Renting Topics

REAL Landlord Insurance policy

Claim– theft  Imagine this….. We as your agents go to see the tenant about the arrears they have and find the property abandoned! (Nothing unusual in that you say!) But when we gain access to the property we find the kitchen bench missing, the laundry sink and cupboard missing, the bathroom vanity missing, all of the taps for the various rooms gone as well! Value approx $3000.00 Then there is the loss of rent from arrears, and whilst the property is being... ... read more

Is your rented property or flat cold or damp/ hard to heat

As winter approach’s some of our tenants are receiving letters headed up. “Is your rented property or flat cold or damp/ hard to heat” From Energy Wise Landlords across New Zealand are being encouraged to take advantage of a limited government offer which gives a discount of up to 55% on the cost of installing insulation and other energy efficiency measures in their rental properties – and this is something you could be eligible for. • The property... ... read more

Can't sell ? Then lets rent the property for 6months

Can't sell , Then lets rent the property for 6 or 18 months . Markets change and new buyers enter the market every 5 weeks or so . Perhaps the time is not right for you to sell in this present time , but you need to pay the mortgage , then lets rent the property ! Selling with tenants means that the property has furniture in , is kept clean and has the lived in feel. As well as providing a measure of security. Your insurance company needs to be alerted if you choose to rent. It... ... read more

Mission Statement

1. Mission Statement       Respect the tenants as our customers, they pay the bills. Assist Landlords - Optimize income, minimize expenses, focus on capital growth, buy more houses, and make it easy and stress free 2. Our Communication with landlords If you the landlord want to know what's happening and send an email, a voice message or phone. We will get back to you with a reply as soon as we psychically can. At worst we will have a reply to you... ... read more

Moisture and condensation in NZ homes

What is condensation Quite simply, condensation is a result of too much moisture in the air.  It can happen when homes are heated in one part i.e. the lounge and when the moist air is cooled below its ‘dew point’ usually by flowing through to the bedrooms (i.e. cooled to a temperature at which it cannot contain all the water originally present). If the cooling is caused by contact with a colder surface, i.e. bedroom windows, the surplus water appears as droplets on that... ... read more

Top 10 books for the budding propertyy investor

10 top books 08 for Budding property investors.doc (88.50 KB) ... read more

Renovate or not ? Minor renovations.

$10,000 spent.   We then need to get $20 a week  extra rent to cover the interest bill.......(.$1000 extra rent , after commission a year at 10% roughly ) Or will $5000 do the same thing get another $20 per week extra rent . What does your tenant want What would add to a tenants enjoyment of this home ( think motels, they are a guest in your home  ) ·          Air conditioning ... ... read more

Now maybe the time to buy more property

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Client Survey

Client Survey   Dear Landlord, We are delighted that you have your property with Tararua Realty MREINZ. We would love to know how we are going; we want you to be brutally honest. As you are no doubt well aware, improvement is an area that we all strive for; we can't improve unless we know where we stand currently. I want to know how as property managers how we are going. In order to help us achieve the highest standard of service in the Real Estate Industry I would be... ... read more

We manage less YOU get more !

We would like to introduce Tararua Realty Ltd as your next potential property manager. Property Management is the fastest growing division in our business in both the Manawatu and Southern Lake Taupo , as Landlords seek to obtain a property manager with lower fees and extra services to insure the value of their return is consistent. We manage less YOU get more !   As we launch a new phase in our business it is pertinent that we continue to seek new landlords wanting to obtain a... ... read more

Free advice for Landlords – ask property experts a question

Free advice for Landlords – ask property experts a question http://www.landlords.co.nz/ask-an-expert-full.php Do you have a property investment question you want answered Ask it here! The Ask an Expert section is a free service provided for property investors in conjunction with a panel of selected property experts. Please note that questions should be of a general nature about property investing and management of investment properties and your question and answer may be... ... read more

The Massive clean up job !

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Your end of year tax records, Chattels valuations .

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Rent to buy deals

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Selling with tenants

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Should I change the property to a holiday rental? or not ?-Book a holiday, how about staying in one of our other clients homes for the weekend?

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Our holiday rentals

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Should you sell

Should you sell April 23rd, 2008 The latest stats from REINZ and QV in the past week have shown that the property market is still falling. The questions many people are asking are how far will it fall and when will it reach the bottom From a property investor’s perspective the question is possibly slightly different: Should I sell, hold or is it an opportunity to acquire more assets Looking through the papers and talking to various real estate agents, it seems there are... ... read more

Why is no one renting my home

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Rent reviews and rental appraisals

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Why re finance What's in it ?

