Warrant of Fitness for rentals (including details)

[Wayne]

Haha they will crap themselves when they realise the state of their own current housing stock! Would love to be a fly on the wall at that discovery!

True that!

[Wayne]

Some interesting snippets from the article linked below. Including the Professor in the ivory tower proposing that if tenants get the Accommodation Supplement the property they rent should have a rental warrant of fitness.

A good argument could probably be made for that.
If the Govt is pay a substantial amount for a service (rental accomodation) then maybe they should be able to ensure that it is spent wisely - on suitable housing.

Of course, it could also be argued that if the Govt was paying a person to live (benefits) they should have a say in HOW they live.

Hard to know how far you should go in either case.
As a tax payer seems fair to me, as a tenant or LL it might not seem fair.

[Perry]

Lies & Spin

The Government spends up to $6 million a day propping up New Zealand's private rental market.

Those who read such drivel need to see past the crass sophistries involved.

The gummint does not spend anything propping up New Zealand's private rental market.

It spends money propping up tenants.

Not LLs.

[flyernzl]

So if the Government is paying a pension/allowance/benefit to anyone, they should be able to ensure it is spent wisely - so all supermarket receipts should then be sent in for inspection and approval.
- they should only be able to watch only morally uplifting and education programs on Sky.
- only allowed to rent or buy cars with upper-level safety ratings.

Just how far do you go?

[Perry]

Just how far does the government go?

All depends on the likely vote garnering.
More tenants than LLS, so that's an easy guess.

[Wayne]

So if the Government is paying a pension/allowance/benefit to anyone, they should be able to ensure it is spent wisely - so all supermarket receipts should then be sent in for inspection and approval.
- they should only be able to watch only morally uplifting and education programs on Sky.
- only allowed to rent or buy cars with upper-level safety ratings.

Just how far do you go?

Kinda my point really.
Where do you draw the line?
The current Govt wanted to give beneficiaries free sterilizations if they wanted it and it was cried down.
It wasn't compulsory but was seen to be a step too far.

[Nick G]

Was talking to the owner of a Ray White franchise yesterday and he sees only more and more regulation coming to the point where a LL could be penalised for "failing a warrant". He see's some precedent in the current slew of cases around unconsented buildings. Some bright spark with a spreadsheet will link the two.

Which will create some ripple effects:
- Properties in markets where it is not financially viable to upgrade them to the WoF standard will be sold. Fewer rentals.
- Some owners close to or in retirement will not want to invest the money and will sell either to someone who will upgrade the property or to homeowners. Fewer rentals.
- People who move away temporarily for work may not be able to rent out their properties.

On the flip side of this, he did say that he expects LL's to be able to "get away with" not meeting WoF or having certain unconsented features by fully disclosing and getting tenant sign off in the lease. WoF maybe... I wouldn't want to disclose a non-consented rental in the lease because even though that may stop the tenant claiming rent they could still dob you into council (or threaten to) at any time before, during, or after the tenancy.

[Meehole]

I may be missing something but I don't reckon the list of requirements for a WOF is that bad. In fact I can't imagine why landlords would grizzle about having their asset meet this standard.
On the flip side if the landlord sells and there are less rentals, then it stands to reason that a homebuyer has purchased so that's a good thing.

[flyernzl]

- People who move away temporarily for work may not be able to rent out their properties.

I hear that that particular market is already dead.
Who wants to go through all the hassle of meeting all the current new regs for just a year or two?
Much better just to leave the place empty and get the cuzzies to keep an eye on the place.

[Wayne]

I may be missing something but I don't reckon the list of requirements for a WOF is that bad. In fact I can't imagine why landlords would grizzle about having their asset meet this standard.
On the flip side if the landlord sells and there are less rentals, then it stands to reason that a homebuyer has purchased so that's a good thing.

Like
Need a button

[Meehole]

I hear that that particular market is already dead.
Who wants to go through all the hassle of meeting all the current new regs for just a year or two?
Much better just to leave the place empty and get the cuzzies to keep an eye on the place.

Or they could do what so many did while working in Christchurch and as they do in Oz, FIFO - fly in fly out
I knew quite a few guys that lived and worked in ChCh from Monday to Friday and flew back home for the weekend. Some of them, not many, are still doing it.
Sure not quite the same if you have to go overseas but all the same there are guys who are flying to Oz and wife and family has remained behind.

[Nick G]

I may be missing something but I don't reckon the list of requirements for a WOF is that bad. In fact I can't imagine why landlords would grizzle about having their asset meet this standard.
On the flip side if the landlord sells and there are less rentals, then it stands to reason that a homebuyer has purchased so that's a good thing.

I think you're right, do think 3yrs validity for it is silly tho. More thought needed.

[Meehole]

I think you're right, do think 3yrs validity for it is silly tho. More thought needed.

I have 2 rental properties next door to me both owned by a woman residing in the UK. She has her sister in the front unit (detached) who is in her late 40's but mental age of 10 year old. The back unit has a young couple in it with a toddler. The back unit is managed and the front one her brother looks after. The owner spends NOTHING on maintenance. She has a lawn mowing guy come in and mow her sisters lawns but they are in and out in a jiff and only do what they have to, never the berm, or the areas down the drive. The driveway floods, the trees are overgrown and still the owner spends no money. We see the houses deteriorating as she collects the rent. I hope in all honesty that she will be made to comply when the time comes, the tenants deserve it.

[Viking]

Two things that impact your housing profitability.
Doing minimal maintenance and low interest rates.
Remember before the last election there was a lot of noise about how much landlords were costing the tax dept. Rightly the tax dept. said that there was a net gain to them. Now that was at rates way higher than the last two years so one could presume that in fact the tax man has benefited nicely from low interest rates and that indeed landlords are a benefit to society in more ways than one.

The insulation/warrant thing is plain stupid. Why would a house in Tauranga require the same insulation as one in Invercargil?

I have a house which was our own home for a while. It was a wreck that we fixed up and all that. I put thick bats through the ceiling and in the ceiling of the garage below. Never did the bit under the kitchen (it is suspended). House has been a rental for about 10 years now. (Never did finish it. )
Friday I get a "quote" from the property manager to put more bats in the ceiling and do the bit under the floor. (didn't ask for this by the way.) Now apart from the lies he told about the ceiling bats the house doesn't need anymore.

We rarely even used a heater in the 10 years we lived there and none of my tenants have ever complained about the house being cold. That's because its not. Get all afternoon sun and the sun warms the concrete floor in the garage and it is a natural heat sink.

Waste of money adding anymore bats. But under the WOF I might be forced to or alternatively I could sell and build a nice industrial building. Ambivalent as to which at the moment because if Taxinda and her communist mates get in they will screw business as well. Have to think of a way to escape the Taxinda Capital Gains tax. Just might have to move back there for a while and make it my primary house.
I hate the politics of envy and that's all this is.

[flyernzl]

The owner spends NOTHING on maintenance. She has a lawn mowing guy come in and mow her sisters lawns but they are in and out in a jiff and only do what they have to, never the berm, or the areas down the drive. The driveway floods, the trees are overgrown and still the owner spends no money. We see the houses deteriorating as she collects the rent. I hope in all honesty that she will be made to comply when the time comes, the tenants deserve it.

Given that, from what you say, she is right now ignoring her obligations to maintain the property in sound condition during the tenancy what makes you think that she will suddenly spring into life if more stringent laws are introduced?