Rental Houses

I had a tenant move into a property and about a month or so later he called me and asked if I would speak to the owner about having a dog.

The owner was very obliging and allowed him to have one.

I called the tenant and told him that the landlord had given permission to have a dog on the premises.  The only restriction was that it must be well behaved and not annoy any of the neighbours with it’s barking etc.  “Great” said the tenant, and before finishing the call, I made an appointment to go and inspect the property on the weekend as was the landlord’s request to ensure that all was okay.

I turned up on the Saturday morning (5 days later) to be greeted by the tenant, his TWO dogs, and his TWO pigs!!!  I couldn’t believe my eyes and told him he shouldn’t have done that without my knowledge or the landlord’s approval.

As it turned out, he was one lucky tenant, as the landlord was a dog owner himself and was previously a farmer.  He was quite happy about the menagerie of animals on the property as long as everyone around him was happy.

That would not happen very often I can tell you!  I guessed it would only be a matter of time though, before the neighbours would get onto me and complain about the noise and smell, and then we would have a different scenario.

 

 Like

A few years ago it was fairly common for Property Managers to hold Open Homes as did the Sales Agents.

I had a cute home in a very popular area and knowing that it would generate a lot of interest I decided to hold an Open Home.

As I expected there were many people wanting to view.  It was a small place and in a block of three so it was a bit crowded both inside and outside.  I remained in the corner of the lounge so I could watch what was happening and with a handful of application forms.

Once everyone had gone I went through the property to ensure it was all secure and as I was to leave by the back door there was a baby in a capsule!  A real live one!

Momentarily in shock, I took off up the driveway.  Sure enough down the road comes a very red faced couple.  I asked if they had forgotten something?

It was a bit funny as the baby was only a week old and they forgot that they had her!  Just momentarily of course!

 Like

As you all would know, doing regular inspections is all part of the job being a Property Manager.

So I have my properties all scheduled and the required notice in writing to the tenants have well been sent and should have been received.

Off I go with keys in hand.  The first few properties were fine and I was expected.  This is always a good sign that the notice had been received so once you know the first two have had it then it would be expected that the others had also received the notice that I was due to arrive.

However, that was not the case on this one particular occasion. Here I am knocking on the door for a few minutes and no one answered.  I unlocked the door slowly opened it calling out as I walked in.

I’m walking through the property checking all the rooms and only one door was closed.  Assuming that no one was home I open the bedroom door and here is this guy that was asleep whom I had just given a huge fright to and he jumps out of bed naked!

I don’t know who was more embarrassed but this memory has stayed with me all these years.  I am so conscious of opening closed bedroom doors now especially when the house is quiet that I just want to not bother and turn around and walk out!

 Like

I had a property in Milford which was currently empty and I was trying to find a tenant.

I got a call on the add that I had and agreed to meet this young lady at the property later that afternoon.  As I am waiting in the property I notice this flash black SUV turn up in the drive way.  Five people step out of the vehicle and one in particular looked big and intimidating.  Here we go I thought, thinking I’m going to end up with a rough burly bunch of tenants that drive an expensive vehicle – dodgy!

So as the others are looking through the house this big burly guy (with huge thighs I might add) starts talking to me.  So he says to me ‘is this all you do for a job’ taken aback I threw back at him ‘yes, and more to the point what do YOU do for a job?’  Oh he says, ‘I play rugby’.  And I’m like ok, ‘who for?’  ‘Oh the Blues, North Harbour and the All Blacks’.  So I’m thinking am I supposed to know you?  “And your name is?’

It turned out that he indeed was a current All Black and we did rent the property to him and his wife.  He even got a signed jersey by the whole team for the Owner’s s

 Like
Bower Property Management Ltd

I randomly get a phone call one morning from the Police.  One of the properties that I manage was found to be full of stolen goods and the tenants no where to be found.

I head straight to the property to find a few Police Officers and a couple of people who apparently owned the Hire Company where the goods had been stolen from.  As it turned out my tenant was a builder and had hired items that he had not returned and stolen some from building sites.  The next thing I know is that I am been filmed on a cell phone from one of the guys that had had his gear stolen and he was calling me names.  I “said excuse me, why are you taking photos of me?”  His reply was “the whole World needs to know about you and your partner and the thieves that you are!”  I was floored.  He thought I was the tenant!!!!  Thank god the Officer corrected him and he couldn’t apologise enough!

The Police obviously wanted to catch this guy and I had to act as bait!  I managed to get hold of his partner and arranged to meet her at the property to collect some of her belongings.  The Police were hiding in neighbouring properties hoping that he would turn up too.  He didn’t and my few minutes of been important were over and she went on her merry way.

So we assumed that the tenants had abandoned the property as that was the last contact with either of them.  We proceeded to have all of their belongings collected and put into storage and make the application to the Tenancy Tribunal to terminate the tenancy.

We have our day in Court and she turns up!  With a Lawyer!!  As she was on the tenancy agreement she was allowed to be heard but her Lawyer just made himself look like an idiot (as they all do in the Tribunal).  They now claim that they had not abandoned the property and that they had just gone away on holiday and that I had unlawfully removed their belongings.

