Tenancy Reforms - July 2019 Edition

[Wayne]

It will be interesting to see exactly what is illegal about lining and carpeting a garage, or what is illegal about calling it a utility room.

I would be interested in this also.
Renting as part of the rest of the house is different from renting as a separate space.
There is nothing illegal about lining a garage.
There is nothing illegal about me sleeping in the garage (or the garden shed for that matter).
A 3 bedroom house with a warn and safe space that can also be used to sleep in will be worth more to some people than a 3 bedroom place on its own.

I do object to dunggers - damp or unsafe spaces being implied as adequate to live in - storage fine but bedroom no.

[Perry]

Shame Upon You

The problem with that perspective - Wayne - is that you are using common sense.

Officially banned in Councils, as I see it.

[klauster]

Nobody take care when an owner-occupier sleeps in his garage, rental properties shouldn't be treated differently.
I see a problem with garages (and conversions) which are used as dwelling.

[OnTheMove]

Dodgy landlords are usually inventive and good problem solvers and won't be too bothered by this change.

Pretty much. I think immigrant investors have lowered our standard of living and what renters can FAIRLY expect from us landlords.

Still, Im all for these reforms, the majority are good, keep them coming.

[klauster]

these reforms, the majority are good, keep them coming.

Indeed some changes made sense, but the majority has shown a different effect and are not sensible for people who increased the count of homelessness...

“reforms...keep them coming” – by now they have not been incentive enough for investments to resolve the roots of the problem.

The Tenancies Amendment Bill (No 2) will also not take the risk and the burden of damage away from LLs - again a political stand ... no difference to me as LL.

[Perry]

Of Goose, Gander & Sauce

Still, Im all for these reforms, the majority are good, keep them coming.

Hhmmmm, I wonder. If a LL breaches the RTA by failing to install a suitable heater in a rental (allegedly to reduce child hospitalisation numbers), then do you agree that the TCIT (Tenancy Compliance and Investigation Team should be checking rental homes throughout the winter, to ensure lounge temperatures are at 18 degrees C or better, when there are tenants at home? Further, if the temperature is below that, should the tenant be taken to the TT Kangaroo Kourt (by the TCIT) for breaching the RTA?

[Learning]

Perry, as buildings with lifts must have these lifts inspected and certified annually at the building owners expense, do you advocate fining anyone who then uses the stairs instead?

[Wayne]

then do you agree that the TCIT (Tenancy Compliance and Investigation Team should be checking rental homes throughout the winter, to ensure lounge temperatures are at 18 degrees C or better, when there are tenants at home? Further, if the temperature is below that, should the tenant be taken to the TT Kangaroo Kourt (by the TCIT) for breaching the RTA?

Having a heater that heats the lounge to 18deg is the law - having to heat said room to 18deg isn't so nothing for the compliance team to see (tenant wouldn't be breaching the RTA!).

[klauster]

Well, "keep them coming", optimistic thinking for resolving human caused problems.
Just wondering how to get desired results because the entire “healthy home” campaign is not a technical issue. Examples I know are lifestyle issues and bad choices made by humans.

What offers the introduced law – or do you see consequences when a compliant rental meet an incompliant renter?

[Perry]

The have-heater-but-not-using-it syndrome only reveals the stupidity of it all. But few - in any - want to point that out.

Peter referred to it, here.

MBIE mentioned it in the August 2018 RTA Reform Discussion Document

2.2.13
If a landlord makes improvements to a property to make it warmer or drier, should tenants be obligated to use those improvements? Please explain your answer.

Can't find it on the MBIE web site, now, but I have a copy.

The cost of installing these things will increase the rent. If the tenant[s] can't or won't use them, where's the benefit?

According to the now disgraced Muffer of Housing, Dhil Twitford, a major objective was to reduce child hospitalisation numbers. If tenants won't utilise the heaters, the only winners are the vendors of such equipment.

[Wayne]

The cost of installing these things will increase the rent. If the tenant[s] can't or won't use them, where's the benefit?

Won't increase the rent I charge because all my houses already have heating - always have.

[klauster]

"have-heater-but-not-using-it syndrome"
Perry, that is absolutely fine – people have individual lifestyles
But what is in for LLs who comply with the law, but have to deal with people’s unhealthy lifestyles. In cases of foolish tenants, does the TCIT provides a report as a entitlement for compensation?

[Learning]

The "have-but-not-use" syndrome is not new. How many tenants have windows they never open, thermal curtains they never close? How many people have headlights on their cars but never drive at night?

[Wayne]

How many people have headlights on their cars but never drive at night?

I keep them on during the day to make sure they get some use - can't accuse me of not using what I've got

[Perry]

1, 2, 3, 4.

Comparisons and analogies need to not be strained to have any relevance.

The connected logic of the points I made only guarantee one thing: increased rents. I also suspect that increased rents will not be the only unintended and undesirable outcome.

If it has felt harder to find a rental property lately, you are probably not imagining it. Trade Me says it experienced a 20 per cent increase in the number of inquiries about rental properties, year-on-year, in June. The national median asking rent remained at a record $500 a week. "We're seeing an increasing interest for rentals but stock simply isn't keeping up with the number of properties available for rent in June down 7 per cent on last year," said head of Trade Me Rentals Aaron Clancy.