Renting with Harcourts 2021 Issue 3

Renting WITH

ISSUE 3 | 2021

HARCOURTS Advice and information for tenants

Season's Greetings With the hot summer months approaching and start of the holiday season, we would like to wish our valued tenants a safe and happy Christmas.

Sticky Christmas Glazed Ham Recipe Ingredients: •

Ham - half a leg

•

¼ cup whole cloves (approx.)

•

1½ cup water

•

½ cup brown sugar

•

¼ cup liquid honey or maple syrup

•

1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard

•

½ cup brandy, rum or pineapple juice

To prepare the glaze; place brown sugar, honey or maple syrup and mustard into a saucepan and heat for a few minutes over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in brandy, rum or pineapple juice. Glaze the ham and then re-glaze every 20 minutes while cooking.

If you are going away for the holidays, here are a few tips to discourage unwanted visitors during your time away: •

•

•

Get your mailbox cleared by neighbours and let them know where you are going and when you will be back Make sure they have your phone number so they can report anything suspicious Leave a key with a friend or family member

•

Keep up on regular home maintenance

•

Keep a low profile on social media until you are back home

•

Leave a lamp on a timer

•

Lock up valuables in a safe

•

Don’t leave a hide-a-key

•

Leave any outdoor sensor lights on

A bit of forward planning can help give you peace of mind so you can enjoy your holiday!

If you are preparing the Christmas ham this year, or hosting friends and family, we recommend checking that your oven is in good working order well in advance of Christmas.

If you require any repairs, tell your Harcourts property manager immediately so that a tradesperson can be organised well in advance of your Christmas feast and nothing goes amiss on the day.

Full recipe https://nadialim.com/ sticky-christmas-glazed-ham/

Harcourts is New Zealand’s largest and most trusted real estate group*, with over 2,300 sales consultants across 194 offices and a growing property management team. For more information visit www.harcourts.co.nz. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information in the publication is accurate we recommend that before relying on this information you seek independent specialist advice. *Readers Digest Most Trusted Brand Survey 2013-2021.

Repairs & Damage If something gets damaged in a rental property, or needs repairing, it’s important to know who’s responsible for fixing and paying for the problem.

of repairing the damage from the tenant if it gets worse.

Careless damage If tenants or their guests carelessly damage a rental property, they are liable for the cost of the damage up to four weeks’ rent or the landlord’s insurance excess (if applicable), whichever is lower. So that the landlord can successfully lodge a claim with their insurer, the tenant must advise them of the damage and assist the landlord with any information required for the claim

Tenants must tell the landlord straight away if they are aware something needs to be repaired or maintained, no matter how it happened or who caused the damage.

Tenants need to tell the landlord if they know of any damage or the need for repairs. If the tenant does not notify the landlord as soon as possible, the landlord may be able to claim some of the costs

With family and friends coming around to celebrate the festive season, spills and accidents can happen. Be sure to advise your property manager of any damage as soon as possible.

Pests and Infestations Landlords need to make sure a property is free from pests and tenants need to keep their house in a condition that doesn’t encourage pests. If you notice any signs of pests, you should let your property manager know and they can assist with a pest prevention and elimination plan.

Problems with pests tend to change with the seasons. Around spring and early summer, tenants may have problems with insects and fleas, while in winter, it is a more common for rats or mice to come inside a house.

Fleas can be a problem, particularly if you are allowed to keep a pet at your rental property. If you experience a problem with fleas, it is recommended to treat pets with flea control products.

These products control adult fleas on your pet; however, eggs, larvae, pupae and fleas do not live on your pets, they live in carpet and bedding where pets sleep. Give your pet's bedding a hot wash regularly.

You may also need to fumigate/flea bomb the property. Always follow the instructions when using any products or your property manager may be able to recommend a pest control professional.

Harcourts is New Zealand’s largest and most trusted real estate group*, with over 2,300 sales consultants across 194 offices and a growing property management team. For more information visit www.harcourts.co.nz. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information in the publication is accurate we recommend that before relying on this information you seek independent specialist advice. *Readers Digest Most Trusted Brand Survey 2013-2021.

How to Clean Your Heat Pump Filter With the healthy homes standards heating up, many properties in New Zealand are being fitted with heat pumps. These are not only great for heating your home in the winter months but can also serve to keep cool in the hot summer season but, like most appliances, they require regular cleaning.

You will see where to place your fingers when opening both ends.

The filters slide out and you can take them outside and give them a spray wash with the garden hose or you can give them a light vacuum.