So I have this ‘summary of facts drawn up’.  This was written up for me by a friend who was an ex Police officer.  I hand a copy up to the Adjudicator, to the tenant and her Lawyer and I start reading it with the owner of the property sitting right next to me.

The adjudicator starts reading it out allowed when the owner next to me points out the last sentence on the last page.  I was shocked to read it said at the end “that basically she can get f*#%”  I had to interrupt and ask for that copy to be returned and I will hand her an amended copy to which the owner had frantically scribbled out the last sentence.  She had a bit of a smirk on her face and as she handed it back she asked “is that because of the last sentence on the last page?”  Thank fully the tenant or her Lawyer failed to notice this and as this was put in there for my own benefit to proof read before attending the Tribunal, I also failed to notice it!

The adjudicator ruled in our favour under the ‘balance of probabilities’ I was correct in assuming abandonment.

 Like
Bower Property Management Ltd

We had a rental property that we rented to a group of young Women.

After a few months we started getting phone calls from the neighbours complaining about the comings and goings at the address so we decided to take a visit.  As we hadn’t given any notice all we could do was knock on the door intending to have a bit of a talk.  I had a colleague with me and we were both surprised to see from the doorway half naked people wandering around with towels wrapped around themselves!

We soon figured out what was happening at the property and that the neighbours had every right to be annoyed and concerned.

We spoke to the owner and decided that as they were paying the rent and we couldn’t actually prove that what was happening was actually illegal, we gave them 90 days notice.  We are able to do this under the Residential Tenancies Act with out needing to give a reason.

We sent the notice to the tenants and thought nothing more of it in the meantime until it got closer to the date that they were due to vacate.  We decided to call the tenants reminding them of this date and were absolutely shocked to hear that they had now purchased the property.  Quickly making a call to the owner this was confirmed.

Sorry neighbours, there was nothing we could do and as the law changed regarding this situation I doubt that they could do anything either!

 1

I had a rental property that I leased out, and after a short time and with no rent payment I decided to make a visit.   I rushed around to the property to find the most disgusting sight I have ever seen with it being obvious that the tenants had done a runner!  My first thought was ‘what will the landlord say when he see this?’

Being aware of the required notice to enter the premises I made the decision that they had definitely abandoned the property so I went in.  There was rubbish all over the place and the most disgusting smell coming from the hallway.  It was an old house which had a manhole in the hallway roof which was half open.  I thought I would go and talk to the neighbour and ask a few questions about the tenants.  They made it clear that they were glad to hear that they had gone as they were noisy and unfriendly.

I asked them if I could borrow a step ladder as I wanted to look inside the loft.  The kind neighbour helped me take the ladder next door and we propped it up under the manhole.  He also lent me his torch so I could see what was up there.

To my horror there were loads of dirty baby nappies thrown up there!

The other strange thing that they had done was instead of using the perfectly good stove in the kitchen, they had been cooking on a bbq in the lounge and there was fat and filth on the wooden floor.

You really have to question sometimes how people can think that certain lifestyles are acceptable in someone else’s property.

We were never able to locate those tenants again.

 Like
Bower Property Management Ltd

SERIOUSLY???

A Property Manager in South Auckland thinks a garage is ok to rent out separately from the main house?  You think ?

I think it’s great how the power and electricity are all included lol.  What about the water?

Now this is my problem with foreign investors.  They don’t only buy these properties they get people to manage them who have no idea of the Residential Tenancies Act.

Having a brain would be a good start!

 

 Like

Under the Residential Tenancies Act if either party fails to act on a request for either repairs or non payment of any outstanding issues then a breach notice must be issued before it can be enforced in the Tenancy Tribunal.

This can be issued to the landlord from the tenant for any maintenance issues that have not been addressed.

However, when a tenant locks himself out of the property, breaks the toilet window, falls in and breaks the toilet and issues us with a breach notice to repair does not apply!

 Like
tenancy agreement

Hi my name is Lauretta Kimber and I started Bower Property Management nearly five years ago.

This blog is going to be about some silly and serious antics from tenants and hopefully provide some guidance and advice on renting residential properties here in New Zealand.

I started as a Property Manager nearly 16 years ago in a small town North of Auckland.  I was very excited when a young man walked into the office and told me that he had a place in the country that he wanted to rent out.  Great!  I could see my rental portfolio growing steadily.

I went out to view the property.  Quite an old shaggy looking place.  Dated decor and shabby furniture with a lot of rubbish lying around the section.  It was pretty rural with the closest neighbour being quite a bit away.

After about a week the owner started calling me every day to see if I had any interest.  One call he made to me I was so pleased to report to him that I did have someone through earlier in the day and I would get back to him if they were interested in renting the place.

The next morning when I got to the office I found messages to contact the Police and a certain Lawyer!  Apparently the property had burnt down overnight under suspicious circumstances and my car was the last one to be seen leaving the property!

The young man even had the audacity to accuse me of stealing the TV and a few other items before the fire!

Obviously none of this was true and I certainly did not set fire to the property.  As it turned out he had done this as there was a dispute over the place between his Mother and her partner and wanted the insurance payout to go to his Mother.

I was set up all along and it even made the local paper!

 Like