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The 7yr maintenance planner & sinking funds

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Wagon wheels

“Wagon Wheels “ –Whereby we will have 4-5 positive cash flow properties that support a Negatively geared property in a good capital gain area, this is how we bought our current home with no money. ... read more

BRANZ websites

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Property Investors associations

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Tax obligations

We have had IRD representatives come into the office at Turangi and dropping off pamphlets about “I have bought and resold at a profit. Do I have to pay tax “It depends on your reason or intention at the time you bought the property, it states in the pamphlet.   We are indenting that some people bought investment property on a negatively geared setup , that’s fine to a point , but when interest rates rise , their own income ( business ) slips and the property... ... read more

Registering for GST

Registering for GST. Usually means that you will repay GST when you sell and you probably will pay Tax on the profit . BUT it does allow you to buy a whole lot more now, right now! By claiming a certain amount back immediately. Talk to your accountant about GST or Not. For if example, you buy a property  with the implicit intention to subdivide the back section for $200,000. You register it for GST and get back 1/9th of the value , a bit over $22,000 , that allows you to buy 50% more... ... read more

Why Buy an Investment property?

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Capital gain The 72 rule

Capital gain The 72 rule is the number that you divide by to determine how long you get your investment back (or how long it takes a property to double!! in value) i.e. with property going up in value at 10 % per annum then the property will take 7.2 years to double. ( It then doubles again of course ) At 5% it will take 14.4 years to double. Property has pretty much been on a consistent close to or around 10% since these records have been kept. At 15% which has been happening lately it... ... read more

What are the properties to invest in today?

What are the properties to invest in today   What would you do, would you buy a property that you have to add $50 a week towards in today’s market considering the 72 rule . The 72 rule is the number you divide with the inflation rate to see how long it will take for the property to double in value. How many of those can you do at once if you have to top up $50 each per week.  For the serious investor Income property is a must but for the first time investor buying one... ... read more

You own some rentals already, then reassess

Sometimes the best investment is simply to reassess your own property investment portfolio. A property worth $250,000 renting for $250 a week may not be as good as a block of flats for $500,000 renting for $750 a week or several homes in an outlying area say 2 at $125,000 renting for $150 each ( $300 per week ) ... read more

Investment strategies

Investment strategies Wagon Wheels Sell higher value - swap with lower value Smaller towns vs bigger cities cashflow or Capital gain Revalue -Reinvest Commercial vs Residential vs  Shares and others ... read more

Attitude. Investing in property , Attitude

Attitude   Apart from all that, we ourselves are in the business of real estate , the hardest thing was ourselves to obtain the attitude of an investor ourselves, it took years ,  it is an attitude. Number crunchers have a hard time “ starting” and it is the start that is the hardest. To begin To encounter some issues, like damage or difficult people   To deal with tax implications or financing (usually in year 2-3) which can be the crunch... ... read more

Rent, Buy or Own - overview Housing Corp

http://www.hnzc.co.nz/hnzc/web/rent-buy-or-own/rent-buy-or-own_home.htm ... read more

C'mon guys, get fire wise

During property inspections we check that smoke detectors are in place and in good working order. You are responsible for regularly checking the smoke detectors. How do you know if you smoke detector is faulty? the red light has stopped blinking If any of these things happen, or you are concerned your smoke detector is not working, contact your tenancy manager immediately Here are some other safety tips to help keep you fire-safe this winter: Keep furniture, clothing... ... read more

Add a caravan ! Growing family?

If you are looking for more room and don't want to move or pay another letting fee, talk to us about renting a caravan or cabin option . Ideal for the teenagers , you don't have to transfer phones , power accounts , move the bond or yourself ! This may take 3-4 weks to process , And is not avaliable if there have been rent payment issues in the past. ... read more

You have the power to improve the energy efficiency of your home

You have the power to improve the energy efficiency of your home Government funding is available to improve the energy efficiency of New Zealand homes by installing insulation, clean heating devices and a range of other energy efficiency measures including solar water heating. There is funding available for Homeowners who are eligible for a Community Services card EECA has teamed up with community-focused groups to offer funding in various parts of the country. This funding... ... read more

Problems in Property Management

Problems in property management arise when you do not use the powers of the law, but rather try to take the law into your own hands or get behind in your checking systems. We understand the law and have those checking systems in place. Knowledge of the Residential Tenancies Act is a requirement to being able to manage your property efficiently. The Property Management team at Tararua Realty Ltd are conversant with the necessary aspects of this act as well as the workings of the Tribunal.... ... read more

Tenants - What We Require From You

Tenants - What We Require From You All our tenants must provide satisfactory testimonials and current references to be eligible to rent a property from Tararua Realty Ltd. MREINZ. We carry out credit checks if required. An official photo ID is required or 2 Forms of ID. Rent is paid 1-2 weeks in advance. 1 week’s rent plus GST is charged as a letting fee. 2 or 3 weeks’ rent as a bond is standard. As a general rule we do not allow dogs unless specifically allowed... ... read more

