Thursday, October 11, 2018
Landlording
Friday, August 24, 2018
Suze Ferry: Common reasons why rental insurance claims get rejected
Rental properties need a different insurance policy compared to owner-occupied homes. There are additional risks you’ll want covered and there are certain requirements your insurer will want you to meet too. Contrary to popular belief, insurers don’t want to decline claims! The policy wording/schedule is a contract, between you and your insurer; the contract defines what is and... read more
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Suzanne Colson: Short-term tenants and insurance
If you plan on renting out a room or your house to short-term tenants, there are some things you need to consider. One of the most important is how it will affect your insurance cover. Non-Disclosure Failing to tell your insurance company about the change in occupancy could result in non-disclosure; which in turn could result in non-payment of a claim. Make sure you let your insurer k... read more
Thursday, July 26, 2018
A broken heater lead to a $2250 fine
By now, APIA landlords should be well aware of the 1947 Housing Improvement Regulations (HIR) and how it relates to s45 of the Residential Tenancies Act. The Tribunal, historically, has certainly not shied away from enforcing elements of the HIR especially as it relates to dampness. Increasingly, however, we are seeing it being relied on in decisions pertaining to deficient heating... read more
Friday, July 13, 2018
John Priest: Being a successful landlord, my way
Firstly, be careful who you accept as a tenant. Sorry property managers, but I insist on managing my own properties and I consider the most important aspect of this to be tenant selection. I want to meet prospective tenants and see if I have a good feeling about them. Whatever your instinct tells you it must be backed up with research. Once when I had had a shortage of... read more
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
15 tips to save money on repair and maintenance in between tenancies
Most landlords have a natural aversion to the idea of vacancy. No wonder. The property is sitting idle while rent has stopped coming in - what's to like?! Still, you mustn't be too downbeat. These downtimes are excellent opportunities for you to carry out vital repair and maintenance work and get your property to tip-top shape for the next tenant. Here are some clever and budget-... read more
Wednesday, April 04, 2018
Frank MacCullaich: Asbestos and Residential Landlords: The Must Know Action Guide
Legislation – HSWA (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 Did you know that from the 04 April 2018 the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Act (HSWA) Regulations came into full effect and Residential Landlords are affected by the requirements for safe management and removal of Asbestos!? Well good for you if that is a ‘Yes,’ but, there is still much uncertainty among Residential Landlords as to exa... read more
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Rent: A classic landlord dilemma
A troubling report inferring bidding wars for rentals has prompted us to consider one of the moral dilemmas of being a landlord - How much is too much to charge tenants? While the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment has clarified there is nothing in the Residential Tenancies Act which 'precludes the tenant from indicating what they would be willing to ... read more
Tuesday, January 09, 2018
What does it take for your rental to be 'safe and healthy'?
Most of us are fully aware that one of the hallmark obligations of being a landlord is to provide our tenants with a safe and healthy home. However, there isn't a lot of instructive authority beyond the wordings of s45 of the Residential Tenancies Act. Amongst other things, s45 requires landlords to: ... (b) provide and maintain the premises in a reasonable state of repair... read more
Wednesday, January 03, 2018
