With recent legislation changes coming into place from 1 July, it is now more important than ever for landlords to fully understand their obligations and how these changes will affect their properties and the way they manage their tenants.
Last year saw the announcement of suggested amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 that will strengthen the Act by providing new legal requirements around the insulation of all rental properties and the installation of smoke alarms in all tenanted properties.
The result of this will be a better standard of living and a higher quality property for tenants all across New Zealand, which can only be a good thing.
At Ray White, we pride ourselves on giving you all the information you need to make informed decisions about your investment and keep you out of harms way. Find out why hundreds of Kiwi landlords have already requested their Landlord Information Guide already and visit landlordguide.co.nz to secure your free copy now which includes all the updated information you need.
So what are the positive changes?
Insulation
As of 1 July 2016, all Landlords and Property Managers must disclose the current level of insulation in any new Tenancy Agreement. This disclosure will need to include details about the insulation installed and in order to make this statement, Landlords and Property Managers will need to check and confirm what insulation is installed in their rental property.
If the existing insulation does not meet the minimum thermal requirements (expressed in R-values) specified in the regulations or is incomplete, damaged or damp, landlords will need to either replace the existing or install new insulation in the ceiling and underfloor to meet the current Building Code requirements (by 1 July 2019)
Smoke Alarms
Landlords and Property Managers are now responsible for ensuring that operational smoke alarms are in place at any tenanted property (as of 1 July 2016), and tenants will be responsible for replacing batteries or notifying the Landlord or Property Manager of any defects.
By 1 July 2016 all residential rental properties covered by the RTA must meet the following regulatory requirements:
- There must be a minimum of one working smoke alarm within three metres of each bedroom door, and in a self-contained caravan, sleep out or similar there must be a minimum of one working smoke alarm.
- The Landlord / Property Manager is responsible for making sure smoke alarms are in working order at the beginning of every new tenancy.
- The tenant is responsible for replacing batteries (if required) during their tenancy.
- In multi-story units, there must be one smoke alarm on each level within the household unit.
- Long life photoelectric smoke alarms are now required where there are no existing alarms. When existing smoke alarms are replaced, the replacements must be long-life photoelectric smoke alarms.
- Hard wired smoke alarms are also acceptable.
- All smoke alarms must be replaced in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended replacement date stated on the alarm.
For further details around these changes and how they will affect your investment, request your free copy of our extensive Landlord Information Guide by visiting landlordguide.co.nz – also available in Mandarin.