Repairs and Maintenance

All of our Tenancy Agreements clearly state the individual responsibilities of both the landlord and the tenant in regards to the ongoing repairs and maintenance of the rented property. We provide the tenants with a Rental Guideline. As part of your management contract we will arrange for any necessary repairs and maintenance up to the agreed value. These costs will then be deducted from the rents received and will be clearly shown on your monthly statement. Tararua Realty Ltd, using... ... read more

Casual Letting Services

Casual Letting Services There is no charge to the property owner for this service. Tenant selection is in agreement with the landlord. Preparation of the Tenancy Agreement with the tenant is our responsibility. Arrangement of the rental payments, to be paid into the landlord’s nominated account for the first payment and subsequent payments, is done for you. We handle the bond payments to the Tenancy Bond Division. Under this service we do not arrange for repairs... ... read more

Sourcing and Selecting Tenants For Your Property

Sourcing and Selecting Tenants for Your Property Selecting tenants for your property can become a time consuming and sometimes difficult process to handle on your own. Nowadays, because of numerous unforeseen problems, many property owners prefer to have the selection of the tenants handled professionally by a Property Management Company such as Tararua Realty Ltd. We endeavour to select your tenants from more than one applicant. However, this may not always be possible. But we will... ... read more

Rentals Advertising

 Properties to be rented are advertised in the Manawatu Standard as well as to tenants who phone the office. Rentals will be advertised Wednesdays and Saturdays. Properties are listed on line at www.tararuarealty.co.nz . Rental lists are held at the office, and are constantly updated and available to those requesting them. Should prospective tenants wish to view a property then they are to contact the office. Thereby not trespassing or disturbing existing tenants or... ... read more

Landlord References Speak Volumes

All our tenants must provide satisfactory testimonials and current references to be eligible to rent a property from Tararua Realty Ltd. We provide written references if the tenants leave the property in good order, have paid their rent on time and have not disturbed the community. We have 3 basic Rules: 1. The rent must be paid on time; 2. The property must be kept clean and tidy; and 3. Do not disturb the neighbours. Being able to provide testimonials from happy... ... read more

Full Property Management Services

For full property management services, our professional fee is 7.5% plus GST in Feilding and Palmerston North and 10% in country village and outlying areas on the gross rental received from the property. This fee is inclusive of the following services Rental appraisals; Maintenance inspections; and Repairs and maintenance, including emergency work. (There is no extra commission charged on any work carried out by tradesmen arranged by us).  The tradesperson’s fees... ... read more

Rental Collection

Handing over the responsibility of collecting the rent to Tararua Realty Ltd eliminates one of the biggest headaches for many property investors. By alleviating you of the responsibility of this task, we can provide you with much more time, headspace and deeper sleeps, as well as continued peace of mind. Allowing you to get on with more property purchases, or whatever else you wish to do, without having to think about whether the rent has been paid. Our computer system reconciles all... ... read more

Property Inspections

All properties under our management are held in our database. This ensures each property receives regular scheduled inspections. In addition to the initial and final inspections with a change of tenants, we also carry out 3 4 or 6 monthly visual inspections where we check such items as building maintenance, garden and grounds tidiness and we will supply the owner with a full report including photos of the property if required.   ... read more

Credit card or bad debt?

As a country we are spending more than we earn - the current account deficit gobbles up 8 per cent of gross domestic product. It has never been easier to borrow money. In September, New Zealanders owed more than $4 billion on credit cards, up $217 million on last year. In the year to June 20 2004, New Zealanders used their credit cards to purchase goods and services worth $20 billion. Around a quarter of cardholders paid monthly interest charges, with an average outstanding monthly... ... read more

Tennants Moving in Guidelines

Welcome to Your New Home   Address ____________________________________________________ Reference ______________________ Rental Guidelines are as follows Your Property Manager can be contacted on  06 355 5522  between the hours of 9am to 4pm We have 3 basic Rules 1. The rent must be paid on time; 2. The property must be kept clean and tidy; and 3. Do not disturb the neighbours. Property Inspection The property manager will have... ... read more

Tenancy Selection

REINZ Code of Practice for Residential Property Managers and Letting Agents Property manager code of practice.pdf   (73.25 KB) The National Tenancy Database (NTD) REINZ Property Management Services, which incorporates the National Tenancy Database (NTD), is the newest commercial service available exclusively to REINZ members through REINZ. This service, which is available to any REINZ member whose office subscribes to it, provides access to a comprehensive... ... read more

Pests and rodents

Pests http://www.dbh.govt.nz/housing/tenancy/RPI%20articles/creepy-crawlies.html C reepy Crawlies If there are holes in the floor or access for the animals and pests, the landlord really needs to address this. Spiders Spiders live in town and country and in the spring and summer can become prolific. White tails can sting.  A sign that they are about is if there are no daddy long legs, as the white tails eat them. If you have daddy long legs it is a sign of a good... ... read more

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