If your heat pump is not pushing much air flow into your home, it could be because your heat pump filter is blocked. As a guide, you should clean the filter every 8 to 12 weeks depending on how often you

Once they have been washed, carefully shake dry and reinsert into the indoor unit and close the front panel. Your heat pump should now be working at full capacity.

use your heat pump. It is a very easy process and something you can do yourself.

To clean your filters, you will need to open the front panel of the indoor unit and remove the filters.

Swimming Pool Safety Portable Pools As the hot summer months approach, it is tempting to purchase a portable pool to cool off in. But before you do, there is important legislation that you need to be aware of with regards to pool gates and barriers. It is vital to understand that portable pools are treated the same way as other residential pools.

but it is imperative that they do.

If these requirements are not met, even for portable pools, this would be a breach of The Building (Pools) Amendment Act 2016 and increases the risk of drowning for young children.

If you are lucky enough to be renting a home with a ‘non-portable’ swimming pool, then you must let your property manager know immediately if there are any faulty gates or barriers as this is considered an urgent repair due to safety requirements.

Any portable or inflatable pool that can hold 400mm depth of water or more is required to have a physical barrier that will restrict the entry of children when closed.

Other portable pools like paddling pools should be under constant supervision and emptied after use.

The pool safety legislation includes the use of portable pools, and it is unlikely that people purchasing portable pools for the summer will meet all the legislative requirements such as barriers, self-closing gates, the required building consent and landlord consent to name just a few,

A local swimming pool or backyard sprinkler may be a better and more cost-effective option for many. However you choose to cool off this summer, we wish you a fun-filled and safe summer season.

Harcourts is New Zealand’s largest and most trusted real estate group*, with over 2,300 sales consultants across 194 offices and a growing property management team. For more information visit www.harcourts.co.nz. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information in the publication is accurate we recommend that before relying on this information you seek independent specialist advice. *Readers Digest Most Trusted Brand Survey 2013-2021.

Notice Periods for Vacating The notice period that landlords and tenants must give to terminate a tenancy changed on 11 February 2021, and the notice period now depends on when a tenancy was granted, and the type of tenancy.

Fixed-term tenancies granted before 11 February 2021 A landlord or tenant must give the other party between 90 to 21 days’ notice prior to the fixed term ending if they want the terminate the tenancy on the expiry of the fixed-term. Neither the landlord nor tenant are required to give a reason.

If neither party gives notice and the tenancy is not renewed or extended, then the tenancy will convert to a periodic tenancy.

Fixed-term tenancies granted on or after 11 February 2021 A tenant must give a minimum of 28 days’ notice prior to the fixed term if they want the tenancy to terminate

on the end date of the fixed-term.

A landlord must give notice in accordance with the termination grounds for periodic tenancies being a minimum of 90- or 63-days’ notice, depending on the grounds for termination. If neither party gives notice and the fixed term is not renewed or extended, then the tenancy will convert to a periodic tenancy.

Periodic tenancies A tenant must give a minimum of 28 days’ notice to terminate a periodic tenancy and a landlord must give a minimum of either 90or 63-days’ notice, depending on the grounds for termination.

A tenancy is granted when it is agreed, which is likely to be before the tenancy start date. If you are unsure what notice period you need to give to terminate your tenancy, speak to your Harcourts property manager.

Healthy Homes Update From 1 July 2021, landlords must ensure that their rental properties comply with the healthy homes standards within 90 days of any new, or renewed, tenancy.

However, if your tenancy started before 1 July 2021, the final date for compliance with the healthy homes standards is 1 July 2024, unless otherwise stated on a healthy homes compliance statement, or a fixed term tenancy is renewed.

A fixed-term tenancy can be renewed on the same terms and conditions for the same length of time as the original fixed-term tenancy. If a tenancy is simply extended, the end date of the tenancy is changed but all other

aspects of the agreement remain the same, or if a fixed term tenancy continues as a periodic tenancy, the healthy homes compliance date for the tenancy does not change.

PROUDLY SUPPORTING

HOSPICE NZ GRANTS PROGRAMME

021 3-2 201

Re al E i es state Ag enc

Harcourts is New Zealand’s largest and most trusted real estate group*, with over 2,300 sales consultants across 194 offices and a growing property management team. For more information visit www.harcourts.co.nz. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information in the publication is accurate we recommend that before relying on this information you seek independent specialist advice. *Readers Digest Most Trusted Brand Survey 2013-2021.