Property Management Focus December 2024

Merry Christmas from Harcourts

At Harcourts, we’d like to take a moment to thank you for your continued trust and partnership this year. Your support has been
invaluable, and we are committed to delivering the best possible service as we move into the new year.

As the festive season approaches, we send our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. May this time be filled with peace, good health, and joy; and may the year ahead bring you exciting opportunities and lasting success.

Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2024 – Update

In previous editions of the PM Focus newsletter, we have included updates on the progress of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2024. We can now report that the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill (RTA Bill) has passed its Second Reading stage with all recommendations by Select Committee voted in favour and adopted.

Key examples of the committee’s recommended changes which have now been adopted in the Bill include:

Clarifying rules for consenting to and refusing requests to keep a pet, by expanding and clarifying grounds for refusing a request, and adding
a non-exhaustive list of reasonable conditions that a landlord may attach to their consent;
Simplifying the smoking provisions, by allowing the prohibition of smoking inside while allowing for a case-by- case assessment elsewhere on a property; and
Strengthening protections for tenants by extending existing rules for retaliatory terminations, which prohibit a landlord from terminating a tenancy in response to legal actions taken against them.

The next stage for the Bill is the Committee of the Whole House. You can find out more about the Bill and track its progress on the Parliament website. We will update you again when this Bill is passed into law.

Harcourts property managers are being kept well informed of the proposed changes, and once the Bill has been passed into law, we will be providing comprehensive training to all Harcourts property managers throughout New Zealand to ensure full compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and Amendments on behalf of our landlords.

Modernising the tenancy bond service

Tenancy Services are upgrading and modernising the tenancy bond service and changing how they deliver their services.

This modern, digital-first system will make bond transactions quicker and easier for landlords, tenants and property managers. Changes will be made in stages, with the first stage of the project taking effect from late November 2024.

This first stage will enable new bonds to be lodged digitally. For property management companies, this will
be administered via our property management software that has been developed for a new business to business connection. For private landlords, other options will be available.

Harcourts offices use the most up-to-date property management software available, and we anticipate a seamless transition to the new and improved system.

Locking up over the holidays

If you are lucky enough to be going away over the summer holidays, you’ll want to make sure your home is as secure as possible while you’re away, to avoid any nasty surprises when you return.

Here are some tips for securing your home.

Secure all tools, ladders, axes, hammers, and saws – anything that will help thieves break into your house.
Lock all doors and windows, set alarms, and use deadbolts. Don’t forget the garage.
Leave your curtains open and your blinds up, but if you have anyone popping over, get them to adjust them now and again.
Use lights with timers – a dark home over many nights is a sure sign you’re away. Timed lighting gives the appearance of activity, and the more you mix up the lighting timing and locations, the better.
Unplug appliances and devices to minimise the risk of electrical fires.
Clean out your fridge to minimise the amount of food you keep in the fridge and freezer while you’re on holiday. That way less will be lost if there’s a power cut while you’re away.
Turn down the ring tone on your phone if you still have a landline. Long, loud, unanswered rings are just another way of shouting out, “No one’s here.”
Be careful who you tell, don’t advertise your absence on your phone answering machine, sites like Facebook, or anywhere else that isn’t secure.
Leave an emergency contact number with friends or neighbours.
Cancel your newspapers and other deliveries, so they don’t pile up on your doorstep and advertise that you’re away.
Keep the garden tidy if you are lucky enough to be away for an extended period, arrange for someone to come and mow your lawns and tend to the garden.
Ask a friend to help if you’re going to be away for an extended period, you may want to ask a friend to pop over once a week.
Keep a car in the driveway or ask a neighbour to park in your driveway occasionally.
Ask your neighbours to help if you know them well enough and ask them to check on your house for litter, and branches that have blown down or pot plants that have fallen over. These are tell-tale signs you have gone away.
Tell neighbours you’re going away and arrange for them to collect your mail. Nothing says, “No one’s home!” like an overflowing mailbox.
Hide any valuables including jewellery so that thieves cannot locate them easily.

Now kick back and enjoy your holiday with additional peace of mind.

Renting with Harcourts – Christmas edition

As part of our continued commitment to our tenants we publish a newsletter twice per annum to coincide with Winter and the Summer/Christmas season. Whilst some of the articles may be repetitive, with an average tenancy lasting from 1 ½ – 2 years,
we want to educate our tenants how to look after their rental, and what their responsibilities are. At Harcourts we believe, Happy Tenant, Happy Landlord.

In the latest edition of Renting with Harcourts we included the following articles:

Happy holidays from Harcourts (with a reminder to check your property for maintenance before the Christmas period)
Low Deposit Home Loans: Options for First Home Buyers in New Zealand
Safe removal of 3M adhesive strips
What do you really have to do for a rental inspection?
Make a splash around your home this summer
Maintaining a healthy home
Locking up for holidays
Renters insurance
Tenancy Services – The Tenancy bond service is changing
Update on Gumboot Friday
Christmas recipes

You can access a copy of the Renting with Harcourts newsletter here

When the RTA Amendment Bill has been passed into law, we will update our tenants on the changes that directly affect them.

We thought the article on the safe removal of 3M strips and the tip to use a hairdryer to remove them was useful enough to share with our landlords – see over page

Safe removal of 3M adhesive strips (for our landlords AND tenants)

Whilst 3M adhesive tape, or any similar product, is heralded as a product that doesn’t cause damage and is an alternative to putting nails and holes into walls; this isn’t always the case when it comes to its removal.

The removal of the adhesive tape can damage the wall if not removed carefully, and often removes the paint from the wall with the strip, leaving an unsightly patch on the wall.

Heat is essential for many chemical processes, and the molecules in the 3M adhesive will loosen up when exposed to enough of it.

If this doesn’t work, you can get a removal product from your local hardware store, or try solutions such as petroleum jelly, hand sanitiser or nail polish remover.

To avoid damaging the wall try using a hair dryer, heat gun, or heating pads when removing the adhesive pad. The heat can make it easier to remove stubborn residue.

We are delighted to announce that…

Harcourts Foundation NZ proudly supported Gumboot Friday for the third year, in 2024. With the successful fundraising efforts in 2022 and 2023
combined, the Harcourts network raised over $323,000 which made 2254 free counselling sessions available to Kiwi kids in need.
The impact of Gumboot Friday on the country has been astounding, and so has our network’s focus on raising funds and awareness for Kiwi kids struggling with their mental health. These children come from diverse backgrounds, families, and communities all over
New Zealand.

Time is running out – Healthy Homes Standards

As the 1 July 2025 deadline for compliance with the Healthy Homes Standards approaches, it’s crucial that all private rentals meet these requirements.
As a landlord, meeting these standards is not just a legal obligation, but a way to enhance the quality of your rental home.

By improving your property, you provide your tenants with warmer, drier, and healthier living environments, leading to better health outcomes and increased satisfaction with their rental experience.

If you haven’t already, now is the time to take action to comply with these standards.

Visit tenancy.govt.nz/healthy-homes/ for all the information you need.