Tenancy Investigators target South Auckland Properties

[Perry]

16 Feb 2017

The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment’s Tenancy Compliance and Investigations Team was formed in July 2016 after changes to the Residential Tenancy Act 1986. MBIE now has new powers to monitor and enforce compliance with the Act, including the power to prosecute tenants who seriously or persistently breach basic RTA requirements.

The Compliance and Investigations Team visited five tenants in the South Auckland area and conducted a full audit of their homes in late November 2016. Their investigation highlighted some concerns.

Some tenants could not give the Compliance and Investigations Team any assurance that their rental properties had working smoke alarms. They also found that some tenants were still not checking that insulation statements were a standard part of their tenancy agreements.

They have required tenants who have not been compliant with the Residential Tenancy Act to enter a time-bound agreement to fix any breaches.

The team will be in cities and towns across New Zealand checking on tenants' practices, to ensure they are fully compliant with their obligation under the Residential Tenancy Act.

MBIE encourages any Landlady or Property Management company concerned with their tenants' situation to visit www.tenancy.govt.nz to learn more about their options for resolving any issues.

[flyernzl]

Checking up on tenants?

Pink elephant time!!

[Meehole]

Love to be a fly on the wall when they visit the HNZ properties!!

[sidinz]

Bahahahahahahahaha! Don't we all wish!

[Perry]

The Fun Continues

Tenants penalised for living in unconsented garage
17 March 2017

The case was brought by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's Tenancy Compliance and Investigations Team. Steve Watson, the team's manager, said the decision should serve as a serious warning to tenants that they were obliged to provide a warm, dry, safe home for their families. "There are significant consequences for tenants who fail to meet their obligations, and we will not hesitate to crack down on poor tenant behaviour." The team is also investigating reports of tenants living illegally in commercial buildings which was only revealed when some were affected by November's Wellington earthquakes.

Even Tricky Nicky got in on the act.

Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith welcomed the conviction, the first under the Government's tenancy law reform passed last year. This prosecution is significant in that it is the first time the Government has pursued a tenant for failing to provide a warm, dry, safe home for the family. Last year's tenancy reforms enabled the ministry to directly prosecute tenants rather than take an action in the Tribunal. It was not the intention of MBIE to prosecute in every case, Smith said.

[Learning]

You'll always find families down on their luck living in lift machine rooms and in stairwells at the top of parking buildings and empty office blocks. There was a family living in the lift room foyer on top of the Courtney Central carpark in Wellington not long ago until discovered by a lift engineer one evening.

[flyernzl]

Hopefully the ex-garage family will find a nice comfortable Toyota to live in.

[Davo36]

Council won't let people build houses. Council won't let tenants live in garages. They should look in the mirror for the reason this situation exists.

[eri]

if they could just raise taxes

to 70 cents in the dollar

think of how much good they could do!

until everyone stopped paying taxes

and started claiming them

[Perry]

Greater regulatory protection for consumers could come at a cost
4 April 2017

More power and more money for commercial regulation is reaching a "tipping point" which could flow through to increased prices for people, Chapman Tripp partner Victoria Heine says in a report from the law firm Chapman Tripp, released Tuesday, saying there would likely be an increase in regulatory scrutiny and intervention this year. Heine, last week appointed the law firm's chair, said the Commerce Commission, Financial Markets Authority, Serious Fraud Office, Inland Revenue Department and the Overseas Investment Office had been given increased budgets and powers.

Heine said this was good news for consumers in that there were greater protections. But the regulators and courts had been "hugely" pro-consumer recently, of which there would have to be a consequence. "One of those consequences is an increase in prices. "I think we're at a tipping point."

Gasp! Shock! Horror! I thought all those benefits were free.

[chrisrussell]

Landlord investigation team set up

We have just been at the IPMA (www.ipma.org.nz) conference where we've found out that, for the first time ever, the MBIE has set up a landlord compliance team. This team can bring tenancy tribunal claims against owners and property managers for non-compliance. Be warned!

https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/about-tenancy-services/compliance-team/

[Courham]

We have just been at the IPMA (www.ipma.org.nz) conference where we've found out that, for the first time ever, the MBIE has set up a landlord compliance team. This team can bring tenancy tribunal claims against owners and property managers for non-compliance. Be warned!
https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/about-te...mpliance-team/

Well, they should be kept busy with HNZ properties.

Craig

[Rentex]

Hi Chris,
Yes this was setup last year after the amendment gave MBIE power to investigate on behalf of tenants (and landlords I guess).
They initially went around south Auckland investigating property management companies but otherwise not much was said.
Same team who just prosecuted/took to Tribunal the South Island landlord for not lodging bonds.