My property manager has not been doing inspections..

Question from Beverly updated on 2nd April 2007:

I am living in Auckland with a rental property in Dunedin. In October I saw damage to the house, none of which had been mentioned on the 3 monthly inspection reports, including a report which arrived after my return to Auckland. The property manager admits not making an inspection after the previous tenant left and before the new tenant moved in. What recourse do I have?

Our expert Jeff Montgomery responded:

Regular property inspections are important to enable the landlord to check the condition of their property at the start of and during a tenancy. In taking a claim against a tenant for damage to a rental property, the landlord will have to prove before the Tenancy Tribunal that the damage at issue occurred during the course of the tenancy. Property inspection reports provide a good source of evidence that damage has occurred during a tenancy. If you have concerns about the accuracy of the property inspection reports carried out by your property manager, you should address these directly with the property management company. Unfortunately, any dispute that you may have with your property management company may not be resolved through the Tenancy Tribunal, which deals with disputes between landlords and tenants only. However, if your property manager is a member of the Real Estate Institute (www.reinz.co.nz) or the Independent Property Managers Association (www.nzpif.org.nz) you can make a complaint to them. For more information and advice on resolving tenancy disputes, contact 0800 TENANCY (0800 83 62 62) or visit our website: www.dbh.govt.nz/tenancy

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The Department of Building and Housing provides information and guidance on building law and compliance, services including weathertight homes, and advice for tenants and landlords.


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