The Labour Government delivered its maiden budget yesterday with some mixed results. From an industry perspective there weren’t many surprises as a lot of the announcements around KiwiBuild and homelessness had already been made.
However, REINZ welcomed the announcement that Housing New Zealand to is to receive an additional $234 million to build 6,400 more state and social homes over the next 4 years and that a new unit will be established to oversee compliance within the Resource Management Act and to improve consistency across councils.
Additionally, REINZ believes that landlords are being left out in the cold without access to Healthy Homes Insulation Grants and has raised concerns around the changes to the KiwiBuild revisions.
You can read the REINZ press release regarding the state and social housing budget here, our view on the unit to oversee compliance within the Resource Management Act here, and our comments regarding the Healthy Homes Insulation Grants here.
Last chance to register
REINZ Enhanced Statistic Platform training
Thursday 24 May
FREE
Verifiable Training
Taupo Verifiable Training
Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 June.
Registration deadline Monday 28 May - a $50 per person late fee will apply after this date.
Rotorua Verifiable Training
Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 June.
Registration deadline Monday 11 June - a $50 per person late fee will apply after this date.
Non-Verifiable Training
2018 Compliance Review Workshop: Staying Safe with the REA.
Wednesday 13 June
Presented by Graham Crews with special guest: Kevin Lampen-Smith, CEO of the REA. Book here.
NEW! Masterclass for Real Estate Managers.
Thursday 28 June.
One day workshop with key note speaker Bruce Cotterill.Limited to 10. Check out all the details here.
Sales Excellence Workshop: Strategies to Increase Listings and Sales.
Thursday 7 June.
Book here
Social Media Workshop: Using Facebook and LinkedIn effectively.
Friday 22 June.
Book here
| Region | Dates | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| May | |||
| Hamilton | 23 - 24 | Hamilton Working Mans Club | Book Now |
| Invercargill | 23 - 24 | Ascot Park Hotel | Book Now |
| June | |||
| Taupo | 6 - 7 | Great Lakes Centre | Book Now |
| Rotorua | 20 - 21 | Holiday Inn | Book Now |
| Whakatane | 27 - 28 | Tuscany Villa | Book Now |
| Timaru | 27 - 28 | The Grosvenor | Book Now |
| July | |||
| Wellington | 4 - 5 | ASB Sports Centre | Book Now |
| Nelson | 25 - 26 | Trailways Hotel | Book Now |
| Palmerston North | 25 - 26 | Hotel Coachman | Book Now |
Upcoming REINZ Seminars
North Island Rural Seminar - Tuesday 12 June, 11am – 3pm
On the day before Mystery Creek opens – join us for a half day seminar, filled with knowledge, inspiration and information, tailored specifically to the Rural Sector.
Download the poster
Auctioneering Championships
New Zealand Auctioneering Championships
Sunday 17 June - Tuesday 19 June, REINZ Centre of Excellence
Join us for the annual New Zealand Auctioneering Championships, where the most skilled and professional auctioneers in New Zealand will compete for the title
Visit the website
Australasian Auctioneering Championships
Sunday 14 October - Tuesday 16 October, Auckland
The Australasian Championships is an annual event representing the most skilled and professional auctioneers that Australia and New Zealand has to offer, with the top two auctioneers from the New Zealand competition, and the top two from each of the six Australian states, all competing for the Australasian title
Visit the website
Upcoming REINZ Regional Meeting
Manawatu and Wanganui Regional Meeting
Wednesday 20 June, 4pm – 6pm
Come and join Mayor Grant Smith, Dame Rosanne Meo, Bindi Norwell and Richard Warner from Property Press as they share their insights into what is happening in the region.
Download the poster
Wellington Regional Meeting
Wednesday 20 June, 4pm – 6pm
Join Dame Rosanne Meo in her final year as Chairman and Mark Coffey, Regional Director to hear Bindi Norwell speak about what’s happening at REINZ and share the latest regional data. Our partner Property Press will share some relevant new research.
Download the poster
Earlybird Conference Tickets available
Residential Property Management Conference
Friday 3 August, 8am - 5.30pm
Join us for our annual RPM Conference for 2018, held at the Pullman Auckland Hotel. Hosted by Simon McKinney and featuring keynote speaker Hon Phil Twyford.
Please register separately if you wish to attend the cocktail party where we will announce an inaugural Property Management Award.
