I received this email from TINZ:
Press release
A lot has been made of the new Real Estate Institute’s own “bad tenant” register in a front page article in the Saturday 7 Jan 2006 N Z Herald, however, Geoff Knight, Managing Director, of the largest privately owned tenancy register, Tenancy Information New Zealand Ltd (TINZ), points out that their system has been available to all landlords and property managers for more than 7 seven years via their website www.tinz.net.nz
Their system received major updates when it went on-line in December 2001 and again in November 2004 when they amalgamated with Tenant Net Ltd to stop dilution of tenancy histories. The system has been reviewed twice by the Privacy Commissioner’s Office so that all aspects of the system comply with the provisions of the Privacy Act. Their system and forms have even been given some input from the legal team of the Ministry of Building and Housing.
Mr Knight says, despite many of the R.E.I.N.Z. Licensed property management companies using their TINZ system already, the R.E.I.N.Z. decided to try and “reinvent the wheel” by using an Australian company to design their system and it is clear they haven’t had the benefit of the 7 years of fine-tuning and listening to what is really needed on a fully interactive site. This is the second attempt by an Australian company to push their system to REINZ members only. The first system was Brisbane based and under Australian Privacy laws New Zealand resident companies and individuals can not access such a system.
One of the major pitfalls that REINZ have with their current system is that, even if all their members use the site, the REINZ members manage less than 30% of the whole rental market. Their claim to get 380,000 tenants on the system will have major problems being achieved in light of the fact that the total market of rentable properties is 380,000 and REINZ property managers manage less than a third of them.
Many of TINZ members have indicated they won't use the new REINZ system for the following reason; they haven't spent 7 years helping to build up the TINZ database to give it away now. They also say if they use only the REINZ system they will not be forewarned of bad tenants coming to them from private landlords as they would with the TINZ system which covers all private landlords, REINZ property managers, and Housing NZ. The TINZ site is linked up with Baycorp Advantage so that their customers can even do simultaneous credit checks via the Baycorp Advantage database system so a full view of the prospective tenant’s credit and tenant history can be gained with a couple of clicks on an on-line form.
Ian Barker, a Co-director of TINZ, goes on to say, the points covered in our earlier article have been addressed in their system. Part of the terms and conditions of use of the TINZ website requires the user to inform tenants they may be added to a database. The website offers tenancy agreements and Privacy Act waiver forms with a statement to this effect in a prominent place right where the tenant signs, to help make the tenants aware their good and bad history will be recorded on the system. The Ministry of Building and Housing gave permission for them to use their tenancy agreement as a basis for the one on the website and then gave approval of the current one which can be downloaded for free by all members of their website. TINZ also offers our Property Manager clients door stickers which also make tenants aware of the database as they walk in the front door of the property manager’s office. Tenants have the right under New Zealand Privacy Laws to request a copy of any record they have with TINZ which will be provided for a nominal fee once copies of suitable identification are presented with a written application form which can be gained by tenants by phoning the TINZ 0800 phone – 0800 TENANT.
As part of the registration process, users of the TINZ system have to acknowledge they will comply with the Privacy Act and also have to accept they will be held liable for any malicious or libelous use of the website. Users are also put through a validation process to ensure they are a bone fide landlord or property manager, before they are allowed access to the website.
One of the major differences to the TINZ website is that landlords and property managers are able to give a tenant a rating on 6 main questions.
Mr Barker says the vexed question on how to keep consistency of comment on the website, when different property managers have different expectations of how they would subjective rate a tenant, is addressed on the TINZ website by not allowing subjective comment on references, but instead a simple tick box system where 6 simple questions are asked . E.G. "pays the rent on time". All the property manager has to do is tick a suitable box from "excellent" to "below average". We have had numerous complaints from our members that this is not enough but to be fair to tenants we are staying with this system. This system allows a good tenant to be given a good rating.
The other most important issue for a database system such as this is timeliness. Most landlords and property managers know that tenants can be in arrears by at least 4-6 weeks before they can get a Tenancy Tribunal Order which grants them a termination and/or order for the arrears. However, during this period tenants will often receive a 10 day notice to remedy such a breach and take the opportunity to “do a runner” in this period. There would be no record of the tenant’s breach at this time so the new unsuspecting landlord or property manager may not know about any current rent or damage problems when this tenant arrives on their doorstep. The TINZ system is specifically designed so that users can not only register Tenancy Tribunal Orders but also the 10 day notice that has been issued. This can forewarn the new landlord there is a current problem that the tenant maybe running from. If multiple 10 day notices are registered then this creates a valuable insight as to the tenant’s attitude to maintaining their tenancy.
Mr Knight says that they had approached Housing New Zealand with their system some years ago but they declined to use the system because it has a social responsibility to house those most in need, which includes those who may have difficulty getting private rental accommodation. Involvement could be counter to that responsibility. It seems an inconsistent statement with the fact they list some of the bad tenants in the public record “Mercantile Gazette” which is not easily accessible for the public so these details have been recorded on TINZ for the last 5 years. From a taxpayer point of view one must ask the question why don’t they check as they are guaranteeing private landlords rent for 52 weeks of the year on 5 and 10 year lease terms. It is the taxpayer that is taking the risk, for the reason, any shortfall is paid by the taxpayer.
Tenancy Information New Zealand Ltd is backed up, and maintained, by the principle owners, Chase Investigative Agencies Ltd, who are national specialised tenancy debt collectors are licensed as investigators by the Ministry of Justice. www.cia.co.nz
The director’s of Tenancy Information New Zealand Ltd feel a tenancy database is a necessary tool to help promote stable tenancies in New Zealand and look forward to the day when the vast majority of our references are favourable.
