Tenancy Services say some Dunedin landlords have left it too late to meet the new Healthy Homes Standards.
An investigations team has been checking 54 student flats over the past month, with problems found in most properties — from minor issues to mushrooms found growing in a lounge.
However, landlords say the crackdown is “not a fair or complete picture”.
MBIE used a team of 11 investigators — some flown in from Northland, Auckland and Porirua — to finish flat checks this week, ahead of the new rules kicking in for rentals on July 1.
An investigations team has been checking student flats, but landlords say the crackdown isn’t a fair picture. (Source: 1News)
Landlords have had years to comply but MBIE Tenancy Investigations Manager Brett Wilson said: “There were issues across most of the properties”.
While most were minor, when it came to the serious cases, he said: “We would have expected that landlords would have gotten those resolved well before now.”
Otago University Students Association president Liam White joined some checks and said: “There was one flat where mushrooms were growing in the living room and mould as big as my hand… that was $250 a week.”
Healthy Homes Standards mean by next month rentals must have fixed heaters in living rooms, under-floor and ceiling insulation, extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens, windows and doors in all liveable spaces, efficient drainage and guttering and effective draft stopping.
Eighteen Dunedin landlords or property managers declined or ignored MBIE’s requests to inspect in the past month.
But Wilson said there would be follow up and “there is the ability for us to get an order from the Tenancy Tribunal to actually go and visit the property”.
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The inspections come after one household of Dunedin renters won $2500 over the state of the property they were living in in April. One of the residents, Zoe Eckhoff, 19 said: “There was still mould everywhere. It was all this overgrowth. It was just it was not ready for us.”
‘Simply not acceptable’
In a statement to 1News, the Otago Property Investors Association said: “It is simply not acceptable for rental properties to fall short of any required standards, and it’s disappointing to hear that so many did — even if the issues were minor.”
The association also said members “understand that many of the landlords and property managers involved in these inspections are eager to address the problems for their tenants as quickly as possible”.
“However, as of now, they have not received any information from MBIE detailing the specific areas their properties failed on, despite repeated requests. This lack of communication has left them in the dark and very frustrated.
“It’s also important to note that most of the inspected properties were located in the more “party” part of the student area, which does not provide a fair or complete picture of the broader student rental market.”
In response, MBIE said it focused on areas with “risk of the greatest harm”.
“While we understand their [landlords’] frustration, this was a significant operation with a large amount of information gathered and it has taken time to assess it all. We intend to contact all landlords directly to discuss any concerns with their properties. This process should begin shortly.”