What I learned about renting in New Zealand [2 questions to ask] /Americans in New Zealand
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- Опубліковано 15 чер 2024
- Are you moving to New Zealand and wondering about how to go about finding a rental property to lease? Do you want to avoid the big mistake that I made when I first leased a property in New Zealand? What questions should you ask if you want to be sure you're moving into a property that meets the healthy home standards?
In this video, I share several things that I learned were different about the rentals and the rental process in New Zealand vs the USA. These were things I didn't know before I moved to New Zealand. I also share the story of the big mistake that my husband and I had made when we first rented a property 3 weeks after moving to New Zealand from America. There are two questions that we learned to ask from now on before becoming a tenant in New Zealand. I hope this helps you avoid the same mistake.
Links mentioned in the video:
Joining groups to help with moving to NZ • MOVING TO NEW ZEALAND ...
Setting up an NZ bank account • MOVING TO NEW ZEALAND ...
CHAPTERS
0:00 What I'll be sharing about our move to NZ
1:26 Where to look for a rental property in NZ
2:45 How rental pricing in NZ works
3:40 Appliances in NZ rentals
4:35 Can you negotiate rental prices in NZ
6:20 Temperature Control in NZ rentals
7:23 Screens on windows in NZ ?
8:09 Bond / Security Deposit
8:40 Our first experience renting a property in NZ
11:57 Healthy Homes Standards and Statement
12:37 Two questions we ask about rentals in NZ
13:05 Exemptions
14:18 Property managers in New Zealand
14:55 What we ended up leasing in New Zealand
Do you ever dream about moving overseas? Is moving to New Zealand something you've thought about . What might be involved in doing moving to New Zealand from America? What would life be like for Americans living abroad in New Zealand?
Hi, my name is Deb ! I moved from the USA to Auckland, New Zealand with my hubz - Jon- in 2022. We love sharing about our adventure of leaving America to explore our dream of living in New Zealand. We're excited to share experiences we've had in that process of moving from the USA to New Zealand , getting settled, and adventures we've had since we've been here- including the good and bad along the way. This is going to be an adventure full of discovery, experiences, learning, and growth. We'd love to have you journey with us . Let's go!
LET'S CONNECT!
EMAIL : americansinnewzealand@gmail.com
Instagram : / debzmackey
DISCLAIMER : I am not a property manager or an expert in New Zealand property laws. What I share in this video is my personal experience of renting a property in New Zealand.
If you have any tips around renting a property in New Zealand, please share it with us in the comments below.
There is also the 'Tenancy Tribunal' which deals with disputes and it pays to know your rights and responsibilities as a tenant and the legal obligations that the landlord has. Some landlords wourld prefer you didn't know all this but it's pretty easy stuff to learn and it keeps everyone honest and hopefully polite.
Yes, we’d looked into that a bit and considered taking it to the tribunal, but we’d probably have had to pay for an inspection to verify that it was mold and then time and $$$$ spent doing didn’t feel worth it- especially considering that the landlord might have 90 days to comply because we’d have been paying for an Airbnb for even longer then … We felt it was best for us to just cut our losses and stress by just moving on and learning our lesson.
Hi Deb, enjoyed your little video.
I think an exemption could be, for example, if you ‘physically’ can’t get under the house for to insulate, then that becomes an exemption (no underfloor insulation) which, as you say, does little or nothing for the occupant of the house, but, nothing really can be done for that situation.
The landlord 100% knew about Healthy Homes, they simply didn't care. Unfortunately it's really more of an honour system than anything else and landlords aren't known here to be honourable 😑
@C , thanks for sharing your perspective. I just wish we'd have paid more attention and known more about healthy homes standards ourselves. :)
Now, the reason why Landlords may not fully, or partially, furnish a property is because those furnishings then become the Landlord’s responsibility.
For example, if the Landlord puts in a dishwasher, and it breaks down, then the Landlord is responsible for fixing it. Sure, he can charge more for the rental, being furnished and all, but he may not want the hassle.
Secondly, it can cost potential tenancies as most tenants will already have their furnishings, that they’ve purchased and used in their previous rental, then what do you do with the double up of furniture and appliances, as most Landlords aren’t wealthy enough to afford storage facilities for such stuff. Hope this helps.
