Articles tagged with 'healthy homes'
REINZ want healthy homes deadline extended
18 October 2021 - A 90-day extension on the timeframe for Healthy Homes compliance has been called for by REINZ.
Heater standard for rentals shows ‘serious deficiencies’
16 October 2021 - Residential landlords have been warned about the methodology used to set a heating capacity standard for qualifying heaters in living rooms under MBIE’s Healthy Homes standards.
Healthy Homes deadline fast approaching
11 June 2021 - Boarding house landlords have been reminded by the Tenancy Tribunal they have to meet the next lot of Healthy Homes standards by July 1.
More policing of landlords ‘total waste of money’
24 May 2021 - 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.
More money to police property rental laws
20 May 2021 - The government has allocated $80 million over four years to police the healthy homes standards, fix the bond centre and fund RTA disputes.
Just 14 days until new healthy homes standards kick in
17 November 2020 - It is just two weeks now until healthy homes standards compliance statement need to be included in new or renewed tenancy agreements.
Tribunal divvies up blame in maintenance ruling
6 November 2020 - New Zealand’s aging housing stock and tradition of informal landlord-tenant relationships have the potential for complex disputes where fault lies with both parties – as illustrated by a recent Tenancy Tribunal ruling.
What lies ahead for investors
21 October 2020 - Election 2020 is done and dusted – and a red landslide has left the Labour Party firmly in charge of the next government. But what could that mean for property investors?
Tenancy reforms, tax changes would go under National
5 October 2020 - Getting rid of the Government’s tenancy law reforms and tax changes that impact on rental property owners are a key feature of the National Party’s new housing policy.
Healthy Homes standards: to back or to scrap?
28 September 2020 - Landlords are divided over Barfoot & Thompson’s recent call to the National Party to hold fire on their plans to overturn the Healthy Homes standards if elected.
New renters' guide for tenants
23 September 2020 - Far too many tenants are not aware of their obligations around their rental property so a new guide aims to spell out what they need to know and do.
COMMENT: Furore over Healthy Homes story misleading
8 September 2020 - Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. It’s a tried and tested adage – and it’s one the NZ Property Investors Federation president felt the brunt of yesterday, muses NZ Property Investor editor Miriam Bell.
Greens propose more landlord regulations
10 August 2020 - Rental Warrants of Fitness. Licensing for landlords and property managers. They are ideas long held dear by the Green Party and, sure enough, they both feature in the Green’s new housing policy.
Persistent RTA breaches cost landlord
6 August 2020 - Ongoing disregard for her obligations under residential tenancy law has resulted in a hefty fine for a notorious Christchurch landlord.
COMMENT: Are Airbnb hosts in breach of the RTA?
30 June 2020 - Landlords could be using short term booking sites like Airbnb in an attempt to contract out of the Residential Tenancies Act, but by doing so they are exposing themselves to substantial risk and possible rent refunds, writes property management consultant David Faulkner.
Mould complaint doesn’t warrant reduced tenancy term
23 June 2020 - Many landlords are concerned the Tenancy Tribunal tends to favour tenants but one recent decision shows that’s not always the case.
Compliance statement deadline extended
2 June 2020 - There’s some relief for struggling landlords with the announcement today that the Healthy Homes Compliance Statement deadline has been extended for an additional five months.
COMMENT: Housing supply increase is being hampered
22 May 2020 - The much-needed increase in housing supply is being hindered by new legislation relating to rental properties, warns NZ Property Investors Federation executive officer Sharon Cullwick.
Landlords’ plea: don’t unfairly target us
27 March 2020 - There are growing concerns among many landlords about unreasonable expectations from tenants, and the Government, in relation to rent during the lockdown.
New loan to boost energy-efficient housing
13 March 2020 - There’s an ongoing push towards greener, healthier homes and now Westpac is joining the drive, with a new loan product for its home loan customers.
Get on top of boarding house rules
11 March 2020 - There’s a fair bit of uncertainty around boarding houses and Tenancy Services is warning landlords they need to know the law around this area.
Failure to lodge bonds earns major penalty
6 March 2020 - A Tauranga property management company has been ordered to pay $16,417 for failing to lodge bonds within the required timeframe on multiple occasions.
On the brink of a crisis
3 March 2020 - Proposed tenancy law changes, which come in an environment of rental shortage, are on the brink of creating a low socioeconomic rental crisis.
COMMENT: Act against radical tenancy changes
2 March 2020 - New Zealand’s 290,000 rental property owners should resist radical changes to the Residential Tenancies Act both by submission and by their vote in this year’s election, argues Tenancies War spokesman Mike Butler.
Full steam ahead for tenancy reforms
21 February 2020 - Landlords won’t have long to have their say on the government’s tenancy law reform proposals after Parliament voted that the Select Committee dealing with the legislation should report back by 22 June.
COMMENT: Checking in on insulation
7 February 2020 - Sizzling summer temperatures might be hitting towns all round New Zealand yet the insulation of rental properties remains a hot topic, writes NZ Property Investor editor Miriam Bell.
Getting heating right
24 January 2020 - Heating requirements for rental properties are currently a source of confusion for many landlords and property managers so REINZ has issued a reminder of what is required.
Evidence needed to support Tribunal claims
13 January 2020 - Landlord concerns about tenants angling for legal compensation for problems with their rental properties might be allayed a little by a recent Tenancy Tribunal ruling.
The perils of leaving insulation late
23 December 2019 - Leaving the insulation of a rental property for too long after the July deadline and then entering the premises without consent has earned some Auckland landlords a penalty of over $1,000.
Changes to RTA announced
17 November 2019 - The Government announced its long awaited tenancy law reforms on Sunday and they mean that landlords will no longer be able to get rid of tenants without reason.
