tribunal must be bracing itself as I imagine there’ll be a raft of issues potentially being sheeted their way to be tested. Many landlords too will be holding their breath.

Will their tenant suddenly want to paint the walls? Hang pictures? Replace curtains? What sort of look will they be giving the landlord’s property?

Kate Hawkesby: Are heating and cooling standards for landlords over the top?

 

Well we might have some cities like Christchurch basking in 35-degree heat today, but it's not quite the 40 degrees that some Sydneysiders are baking in.

Some NSW homes so hot, residents can barely cool them down, especially those on low incomes.

One resident was quoted as saying she ‘dreaded summer’ and had to wrap herself in a damp towel with ice cubes just to cool down. Which made me think about our new ventilation and insulation rules coming in here shortly for landlords.

Mike Butler: Rental property child hospitalisation claim contradicted

Housing Minister Phil Twyford justified the launch of costly new rental property standards in February by saying “6000 children are admitted each year for ‘housing-sensitive hospitalisations’” but, when questioned, two Ministries provided contradictory data that undermined the claim.

I sent a series of questions to the Minister’s office, to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and to the Ministry of Health, all seeking evidence to support this rather specific claim.

The full quote was that “6000 children are admitted each year for ‘housing-sensitive hospitalisations’, and that these children have been found to be nearly four times more likely to be re-hospitalised and 10 times more likely to die in the following 10 years.”

Mike Butler: Why extra standards for rentals?

Few could argue against the value of warm and dry housing but many could criticise the way the Peters-Ardern Government is imposing extra standards on rental property.

Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford is about to require owners of rental property to install expensive heaters, add an extra layer of insulation, require extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms, a polythene sheet under the floor to stop rising damp, and draught-stopping tape around windows and doors.

NZCPR Weekly: Attacking Landlords

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we question the Government’s proposed changes to tenancy laws and their continued attack on landlords, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Mike Butler explains why Labour’s changes could make tenancies unmanageable, and our poll asks whether you agree with Labour that the present rental laws are unfair on tenants.

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Frank Newman: Recovering the cost of tenant damage

In April last year the Court of Appeal ruled (in Holler and Rouse v Osaki) that a tenant did not have to pay for damage where the cause was not done intentionally. The facts of that case go something like this.

Mr Holler and Ms Rouse rented a house rented to Mr Osaki and his family. The house was insured with AMI. It seems Mrs Osaki was a bit of an absent minded cook as she left a pot of oil on full heat, which caused a fire and over $216k worth of damage.

Frank Newman: P for problem

Methamphetamine (P) is a problem. The media is reporting with increasing frequency tales of woe and financial misfortune. There is no doubt the P problem is growing and may have serious financial consequences for landlords, homeowners, and tenants.

It is reported that 279 Housing New Zealand (HNZ) rentals tested positive for meth in the nine months end December 2015. Five of the houses had to be demolished, and meth related remedial work is costing HNZ about $13 million a year. Some say meth contaminated homes could run into the thousands.

Reuben Chapple: Rent Controls Rebutted

It's an unfortunate fact of life that during periods of expanded market demand, tenants looking for housing may have to spend weeks or months in an often vain search for a suitable place to live. 

They might end up renting something smaller than they might like, and/or in a less desirable location. Some have reportedly even resorted to bribes to get landlords to move them to the top of waiting lists.  Meanwhile, they may double up with relatives, sleep in garages, or use other makeshift living arrangements.

Mike Butler: Property investors pay $500m in tax

Sick and tired of being the scapegoat that doesn’t fight back, the New Zealand Property Investors’ Federation put in an Official Information Act request to confirm that rental property owners paid nearly half a billion dollars in tax on their rental income in the year ended March 2013.

The new information that became available this week discredits a widely held perception promoted by the Tax Working Group in 2009 that rental property owners have a tax advantage and don't pay tax.

Frank Newman: Perils of being a landlord

The term Land-lord has an aristocrat resonance about it. The reality is there is nothing easy about being a landlord. For most it’s a rude awakening into aspects of human behaviour that most prefer not to associate with. 

The NZ Herald (Diana Clement, 3 May) ran an interesting article recently about the perils of being a landlord. Here are some key points.

Frank Newman: Housing corp tenants from hell

If anyone thinks being a landlord is easy, then here’s a story that may change your mind! I was contacted by a landlord who owns a modest two-bedroom rental that is in what was once a tidy part of a town. By all accounts it’s a very pleasant little abode - nice views, a sunny aspect, and plenty of space for the kids to run about. A good little rental, one would have thought, and it was until the Housing Corporation bought the neighbouring properties.

Within a year the area has become a hell-hole and the investor’s nice rental a nightmare. Fortunately the gang that moved into one of the houses has since vacated, but not before the landlord’s previous tenant packed their bags and left his property.