Tenants -Know your Rights

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As a tenant there are things you should know.  Knowing your rights and obligations makes life easier for you and you property manager.

Some of the really basic stuff to know is ;

A tenancy must be covered by a written tenancy agreement. Read your tenancy agreement before you sign it and seek advice if you aren’t sure. 

Even if you don’t have a written tenancy agreement covering your rental situation you may still be protected under the Residential Tenancy Act. 

Landlords aren’t allowed to require you to get the place professionally cleaned at the end of the tenancy. 

Even if you sign the agreement anyway, that clause is unenforceable. Amateur cleaning is perfectly acceptable. 

Make sure you and the landlord do a property inspection together at the start of the tenancy – and take photos of the place while you do. 

Ask the landlord whether the “P” has been used or manufactured on the property. The landlord should be checking for this between tenancies.  

This guide tells you about the law that covers renting and letting – the Residential Tenancies Act. So if you’re a tenant or a landlord who needs to know about the law, this guide is for you. It tells you about the main parts of the law, from signing a tenancy agreement to ending a tenancy. It tells you what the Act says landlords and tenants must and must not do (these are your ‘rights and obligations’ ). The guide also tells you about us.

The Department of Building and Housing give information and advice, and we can help you sort out problems through their mediation service. If that doesn’t work, thye will tell you how the Tenancy Tribunal can help you. The Tenancy Tribunal is part of the Ministry of Justice.