Maybe look at getting yourselves a dehumidifier. Plugs in and is quiet and takes moisture out of the air. Great for rooms that may have gotten musty etc. leave it on for a few days, empty the receptacle when it fills. It’s amazing how much moisture is in the air, esp winter months. Move it from room to room. Once done it really makes a big difference. Get them from Briscoes or appliance retailer stores. Get a known brand. 😊
The place we are renting in now isn’t musky and has a heat pump that also dehumidifies . So we are really happy with it ☺️
Dehumidifiers are a waste of time. Open a window and the moisture just rushes in. Expensive to run.
We have one, only just in an emergency if we had a flood. It's better to have a healthy home.
Black mould is really dangerous to health, it's not just that the place is damp, really, such buildings should be demolished, nothing helps.
@@lynettedear4833 yeah, it’s really important for us to pay more attention and be on the lookout for issues like that now .
Hi Deb and a warm welcome to NZ. I've watched your vids and jumped to get a subscription as soon as l realised you were positive people with realistic hopes regarding what life is hopefully going to be like here. Sorry for that first rental btw! I live on the other island, which incidentally is affectionately known as the Mainland, and trust that you get out of the big city to see, taste, touch and feel what else we have to offer as a small country. You've changed the IQ of both countries by moving here and the average kiwi will love to follow your adventures. 👍🏻💖🇳🇿
Thanks so much for the warm welcome. I appreciate you subscribing and your kind words, @Piano Man :) . I didn't know that the south island was known as the Mainland. Thanks for sharing about that. We did visit there in 2019 and loved it . We'll definitely be heading back there at some point for more exploring. We try to get out of the city on the weekends, and have been so happily surprised by how much there is to do that is still so close to us. Gearing up to do some vlogs on that soon. Stay tuned! :)
this was very helpful...thank you for the tip
So happy it’s helpful 😊
Trademe is now owned in Britain, so i didnt know they blocked overseas members, that seems odd.
Move is price is 6 weeks rent, two weeks is in advance, and 4 weeks is keep by a Govt bond agency.
Good to know rental things in New Zealand, quite different compare here in Canada like deposit way, hope everything does well for you guys, thank you for sharing, supporting you with full watched + +👍from Canada
Glad it was helpful to hear about our experience 😊. Thanks for the support 💖
Great video. Question: how "cold" did you guys get during the middle of winter? did you have any issues staying warm?
Oh dear that must be very frustrating good thing you are all good now. I spent 2 weeks finding a 2 bedroom apartment in Auckland and it super tiring but worth it!There was a time that i feel like im in a field trip with all other people/students looking for apartment near cbd. Thank God i landed 8mins to workplace and in a renovated building. Hahaha there’s no bed or furnitures but all the white goods are available. Enjoy NZ 🌻
@Almie, it was a learning curve for us for sure 😆, and we are really happy in our current place. Sounds like you also found an awesome place that works out well for you . That’s awesome ❤️
I was diagnosed with blood cancer here after 8 months. I lived in a cold, damp rental in Hamilton East near the private hospital I was working. I can’t help but think about how that also impacted me.
@Meghan, I’m so sorry to hear that. ❤️
I always offer a bit more,to secure a place, it has worked every time,but only if the place is nice ,and has airconditioning,here in Perth it gets very hot,a different kind of heat back home in NZ.
Thanks for chiming in. That’s an interesting approach 😊
You may need a mosquito zapper for the summertime. Just plug it in and switch on every night.
@petnzme, thanks for the suggestion. :) I'll have to find one of those if we start getting mosquitos in our apartment.
I hope you've settle well in our country and getting a little used to our way of life.
Thanks so much 😊We’re settling in well so far.
Thank you for this information. I am planning to spend about 2.5 months in New Zealand next year as a visiting professor on sabbatical at a university there. Any recommendations on finding housing for my wife and me in NZ for 2.5 months?
@Robert Dean, maybe Airbnb long term rentals… they are pricey but most places on trade me are more long term. Although, we actually did see one or two that were more flexible with the terms . So you might be able to find one on trademe. Sorry for the delayed response. 😊
not sure that was legal for him to make you still pay rent as we have the healthy home standards now. you can email citizens advice bureau to find out your legal rights around that and may also have access to a free lawyer (i think you get 15 minutes)?