Press release
A lot has been made of the new Real Estate Institute’s own “bad tenant” register in a front page article in the Saturday 7 Jan 2006 N Z Herald, however, Geoff Knight, Managing Director, of the largest privately owned tenancy register, Tenancy Information New Zealand Ltd (TINZ), points out that their system has been available to all landlords and property managers for more than 7 seven years via their website www.tinz.net.nz
Their system received major updates when it went on-line in December 2001 and again in November 2004 when they amalgamated with Tenant Net Ltd to stop dilution of tenancy histories. The system has been reviewed twice by the Privacy Commissioner’s Office so that all aspects of the system comply with the provisions of the Privacy Act. Their system and forms have even been given some input from the legal team of the Ministry of Building and Housing.
Mr Knight says, despite many of the R.E.I.N.Z. Licensed property management companies using their TINZ system already, the R.E.I.N.Z. decided to try and “reinvent the wheel” by using an Australian company to design their system and it is clear they haven’t had the benefit of the 7 years of fine-tuning and listening to what is really needed on a fully interactive site. This is the second attempt by an Australian company to push their system to REINZ members only. The first system was Brisbane based and under Australian Privacy laws New Zealand resident companies and individuals can not access such a system.
One of the major pitfalls that REINZ have with their current system is that, even if all their members use the site, the REINZ members manage less than 30% of the whole rental market. Their claim to get 380,000 tenants on the system will have major problems being achieved in light of the fact that the total market of rentable properties is 380,000 and REINZ property managers manage less than a third of them.
Many of TINZ members have indicated they won't use the new REINZ system for the following reason; they haven't spent 7 years helping to build up the TINZ database to give it away now. They also say if they use only the REINZ system they will not be forewarned of bad tenants coming to them from private landlords as they would with the TINZ system which covers all private landlords, REINZ property managers, and Housing NZ. The TINZ site is linked up with Baycorp Advantage so that their customers can even do simultaneous credit checks via the Baycorp Advantage database system so a full view of the prospective tenant’s credit and tenant history can be gained with a couple of clicks on an on-line form.
Ian Barker, a Co-director of TINZ, goes on to say, the points covered in our earlier article have been addressed in their system. Part of the terms and conditions of use of the TINZ website requires the user to inform tenants they may be added to a database. The website offers tenancy agreements and Privacy Act waiver forms with a statement to this effect in a prominent place right where the tenant signs, to help make the tenants aware their good and bad history will be recorded on the system. The Ministry of Building and Housing gave permission for them to use their tenancy agreement as a basis for the one on the website and then gave approval of the current one which can be downloaded for free by all members of their website. TINZ also offers our Property Manager clients door stickers which also make tenants aware of the database as they walk in the front door of the property manager’s office. Tenants have the right under New Zealand Privacy Laws to request a copy of any record they have with TINZ which will be provided for a nominal fee once copies of suitable identification are presented with a written application form which can be gained by tenants by phoning the TINZ 0800 phone – 0800 TENANT.
As part of the registration process, users of the TINZ system have to acknowledge they will comply with the Privacy Act and also have to accept they will be held liable for any malicious or libelous use of the website. Users are also put through a validation process to ensure they are a bone fide landlord or property manager, before they are allowed access to the website.
One of the major differences to the TINZ website is that landlords and property managers are able to give a tenant a rating on 6 main questions.
Mr Barker says the vexed question on how to keep consistency of comment on the website, when different property managers have different expectations of how they would subjective rate a tenant, is addressed on the TINZ website by not allowing subjective comment on references, but instead a simple tick box system where 6 simple questions are asked . E.G. "pays the rent on time". All the property manager has to do is tick a suitable box from "excellent" to "below average". We have had numerous complaints from our members that this is not enough but to be fair to tenants we are staying with this system. This system allows a good tenant to be given a good rating.
The other most important issue for a database system such as this is timeliness. Most landlords and property managers know that tenants can be in arrears by at least 4-6 weeks before they can get a Tenancy Tribunal Order which grants them a termination and/or order for the arrears. However, during this period tenants will often receive a 10 day notice to remedy such a breach and take the opportunity to “do a runner” in this period. There would be no record of the tenant’s breach at this time so the new unsuspecting landlord or property manager may not know about any current rent or damage problems when this tenant arrives on their doorstep. The TINZ system is specifically designed so that users can not only register Tenancy Tribunal Orders but also the 10 day notice that has been issued. This can forewarn the new landlord there is a current problem that the tenant maybe running from. If multiple 10 day notices are registered then this creates a valuable insight as to the tenant’s attitude to maintaining their tenancy.
Mr Knight says that they had approached Housing New Zealand with their system some years ago but they declined to use the system because it has a social responsibility to house those most in need, which includes those who may have difficulty getting private rental accommodation. Involvement could be counter to that responsibility. It seems an inconsistent statement with the fact they list some of the bad tenants in the public record “Mercantile Gazette” which is not easily accessible for the public so these details have been recorded on TINZ for the last 5 years. From a taxpayer point of view one must ask the question why don’t they check as they are guaranteeing private landlords rent for 52 weeks of the year on 5 and 10 year lease terms. It is the taxpayer that is taking the risk, for the reason, any shortfall is paid by the taxpayer.
Tenancy Information New Zealand Ltd is backed up, and maintained, by the principle owners, Chase Investigative Agencies Ltd, who are national specialised tenancy debt collectors are licensed as investigators by the Ministry of Justice. www.cia.co.nz
The director’s of Tenancy Information New Zealand Ltd feel a tenancy database is a necessary tool to help promote stable tenancies in New Zealand and look forward to the day when the vast majority of our references are favourable.
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