Renting 101: A Guide For Dummies
Renting is fucked—especially in the midst of a heavy housing crisis that is seriously felt by students.
Navigating your first flat, complete with its own tenacious landlord, can be tricky and super confusing.
Salient has teamed up with Renters United to bring you this Renting 101 guide, aimed to equip you with the know-how when it comes to advocate for your rights, and making it through your tenancy with your bond intact and your belongings mould-free.
Before You Move In:
Pay your bond (and make sure it’s paid right!): A bond is a flat fee you’ll have to pay prior to moving in. This covers any damages you make to the property during your tenancy.
The bond can’t be more than four weeks rent.
You’ll get your bond back at the end of the tenancy, provided there are no big damages.
You should sign a bond lodgement form, and you should pay your bond to Tenancy Services, not to the landlord directly.
Take photos: Record any damage you see when you first move in by taking photos of everything. Email these to your landlord to timestamp them. This protects you if your landlord tries to withhold your bond over damage you didn’t cause. It’s the best way to make sure you get your bond back.
Check out the healthy homes standards: The healthy homes standards are the minimum standards for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage, and draught stopping in rental properties.
Your landlord must tell you in writing if your house meets the standards. If it doesn’t, they must fix it within 90 days. You can use the checklist on the Tenancy Services website or pay $75 for Sustainability Trust NZ to conduct a compliance check.
Sign your tenancy agreement: This should have the personal details of all the tenants and your landlord, the rent, and the type of tenancy.
If it’s a fixed term tenancy, it’ll have an end date. If it's periodic, the tenancy will roll over. Make sure your name is on the tenancy agreement. Without it, you have almost no rights. At the end of your fixed term, you are automatically entitled to a periodic (better, with more rights) tenancy.
Do not sign onto an additional fixed term out of pressure.
During Your Tenancy:
General maintenance: You are responsible for daily maintenance: replacing smoke alarm batteries, light bulbs, cleaning, and sorting your rubbish. Your specific tenancy agreement will have more details on this. If something needs to be repaired, such as a leaky window, it’s your landlord's responsibility and their cost.
Property inspections: Most landlords will perform routine inspections to check for damage, or report to their insurance provider. Inspections must be done between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., and you must be given at least 48 hours notice. Inspections must be at least 4 weeks apart.
Rent increases: Your landlord can increase your rent once every 12 months at most. Increases can’t be higher than market rate.
Getting Outta There:
Provide notice: If you have a periodic tenancy, you’ll need to give your landlord 28 days notice before moving out. For fixed term tenancies, if you wish to leave before the time period is up, you’ll have to break your lease. This can only be done if the landlord and all tenants agree in writing, and you may be charged a reasonable fee to cover costs of ending early.
Last rent payment: Ask your landlord when your last rent payment is due—you can even ask the landlord for a record of all rent paid so far. They are required to keep a ‘rent book’ by law.
Exit inspection: Have a final viewing of the property with your landlord to record any damage. The property must be in a reasonably clean and tidy condition, but it doesn’t need to be professionally cleaned.
Check out Renters United’s website for more information on renters’ rights: rentersunited.org.nz/help. If your landlord is violating your tenancy agreement and their obligations, get some advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau, Tenancy Tribunal, Community Law, or VUWSA advocates.