Tenant information recorded on database
11 January 2006
Marlborough tenants with a history of failing to meet rent payments, damage to properties or failure to remove rubbish may have trouble finding a house thanks to a database that records bad tenants.
Australia's National Tenancy Database has been available to Real Estate Institute of New Zealand members since last August, and has been recording the names, date of birth and rental history information of good and bad tenants.
The database was set up in Australia in 1987 for licensed real estate agents.
Blenheim's Mark Stevenson First National property manager Mariette Knudsen said the database was not only designed for bad tenants, but also listed good tenants.
She said some Marlborough property managers communicated about tenants through word of mouth.
"We do talk amongst each other, we do let each other know if we have a bad experience."
She said while potential tenants were required to complete an application form and credit checks were performed through Baycorp, there were other issues that were not addressed during those procedures.
"We get them to fill in an application form and credit check, but that doesn't tell us that they mow the lawns and keep the place tidy."
REINZ president Howard Morley said claims the database had been set up by REINZ were incorrect.
He said different companies and organisations had been operating tenancy databases in New Zealand for nearly 14 years which had been used by property managers and landlords to get information on tenants.
Mr Morley said REINZ decided to use the Australian database, which had over one million tenants listed, in 2004.
He said information was not added to the database without tenants giving their consent and the information was only available to REINZ members and tenants at a small charge.
While a number of property managers have defended the need for a database, Homefind Nelson managing director Irene Steele said its use needed to be monitored.
"We don't put them on there just because they have had a fall out with the landlord."
Rent arrears, damage to properties and expenses incurred for things such as rubbish removal were the criteria for the inclusion on the Homefind list, Ms Steele said.
She said she had once accessed a bad tenants list that included people living in a property she managed that were in fact "excellent tenants".
She blamed this on the fact the list had not been updated for several years.
People can be penalised by living with partners who defaulted on the rent for example, she said.
"It can be pretty tricky."
Nelson tenant Sheree Millen said she did not agree with the database and said she thought people should be communicating with each other face to face rather than looking at what other people thought of someone.
"Just because you own a property doesn't mean you have the right to rub someone's name through the mud without them having any comeback."
11 January 2006
Marlborough tenants with a history of failing to meet rent payments, damage to properties or failure to remove rubbish may have trouble finding a house thanks to a database that records bad tenants.
Australia's National Tenancy Database has been available to Real Estate Institute of New Zealand members since last August, and has been recording the names, date of birth and rental history information of good and bad tenants.
The database was set up in Australia in 1987 for licensed real estate agents.
Blenheim's Mark Stevenson First National property manager Mariette Knudsen said the database was not only designed for bad tenants, but also listed good tenants.
She said some Marlborough property managers communicated about tenants through word of mouth.
"We do talk amongst each other, we do let each other know if we have a bad experience."
She said while potential tenants were required to complete an application form and credit checks were performed through Baycorp, there were other issues that were not addressed during those procedures.
"We get them to fill in an application form and credit check, but that doesn't tell us that they mow the lawns and keep the place tidy."
REINZ president Howard Morley said claims the database had been set up by REINZ were incorrect.
He said different companies and organisations had been operating tenancy databases in New Zealand for nearly 14 years which had been used by property managers and landlords to get information on tenants.
Mr Morley said REINZ decided to use the Australian database, which had over one million tenants listed, in 2004.
He said information was not added to the database without tenants giving their consent and the information was only available to REINZ members and tenants at a small charge.
While a number of property managers have defended the need for a database, Homefind Nelson managing director Irene Steele said its use needed to be monitored.
"We don't put them on there just because they have had a fall out with the landlord."
Rent arrears, damage to properties and expenses incurred for things such as rubbish removal were the criteria for the inclusion on the Homefind list, Ms Steele said.
She said she had once accessed a bad tenants list that included people living in a property she managed that were in fact "excellent tenants".
She blamed this on the fact the list had not been updated for several years.
People can be penalised by living with partners who defaulted on the rent for example, she said.
"It can be pretty tricky."
Nelson tenant Sheree Millen said she did not agree with the database and said she thought people should be communicating with each other face to face rather than looking at what other people thought of someone.
"Just because you own a property doesn't mean you have the right to rub someone's name through the mud without them having any comeback."
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