Final Days

Supervision Workshop
Monday 30 April
A practical 2-hour workshop led by Graham Crews, who is sure to engage and entice you in this subject area.

Rising Stars Auctioneering Training
Tuesday 1 May
Get ready for the national competitions in June at REINZ! Come along to this 1-day hands-on, practical workshop and get yourself sorted for the novice champs.

Non-Verifiable Training

PropertySmarts Workshop - Free
Friday 8 May
Presented by Deborah Barns – REINZ Digital Product Manager. Come join us for a 1-hour tutorial on PropertySmarts. This course includes training on different elements of the tool.

Property Management Workshop - Prospecting Strategies
Friday 18 May
For Property Managers, Agency Owners and Business Development Managers looking for strategies to grow your portfolio.
Check out the poster here

Compliance Review 2018: Staying Safe with the REA.
Wednesday 13 June
Presented by Graham Crews with special guest: Kevin Lampen-Smith, CEO of the REA.

Keep up with the latest non-verifiable courses being updated here.

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Webinars

REINZ launches 20 new webinars by mid-year!
Click here for more information.

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Verifiable Training

Whangarei Verifiable Training Seminar
Wednesday 9 & Thursday 10 May
Registration deadline Tuesday 30 April - a $50 per person late fee will apply after this date.

New Plymouth Verifiable Training Seminar
Wednesday 16 & Thursday 17 May
Registration deadline Tuesday 11 May - a $50 per person late fee will apply after this date.

Hamilton Verifiable Training Seminar
Wednesday 23 & Thursday 24 May
Registration deadline Monday 14 May - a $50 per person late fee will apply after this date

Invercargill Verifiable Training Seminar
Wednesday 23 & Thursday 24 May
Registration deadline Monday 14 May - a $50 per person late fee will apply after this date

Region	Dates	Location
May
Whangarei	9 - 10	Toll Stadium	Book Now
New Plymouth	16 - 17	Novotel	Book Now
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 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

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Upcoming REINZ Breakfasts and Seminars

Superstars Breakfast - Tuesday 1 May, 7.30am – 10am
Come and join MC Bryan Thomson, Dame Rosanne Meo, Bindi Norwell and our panellists as they share their insights into their winning secrets to success at our popular ‘Superstars Breakfast’.
Cost includes entry, buffet breakfast, tea and coffee as well as a line-up of top speakers.
Download the poster

North Island Rural Seminar - Save the date - 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

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REINZ Conference

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.

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.

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!

May
Superstars Breakfast	1 May	7.30am– 10am	Grand Millennium, Auckland
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

Submissions on the Letting Fee Ban due 23 May 2018

Submissions on the Residential Tenancies (Prohibiting Letting Fees) Amendment Bill are due on 23 May. Submissions can be made via the NZ Parliament website.

Click here for the submission page.

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Tenant to pay Meth Testing and Decontamination Costs

Facts: The tenancy started in 2006 and ended in September 2017, after the premises were found to be uninhabitable due to meth contamination.

The Landlord arranged to have the premises tested for meth in August 2017. The report stated that 22 locations were tested, 21 locations tested positive for meth, and 14 of the positive tests were above the acceptable standard of 1.5µg/100cm2 (based on the New Zealand Standard 8510: 2017). The highest reading was 23µg/100cm2 and the lowest reading was 1.93µg/100cm2.

The report recommended extensive cleaning and remediation actions.

The Landlord claimed costs of meth testing amounting to $3,298.20 and remedial work which totalled $17,411.

Decision: The Landlord succeeded in their claim. The Tribunal was satisfied, from evidence heard at the hearing, that it was more probable than not that the contamination occurred during this tenancy.

The Tenant said she believed a family member was responsible for the contamination and, whilst she had asked this person to leave, the relative would return to the premises when she was out.

The Tribunal referred to section 41(2) of the Residential Tenancies Act, which states that a tenant must prove they took all reasonable steps to prevent any person, who has intentionally or carelessly damaged the premises, from entering the premises. The Tribunal found the Tenant did not prove this, and noted she did not contact the Landlord or seek any other assistance to address her concerns about the drug-related issues and her relative.

Click here for the decision.

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.

Advertising yourself as an “Agent” when holding a Salesperson’s licence

When you hold a salesperson’s licence under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008 (the REA Act), we recommend that best practice is to refrain from claiming to be a “licensed agent” in your advertising or promotional material.

Salesperson licensees can, of course, advertise themselves as a “licensed salesperson” or, as required under section 121 of the REA Act, simply note that they are “licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008”.

The REA Act prescribes three different class of licences – an agent’s licence, a branch manager’s licence, and a salesperson’s licence. As the criteria, required qualifications, and what you can do under each class of licence is different, a salesperson licensee who holds out, or advertise themselves, as being licensed under a different licence class risks breaching the REA Act, the Client Care Rules and/or the Fair Trading Act, as their conduct could be misleading to clients and consumers.

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Does the 90-day listing period criterion only apply to residential listings?

Section 131 of the REA Act – which states that any parties to a sole agency agreement that continues for longer than 90 days may, at any time after the expiry of the 90 days, cancel the sole agency agreement by written notice – only applies in respect of residential properties.

Section 131 defines what “residential property” means for this purpose. It does not include residential properties developed by a developer as part of a subdivision.

This does not mean that anything goes, in terms of listing periods, for licensees signing up listings for non-residential properties. Licensees who sign up excessively long listing periods with their client risks being found in breach of Rule 9.12 of the Client Care Rules: “An agent must not impose conditions on a client through an agency agreement that are not reasonably necessary to protect the interests of the agent”.

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.

Buyers could save more than $1 million by choosing an apartment as their entry point into top Auckland suburbs

Bindi Norwell, Chief Executive at REINZ says: "For those wanting to gain an entry point into some of Auckland's top suburbs, considering an apartment rather than a residential property is a much more affordable way of getting into some of these areas. Apartments have come a long way in the last 20 years to having top-end fixtures and fittings, eco-friendly/energy saving features and extensive communal areas."

Read more 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.