We didn't want the added stress of a legal situation after still in process of getting settled. Appreciate you chiming in here though and sharing the info :)
Is best to work with the prop. manager who acts as an advocate between renters & landlord. They will give you more info. about the property compared to a landlord who only cares about the $$$
Thanks for chiming in 😊
Not sure where you really come from, but rents are paid on a weekly basis in the US too. Where did you live again?
Just curious, have you fully got back your bonds of the first rental ?
Yes
yup...cold damp houses are the norm here in NZ.. lots of people live in these crappy conditions here unfortunately.
Sorry to hear that. We feel very grateful for the place we are in now.
We may have to move there for a few years for work. We are worried because we weren't planning to do this and we have 2 cats and 2 dogs. Any insight on having pets in a rental?
That can definitely make things more challenging. The majority of places we were looking at didn’t allow pets. The ones that did had limits on the size and/ or require the permission of the body corp of the building. Some definitely do allow pets but it’s just one more factor that you’ll need to qualify for any place you’re interested in. I’ve heard that some have negotiated with their landlord by providing pet behavior references as well as a meet with the pet. I’m interested in getting a dog soon but our place doesn’t allow pets. So if we do decide to get one we’d need to get it approved with the landlord or move. Excited for you to be on an NZ adventure!! It’s a wonderful country with a culture of kindness encapsulated in epic geography 💖✨
I coming to NZ this coming Sept-Nov as a visiting professor at the University of Waikato in Hamilton. So, my wife and I are looking for someone to live there over that time period. Any advice?
Hi Robert, I’m excited for you! Most of the advice I’d have is in the video, but one thing I’d recommend is once you find a place, maybe only do a 6 month lease until you know you enjoy the place and the location. If you get in there and discover that you do, you can ask about extending the lease term. If you discover you don’t, 6 months is better than having committed to a year. I hope this and the info I shared in the video give you some useful tips 😊
Screens on windows aren't used so much in NZ because, apparently, people just don't like the look. I grew up in Northland, and our rental home had screens on the windows but none on the doors. Oh, the _blowflies!_ As I'm sure you know by now, insects are ever-present in NZ homes if you don't have screens on windows and doors. Frankly, I'd rather have screens on the windows and doors, than poison fly spray in my lungs, but maybe that's just me.
Ahh the good ole fly. Most common house flies are resistant to fly spray, even using it as fert. I praise God for Bug A Salt, sure you’re flinging salt all around the house but one taste of that salt dose and that fly’s ‘belly up’ before he, or you, can rightly comprehend. The only common problem with Bug A Salt is that there ‘quickly but surely’ becomes not enough flies, and you’ve gotta go outside looking for them… Bug A Salt!
Hi nice
Renting appliances is an option.
Good point! Thanks for chiming in. If you have any info on where and how much that type of thing is, please feel free to share it here. :)
Heat pump is a joke it’s basically an AC 😂
This makes me angry. Property in New Zealand is such a rip off. Prices of housing and rental out of control.
The amount of political attacks on the government by the opposition and landlord groups over having a healthy home standard is just political opportunism
Your case illustrates the insanity and entitlement from landlords
We need more protections for renters. This government has made some tepid changes, that have got some people clutching their pearls.
@Barry Nichols, thanks for chiming in 😊. I’m not too familiar with all the politics around it, but just hope I help someone else avoid the mistake we made.
this govt is fueling the property issues we have in this country.
Second horror story I’ve heard about renting in NZ!
I'm sure there are some in every city in every country . So, it's just a learning curve for us to be sure we are doing our part by looking into the rules around rentals to support the choices we make. Lesson learned by us on this 😆
@@DebMackey1 I don’t doubt that… every city in every country. What made me comment was posts that ramble on about how nice NZers are as though the rest of the world is a bunch of dirtbags! Obviously the landlords in NZ are no better than the rest of the world!
I can't think of 1 good reason as to why you guys moved to NZ. Besides nature, there is nothing else that is great about this place. No the money, not the food since alot of our home grown foods is exported and we get to buy importanted which makes no sense. Not the Great personalities as sadly the friendly types are rare now as everyone is struggling and can't see much to look forward to ad cost of living isn't possible anymore.
The rentals are shit but luckily not Ling ago they bought in New laws which help the renters and landlords. More so renters.
I was wondering also, what’s the draw to NZ??
i'm not a fan of new zealand but i think our food is great. try living on american food for a while and appreciate what we have here.