Tenancy database delayed while house put in order
23 July 2006
By ROB STOCK
The launch of a freely-available database of bad landlords and tenants has been delayed until next year.
The database, a joint project between the Ministry of Justice and Tenancy Services was to have been operating by the end of next month, but now it won't be available until February, the peak period for letting.
It will carry details of every new ruling by the Tenancy Tribunal, said Jeff Montgomery, operations manager at Tenancy Services.
That will be about 20,000 rulings against unruly tenants who damage properties or leave without paying the rent, and also against landlords who fail to provide adequately maintained houses.
The database will top out about 60,000 entries because after three years rulings will be erased to give people a chance to live down their indiscretions and also so as not to create an underclass of people unable to find decent places to rent.
Montgomery said the delays were to do with making sure the project was implemented correctly because it will be the first time that all the rulings of a New Zealand court have been freely available online.
Making mistakes was not an option as other courts were looking at the project. Setting up the database also involved shifting the Tenancy Tribunal on to a fully computer-based system.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMany current rulings are written by hand. It won't be until October that all reports will be typed on computers so they can be easily input into the database.
Once the database is up and running there will be no fee for searches. There are no privacy issues because all the information is publicly available, as most court rulings are, but, Montgomery said, the database would provide an unprecedented level of access.
The database was conceived by the Labour government three years ago after pressure from landlords who felt they were being denied reasonable access to publicly available information which could help them protect their income and properties from bad tenants.
It shows the growing influence of landlords, a sector that has grown into one of the countries largest industries. Ten years ago a quarter of all Kiwis were renters. That's risen to a third.
But, said Montgomery, the database was not a one-way tool, though he admitted over 90% of cases the tribunal dealt with were instigated by landlords. Many tenants simply voted with their feet and left properties run by bad landlords.
"The way this has been designed is as a tool for landlords and tenants when they are choosing a tenant, or a property," he said.
"But it is only one of the tools available. Landlords should still do all the things they have always been advised to do. They still need to do reference checks, interviews and credit checks. This is just another tool in their toolbox."
The 20,000 cases resolved by Tenancy Services' mediation service, which tries to prevent disputes ending up in front of a Tenancy Tribunal adjudicator, will not be entered on the database.
The database is not the only one of bad tenants in New Zealand. The Real Estate Institute has a more controversial one, operated by Australian firm National Tenancy Database, which allows institute members - all real estate agents and property managers - to enter their subjective views on tenants.
The information is then available to other users of the database so they can make a better fist of screening out risky tenants.
Under our privacy laws people can apply to see what's been written about them and ask for anything that is incorrect to be changed.
23 July 2006
By ROB STOCK
The launch of a freely-available database of bad landlords and tenants has been delayed until next year.
The database, a joint project between the Ministry of Justice and Tenancy Services was to have been operating by the end of next month, but now it won't be available until February, the peak period for letting.
It will carry details of every new ruling by the Tenancy Tribunal, said Jeff Montgomery, operations manager at Tenancy Services.
That will be about 20,000 rulings against unruly tenants who damage properties or leave without paying the rent, and also against landlords who fail to provide adequately maintained houses.
The database will top out about 60,000 entries because after three years rulings will be erased to give people a chance to live down their indiscretions and also so as not to create an underclass of people unable to find decent places to rent.
Montgomery said the delays were to do with making sure the project was implemented correctly because it will be the first time that all the rulings of a New Zealand court have been freely available online.
Making mistakes was not an option as other courts were looking at the project. Setting up the database also involved shifting the Tenancy Tribunal on to a fully computer-based system.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMany current rulings are written by hand. It won't be until October that all reports will be typed on computers so they can be easily input into the database.
Once the database is up and running there will be no fee for searches. There are no privacy issues because all the information is publicly available, as most court rulings are, but, Montgomery said, the database would provide an unprecedented level of access.
The database was conceived by the Labour government three years ago after pressure from landlords who felt they were being denied reasonable access to publicly available information which could help them protect their income and properties from bad tenants.
It shows the growing influence of landlords, a sector that has grown into one of the countries largest industries. Ten years ago a quarter of all Kiwis were renters. That's risen to a third.
But, said Montgomery, the database was not a one-way tool, though he admitted over 90% of cases the tribunal dealt with were instigated by landlords. Many tenants simply voted with their feet and left properties run by bad landlords.
"The way this has been designed is as a tool for landlords and tenants when they are choosing a tenant, or a property," he said.
"But it is only one of the tools available. Landlords should still do all the things they have always been advised to do. They still need to do reference checks, interviews and credit checks. This is just another tool in their toolbox."
The 20,000 cases resolved by Tenancy Services' mediation service, which tries to prevent disputes ending up in front of a Tenancy Tribunal adjudicator, will not be entered on the database.
The database is not the only one of bad tenants in New Zealand. The Real Estate Institute has a more controversial one, operated by Australian firm National Tenancy Database, which allows institute members - all real estate agents and property managers - to enter their subjective views on tenants.
The information is then available to other users of the database so they can make a better fist of screening out risky tenants.
Under our privacy laws people can apply to see what's been written about them and ask for anything that is incorrect to be changed.
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