News

Have the carpets in your rental property started to wear out? Is your washing machine getting a bit dated? Did you know that you can claim these decreases in value (also known as depreciation) as expenses if they have been valued?

We have a new kid in town! We'd like to extend a warm welcome to Ron Gloag, the new owner/operator of Propertyscouts Central Otago.

Have you ever checked your bank account to find your rent hasn’t gone out, or your wages haven’t landed in your bank account on time? Perhaps the time has slipped away on you, and you’ve lost track of what day of the week it is (and forgotten to pay rent on time). We’ve all been there.

There are concerns that the reopening of our borders could lead to landlords taking their properties off the long-term rental market.

Ireland’s rental market is in crisis, with landlords exiting the market en mass - experts say it could be a cautionary tale for New Zealand.

Are you a tenant looking for your next pet-friendly rental? We understand how challenging the market can be and pet-friendly rentals can be extremely hard to come by. Thankfully many landlords are coming around and we’re seeing more and more pet-friendly rental properties hitting the market.

The Otago Daily Times (“ODT”) has reported that new laws introduced in November last year don’t fit the Dunedin flatting culture.

Is your current property manager unreachable? Are your tenants calling you with queries that should be going through your property manager? Have you noticed a pattern of troublesome tenants? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it might be time to make the switch to a new property manager.

As the old saying goes – ‘what goes up must come down’ and that seems to be the case with rents at the moment.

Want to increase the weekly rent at your rental property? Believe it or not, you don’t have to spend excessive amounts of time, money, or energy to do so.

Just when you think the worst of the winter weather has passed, Mother Nature likes to throw a few curveballs - often in the form of wild storms. Do you know how to prepare your rental property and your tenants for severe weather? 

As property managers, we’re seeing a change in the rental market, particularly in the main centres. Landlords and property managers around the country are noticing that quality tenants are becoming harder to come by.

From the 31st of July 2022, New Zealand will be saying “Nau mai, hoki mai” to the rest of the world. For businesses nationwide, the opening of the borders brings the great promise of a return to normality - however different that may look. For landlords, however, it begs the question of whether or not their rental property will earn more as an Airbnb or as a long-term rental.

Starting your own property management business can be an incredibly rewarding journey. You have the opportunity to be your own boss with the creative freedom to build a business around your goals and lifestyle, rather than someone elses.

Did you know that almost half of all NZ homes are damp and mouldy? Inadequate heating and ventilation of the home is the most common cause of condensation, mould, mildew, and general dampness. All of which can permanently damage the property - and in serious cases, result in health issues for those living in the property. 

Winter is here! As such, there's no better time than now to do some preventative property maintenance to reduce the risk of costly reactive maintenance and repairs that can arise more frequently during the cooler months.

Tired of working for someone else? Ready to pave your own way in the world and be your own boss in property management? How do you get started?

It's all very well and good knowing how to choose a good property manager, but why should you use one? 

Changes to the healthy homes standards have officially come into play. For a lot of property owners, these changes aren't likely to make a big difference to the standards they already have to measure up to. Instead, the changes will be most significant to property investors who own modern dwellings built to the 2008 building code (for insulation and glazing) or apartments.

In a recent NZ Herald podcast Frances Cook talked to Bruce Patton from Loan Market about the CCCFA and learnt some good tips and tricks when it comes to fronting up to banks for a mortgage in today's lending environment.

With the interest deductibility being removed for most existing rental properties, property investors are increasingly turning their hand to new builds. Unfortunately, the building environment is a bit more complex than usual at the moment (as you've likely read in recent media). So, what better time than now to school up on the ins and outs of new build contracts?

New guidance on privacy for the rental sector has been in the works for the past year and as of March 2022, the Privacy Commission launched its compliance review. The aim of the review is to ensure no landlords, managers or agencies are in breach of the Privacy Act. 

In a competitive rental market, tenants often wonder what they could have done differently to secure a property they applied for.

Are you a landlord managing your own property or properties to save yourself money? Have you thought about what your time (and sanity) are worth? A good property manager will save you a priceless amount of time, money, and hassle. They take the stress out of owning a rental property by juggling all the day-to-day, nitty-gritty, and headache-inducing tasks that sap your energy.

Is it time to reconsider your rental property pet policy? Roughly 83% of Kiwi households have pets, and, with over 4.35 million companion animals recorded in 2020, we humans are almost outnumbered!

For some property investors, buying a new build via a property developer is an attractive prospect. New builds have lower maintenance costs and requirements, provide good value for money, carry tax benefits, and will likely attract a higher market rent.

When it comes to your own private property, it's your call who you let inside. You can require tradespeople to be vaccinated and you can ask your unvaccinated friends and family to stay away. Sounds simple right? Unfortunately, it's a bit more complicated if you own a rental property.

Looking at buying investment property in a new build development or existing complex? There are many things to take into consideration. However, one thing to be aware of is that you'll be required to join a body corporate or a residents' association (which one will be pre-determined by the development type).

To maintain or not to maintain? That's the question many landlords find themselves asking when developing tenancy agreements.

So, you've just purchased a BRAND NEW rental property? Congratulations! There's little chance that it has been contaminated by methamphetamine. Why then, do you still need a meth test?