Christchurch rental market

[mandy]

Hi all,
I have heard from my tennants (who I am hoping will leave, but say they have nowhere to go) that rental property's in Christchurch are currently being snapped up very fast with many landlords having multiple people to choose from. Has anyone recently let out a property in christchurch, I would love to hear your experiences.
Mandy

[Keys]

Yes, to having empty properties. No to lines of tenants wanting to rent.

[morn]

hi mandy, although i only deal in two and three bed units on the south side of chch, im finding it very easy to find quality tenants and havent seen the market like this for ten years. last advertised sunday afternoon on trade me and was let on monday (maybe im too cheap) i have another couple coming up over the next few weeks but feel confident they will go within a day or two.

[jporteous]

Hi, we time our 12 month tenancies to finish around the end of Jan. So far we have had a pretty good run over the past two weeks with 8 of 11 new tenancies filled. We have been having 2-4 sets of tenants looking at each place but been averaging only 1 application. I was wondering if the shortage from earthquake repairs hadnt been felt yet because tenants/owners will still waiting on repairs?? Once this starts later in the year (??) maybe it tighten supply... Be interested in any feedback on if and when earthquake repairs on going to have an impact on rental demand jono

[DazRaz]

Just let a property in December but probably have the rent too low. Lots of interest and no problem finding someone interested.

[mandy]

Christchurch rental market

Thanks. Doesn't sound like its as mad as the Auckland market! I have just spent a few hours looking at trademe and have noticed that the 4-5 bedroom houses, which I have seem to have increased in what rent they are asking as well. If mine were on at the moment I would have one of the cheapest 4-5 bedroom houses on trademe. Maybe our market is beginning to move- good news with the loss of depreciation and interst rates edging forward and the ever present reality of all those little expenses.
Mandy

[charlotte30]

Christchurch Rental Market

I believe that rents are increasing. I have just let a 2bdr in Riccarton for an increase of $35pw. Advertised Thursday, let Saturday.
Charlotte30

[One]

I track average asking price on trademe of 3-beddie houses in Hoon Hay.

Middle of last year it was about $330/wk. Dropped 10-15/wk from Aug-early Dec, then went down to $306/wk before Christmas. Now it's back up to $330 again.

[greenfruit]

In November rented a 2 bedroom Armagh St (4 aves). Ad on Trademe Morning and mid afternoon rented. 4 wks bond 2 wks adv tenant didn't even hesitate.

[Perry]

Landlords to rethink no-pets policies

Landlords Urged To Rethink No-Pets Policies
Liz McDonald

Landlords have been urged to loosen their no-pets policies as
earthquake-hit Christchurch residents look for homes to rent.

"Sorry, no pets" is a common line in for-rent advertisements,
although statistics say 68 per cent of New Zealand homes
have at least one cat, dog or other pet.

Saw mention of a commercial clean required at end-of-tenancy,
down the article. Hasn't forumites past experience shown that
to be difficult or impossible to enforce against reluctant tenants?

[One]

There's a question of whether commercial cleaning's enough too. The earthquakes got me thinking about what we'd do if our place had been wiped out and we had to rent, because we've got a crook cat. She's not well enough to survive as a totally outdoors cat, and she throws up inside at least once a week. Our carpet's due for replacement anyway so we put up with it, but I can't imagine any landlord being prepared to. Commercial cleaning might be okay for the carpet itself but I bet the underlay's getting wrecked. As a landlord, I'd object to wrecked carpets, but I'd really hate to make people have their pets put down.

I've wondered about getting a big rug with a plastic layer underneath it. Anyone know if that would wreck the carpet underneath it eventually, due to lack of breathing?

[Maccachic]

There are those plastics mats with the spikes on the carpet side ( some people put down to protect carpet - like the add on Tv where they turned it upside down and made people take their shoes off) could lay that under a rug. The spikes may give it enought breathing space?

[Tan]

So much for the spare houses built!

Tauranga contractors working in Christchurch are wondering what will happen to completed transportable homes now the government has scrapped the scheme.
The government has spent $2.84 million on the canned scheme, which has seen 150 transportable houses built – although they are not in use.

Rest of article here

http://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/printer-friendly/17552-housing-scheme-scrapped.html

[Perry]

Maybe the article should tell it like it is?

The National Government gets it wrong (again!) as only governments
can. It has squandered another $2.84 million dollars of NZ taxpayers
hard-earned money on yet another ill-conceived and poorly thought-
through scheme to help 're-build' Christchurch. All it's doing is feeding
its own bureaucracy and waste. No wonder the country's broke!

Anyone remember the campervans debacle?

[One]

Sure, but imagine the reaction this would've got in March:

Thousands of Christchurch houses are unlivable but the government has no plans to provide emergency housing. Brownlee is confident people will sort themselves out. "Some will leave, a lot will move in with friends and families, and the private rental market will soak up the rest," he said.