Download the poster
Commercial & Industrial Conference
Friday 3 August, 8am - 5.30pm
Join us for our annual C&I Conference for 2018 and earn 6.0 NV hours. Hosted by Simon McKinney and featuring keynote speaker Hon Phil Twyford.
This year our conference will be held at the, Pullman Auckland Hotel. Please register separately to attend the evening cocktail party giving you the opportunity to network with colleagues.
Download the poster
Conference Cocktail Evening
Friday 3 August, 5.30pm - 8pm
Join us for our end of conference cocktail party at the Pullman Auckland Hotel. This is included in your conference registration but get in quick as there is limited space!
2018 REINZ Awards for Excellence
Tuesday 28 August, 6pm - 10pm
Entries are open from 5 June 2018.
Download the invitation
| June | |||
| North Island Rural Seminar | 12 June | 11am – 3pm | Hamilton |
| NZ Auctioneering Championships Draw | 17 June | 5.30pm – 7.30pm | REINZ, Auckland |
| NZ Auctioneering Championships Heats | 18 June | 10am – 5pm | REINZ, Auckland |
| NZ Auctioneering Championships Finals | 19 June | 10am – 6pm | REINZ, Auckland |
| Manawatu & Wanganui Regional Meeting | 20 June | 4pm – 6pm | Manawatu Golf Club, Palmerston North |
| August | |||
| REINZ Property Management Conference | 3 August | 8am - 5.30pm | Pullman Hotel, Auckland |
| REINZ C&I Conference | 3 August | 8am - 5.30pm | Pullman Hotel, Auckland |
| Conference Cocktail Evening | 3 August | 5.30pm - 8pm | Pullman Hotel, Auckland |
| September | |||
| Women's Breakfast | 27 September | 7.30am - 10am | Pullman Hotel, Auckland |
| October | |||
| Australasian Auctioneering Championships Draw | 14 October | 6pm - 7.30pm | REINZ Centre of Excellence, Auckland |
| Australasian Auctioneering Championships Heats | 15 October | 10am - 5pm | Q Theatre, Auckland |
| Australasian Auctioneering Championships Senior Finals | 16 October | 10am - 5pm | Q Theatre, Auckland |
| Australasian Auctioneering Championships Gala Dinner | 16 October | 6.30pm - 10.30pm | The Maritime Room, Auckland |
Consumer NZ recommends retailers to stop selling ionisation smoke alarms
Consumer NZ says that it is working with retailers to remove ionisation-type smoke alarms from shelves, after a test it conducted showed ionisation alarms give much less warning of smouldering fires. Read Consumer NZ’s article here
Consumer NZ’s test showed that ionisation models were “faster at detecting flaming fires (burning wood and oil) but much slower at detecting smoke from smouldering foam”.
Smouldering fires can be caused by a variety of factors such as curtains draped over a heater, or faulty electrical wiring. The slower detection by ionisation models may make it less likely for occupants to get out of the home quickly and safely in the event of fire.
Property managers are reminded that the Residential Tenancies Act has made it compulsory for all rental properties to have working smoke alarms. Existing ionisation alarms can stay where they are, but new smoke alarms must be photoelectric and have a battery life of at least 8 years or be hard-wired.
Compensation awarded for loss of power and roof issues
Facts: The Tenant made allegations against the Landlord on several grounds, including that the Landlord had failed to address the issue of the driveway, which would flood whenever it rained. The property manager responded that they had only ever noticed puddles in the driveway during routine inspections, and the Tenant had never raised the flooding issue at such inspections.
The Tenant’s claims further included that he lost electricity to the hall and a bedroom when it rained during 2015. The roof was leaking and affected the electricity supply. Although the Landlord patched the roof afterwards, the Tenant again lost electricity to the hall and bedroom during some rain in 2016. He said nothing was done by the property manager to repair the problem.
Decision: The Tribunal dismissed the Tenant’s claim concerning the flooding driveway. It noted that whilst the photographic evidence showed the driveway does flood in heavy rain, there was contradictory evidence from the parties about whether the Tenant made sufficient notification of the issue. It found the Tenant did not produce sufficient evidence to show the driveway had a structural issue and/or that it breaches health and safety regulations.
The Tribunal awarded compensation for the part of the claim concerning weathertightness issues with the roof, which cut electricity supply to the hall and bedroom and caused water to pool in the ceiling cavity. It noted that the hallway lights were only reconnected two months later, and the roof was not repaired until over a year after the Landlord had first known of the problem. The leaking roof had not only affected the electricity supply, but potentially affected also the health and safety of the Tenant and his family, particularly in regard to damp living conditions and mould. The Tribunal found there was an excessive delay for the repair to take place.