The getting of wisdom
11 November 2019 - Landlords concerned about the increasing amount of rules and regulations it’s necessary to comply with can now get training to help them out.
Strong meth suspicions call for testing
21 October 2019 - Panic around the meth contamination of rentals has diminished, but a Tenancy Tribunal decision reinforces that landlords still have an obligation to test properties when contamination is suspected.
COMMENT: Sign of changing times
17 October 2019 - Fletcher Building opened a flash, new, high tech, prefabricated house building factory yesterday. Great things are expected of it, but Miriam Bell ponders what it means for your average investor.
COMMENT: Getting to grips with tenancy disputes
7 October 2019 - Widespread ignorance of tenancy law is behind current representations of residential tenancy disputes which feature tenants as victims, writes Auckland Property Investors Association vice president Peter Lewis…
COMMENT: How much is too much
5 September 2019 - New regulations around rental properties mean that being a landlord is becoming increasingly unattractive. Auckland Property Investors Association vice president Peter Lewis asks how much is too much…
Decline in value growth slows
4 September 2019 - Property value growth nationwide has been waning for months. But now QV’s latest data suggests the rate of decline is starting to ease up.
Tribunal fines landlord for insulation fail
7 August 2019 - Failure to install insulation into a rental property by the July 1 deadline has earned a Bay of Plenty landlord a $1,500 penalty and a work order.
Greens renew call for tougher tenancy laws
4 August 2019 - Getting rid of no cause rental terminations and the introduction of a Warrant of Fitness for rentals are critical parts of the Green Party’s renewed focus on housing announced at their Annual Conference over the weekend.
Getting end of tenancy clean ups right
5 July 2019 - Confusion over what leaving a property “reasonably clean and tidy” at the end of a tenancy means has prompted a call for prescriptive guidelines from Tenancy Services.
Values on the edge of town
3 July 2019 - It’s best to look to the outskirts of the main centres for value increases these days as value growth continues to slow around the country.
Insulation D-Day
1 July 2019 - Today’s the day that all rental properties must have ceiling and underfloor insulation under the Residential Tenancies Act – and it looks like the majority will be compliant.
Up, up, up for regional rents
28 June 2019 - Rental demand is outpacing tight rental supply around the country and that has made for record rent rises in many markets, according to Trade Me Property.
Housing team takes over from Twyford
27 June 2019 - Housing is fraught, complex and – as the Cabinet reshuffle reveals – a portfolio that is no longer considered suitable for a single minister.
COMMENT: The compliance struggle
26 June 2019 - For many property investors, the end goal is setting themselves up for retirement – but new requirements are making that harder. Investor Dale Young explains how his retirement project is turning into a compliance nightmare...
Don’t wait - get compliant
30 May 2019 - Radical, costly and with issues? Yes. But the new Healthy Homes minimum standards are warranted and will improve New Zealand’s housing stock, according to one property management consultant.
No extensions for insulation compliance
24 May 2019 - There will be no extensions for landlords who don’t comply with the 2016 insulation requirements, the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment is warning.
COMMENT: Why the new standards are not the answer
23 May 2019 - The final version of the Government’s new Healthy Homes minimum standards came out last week. Stop the War on Tenancies spokesman Mike Butler tells us what he thinks about them…
Warning: insulation deadline looming
21 May 2019 - Landlords take note: there’s only 40 days left to insulate rental properties before a $4,000 fine from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) comes into play.
Standards set to cost
17 May 2019 - Nearly 60% of Auckland property investors believe they will have to spend money to be compliant with the new Healthy Homes minimum standards, according to new Crockers research.
It’s the law: Healthy Homes standards
13 May 2019 - The Government’s Healthy Homes minimum standards will be law from 1 July 2019 – even though their final form won’t be released until later this week.
COMMENT: Punishing landlords won’t solve crisis
6 May 2019 - The capital gains tax debate is over, but landlords are still being scapegoated as the focus turns to Healthy Homes, argues Auckland Property Investors Association vice president Peter Lewis…
Tardy repairs earn $2000 fine
3 May 2019 - Slow action on a leaky roof has earned a property management company and an absentee landlord a fine and a reprimand from the Tenancy Tribunal.
Policy king hit
8 April 2019 - Investors have recently been dealt a double whammy with the concurrent release of the Tax Working Group’s recommendations on capital gains and the Healthy Homes minimum standards.
COMMENT: Tax deductibility of rental property upgrades
4 April 2019 - Rental property upgrades required by the Healthy Homes minimum standards will make the area of tax deductibility even more thorny, writes Auckland Property Investors Association vice president Peter Lewis…
Mortgage brokers need to be ready for change
15 March 2019 - Mortgage advisers should be gearing up for regulatory change. The Minister of Commerce has a proposed Code of Conduct to sign off and the Financial Services...
Cost of standards will hit tenants
25 February 2019 - Parts of the Government’s new Healthy Homes minimum standards are not cost-effective and that will impact on tenants, according to investor advocates.
Revealed: Healthy Homes minimum standards
24 February 2019 - The Government’s minimum standards to make rental properties healthier for tenants have finally been released – but landlords will have five years to comply with them.
2018 – a year of uncertainty
31 December 2018 - If last year was a year of disruption, this year was one in which the movement towards change took off – and many investors were left floundering and uncertain.
Landlords urged to act on insulation
24 December 2018 - Warnings that landlords need to step up and ensure their rental properties meet insulation requirements are coming thick and fast as the year ends.
Monitoring rental home quality
19 December 2018 - Landlords concerned about whether or not their rental properties qualify as “healthy homes” can now look to new high-tech monitoring tool for help.
Healthy Homes benefits overstated - economist
17 December 2018 - Claims made about the benefits of ensuring New Zealand’s rental properties meet the Government’s Healthy Homes minimum standards are exaggerated, according to a new report.