Disclaimer: The information in these case summaries is for general informational purposes only and may only discuss some, not all, aspects of a case. It does not constitute legal or other professional advice and does not replace your company’s internal policies and guidelines. Always check your company’s guidelines, policies and information first and seek legal advice if you have any queries.
New look for the REINZ Advisory webpage
REINZ maintains a library of information sheets, guides, and templates that are intended to help you understand and comply with relevant and topical issues arising out of your real estate business activities.
We have recently refreshed the layout of our Advisory webpage.. Documents are now organised by category (for example, all supervision-related resources are now under the category “Supervision”, and guides that don’t fit under a particular category are in a separate table called “General Compliance Guides”). The result is a more streamlined way of organising the resources available for you. There is also a search engine on the page to help you find what you need faster.
We hope you like the new look of our Advisory webpage. If you have any comments on it, please feel free to email Sonia Ng.
Case Update: Appraisal must still be provided for property, even if it was listed on a price per square metre basis
Facts: The Licensee was engaged on behalf of a trust to sell a large vacant commercial site. The Complainant was a prospective beneficiary of the trust. He was not a trustee. It was the Complainant’s father (a trustee of the vendor trust), who was mainly involved in the sale process and ongoing dealings with the Licensee.
The crux of the complaint was that the Licensee did not act in the vendor’s best interest as he failed to negotiate fairly with other prospective purchasers. The Complainant said the Licensee kept promoting one prospective purchaser company (Company 1) over others as the Licensee and the CEO of Company 1 were friends. It was also revealed that the Licensee did not provide an appraisal. The Licensee explained this was because he listed the property at the value and price per square metre that the vendor had requested.
Decision: The CAC found the Licensee had engaged in unsatisfactory conduct solely in relation to his failure to provide an appraisal. The requirement to provide an appraisal is clearly specified by Rule 10.2 of the Client Care Rules.
The CAC noted that, whilst commercial property of the nature in this complaint is commonly marketed on the basis of a price per square metre, that practice does not excuse the Licensee from an obligation to comply with the Rules.
The other aspects of the complaint were dismissed. This finding was made with reference to the fact that the dealings with the Licensee were mainly carried out by the Complainant’s father, and the CAC was unable to reach a sound conclusion on those aspects without the father’s co-operation in the investigation. The evidence suggested that more than one offer was received for the property. The Complainant’s father also did not dispute the Licensee’s claim that he had been transparent and had disclosed his association with Company 1’s CEO.
Please email any advisory or compliance questions to Sonia Ng, Lawyer, REINZ Advisory Services, and we may feature your question and our response here. This column is intended for general information only and does not constitute legal advice and does not replace your agency’s internal policies and guidelines. Always check your agency’s guidelines, policies and information first and seek legal advice if you have any queries.
REINZ hosts a well-attended PA and Admin function
Last night the REINZ Education Team put on a wonderful event at the Centre of Excellence for all the PAs, EAs, Office Administrators and Operations Managers who work behind the scenes in the real estate offices. The event was well-attended and was a great opportunity to showcase the rooms and facilities for hire at the Centre of Excellence. This event was our way of acknowledging all the hard work that administrators do and it was also a good chance for people to network across the industry. We look forward to welcoming you to more events like this in the future!
Congratulations to the winner of our door prize. Thank you to our generous member benefits partner Recognise and Reward for their generous gift of a magnum of Champagne.
Click here for our Centre of Excellence brochure and contact us today should you wish to hire a modern, stylish venue for any meetings, conferences or seminars.
Creating healthier and safer workplaces together
ACC is proposing some new, enhanced products it believes will help lead to healthier and safer workplaces and it would like to know what you think. These products may affect your ACC levy, so it’s important you understand what’s being proposed and how it might affect you.
Find out more and have your say at shapeyouracc.co.nz/workplace-incentives for more information or, for a quick introduction of what ACC proposing, see its video here.
REINZ works in partnership with NetYourJob recruitment to provide maximum industry coverage when you’re looking for real estate staff. NetYourJob can provide REINZ Members with competitive marketing rates for job advertising. Contact NetYourJob on 0800 638 968 to find out more or click here to view new jobs this week.
