The Daily Blog Open Mic – 14th September 2025

The landlord problems can be as hard as the tenant ones. Both are gaining from the rental but need to meet fairness criteria. This extract from an RNZ item is an indication of why it pays to find a good agent. One thing would be not let to a person with a dog, perhaps not a cat either. There could be a private agency that holds records of good tenants that is reliable for reference.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/573016/auckland-landlord-wading-in-debt-after-tenant-quits-lease-early-damaged-property
…The tribunal finding was that most of the damage to McLaren’s property was caused by rain, after a door had been left open for the tenant’s dog to come and go.
McLaren’s builder advised that the floorboards that joined the ranch slider door were also water damaged and needed to be replaced, and repairs were needed to about three quarters of one water-damaged wall of the living room.
There were scratch marks on walls, food items had been left in the kitchen, and a recycling bin was full of non-recyclable rubbish.

A bathroom bin had been left full of rubbish and there was more rubbish scattered on the lawn.
A number of personal belongings had been left behind including clothing, kitchen utensils, a drier and other miscellaneous household items.
A laptop and heater were also left behind, McLaren said.

The tenant also damaged the deck by replacing half of it with ill-fitting and unmatching timber boards, without McLaren’s permission.
“I had people (prospective tenants) visiting that day but no one was going to take the property on at the rental price I had advertised because it just looked like an absolute state.”
She negotiated with a new tenant and reduced the weekly rent from $595 to $510 then took a day off work to pack the tenant’s belongings into about 15 rubbish bags, placed in private storage.

McLaren had insurance cover for default on rent, and damage caused to the property while occupied by tenants.
She has since learned another lesson about specialist landlord cover, and the obligations upon them, including that they must apply to the Tenancy Tribunal for vacant possession if the rent was more than 21 days overdue.
Inspections were also required at least every three months and between each tenancy.

The Insurance Council of New Zealand said that while it could not comment on individual cases, it acknowledged this was a difficult and stressful situation for the property owner.
A spokesperson said landlords needed to ensure they had the right policy in place and understood what it covered, particularly around deliberate damage and loss of rent.
They should also be aware that excesses applied per event, not when damage was discovered, and that regular inspections were an important way to identify and manage risks early.

“Loss of rent cover is also available if the property cannot be lived in due to damage from an insured event, and this is generally time-limited,” the council said.
It said landlords had responsibilities to maintain their property and take reasonable steps to prevent loss which included regular property inspections, collecting rent and bond in advance, and monitoring arrears.
The Property Investors Federation said inspections benefited the landlord and the tenant by ensuring problems were picked up and fixed quickly, before they became bigger problems.

3 COMMENTS

Greywarbler September 14, 2025 At 5:49 pm

The landlord problems can be as hard as the tenant ones. Both are gaining from the rental but need to meet fairness criteria. This extract from an RNZ item is an indication of why it pays to find a good agent. One thing would be not let to a person with a dog, perhaps not a cat either. There could be a private agency that holds records of good tenants that is reliable for reference.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/573016/auckland-landlord-wading-in-debt-after-tenant-quits-lease-early-damaged-property
…The tribunal finding was that most of the damage to McLaren’s property was caused by rain, after a door had been left open for the tenant’s dog to come and go.
McLaren’s builder advised that the floorboards that joined the ranch slider door were also water damaged and needed to be replaced, and repairs were needed to about three quarters of one water-damaged wall of the living room.
There were scratch marks on walls, food items had been left in the kitchen, and a recycling bin was full of non-recyclable rubbish.

A bathroom bin had been left full of rubbish and there was more rubbish scattered on the lawn.
A number of personal belongings had been left behind including clothing, kitchen utensils, a drier and other miscellaneous household items.
A laptop and heater were also left behind, McLaren said.

The tenant also damaged the deck by replacing half of it with ill-fitting and unmatching timber boards, without McLaren’s permission.
“I had people (prospective tenants) visiting that day but no one was going to take the property on at the rental price I had advertised because it just looked like an absolute state.”
She negotiated with a new tenant and reduced the weekly rent from $595 to $510 then took a day off work to pack the tenant’s belongings into about 15 rubbish bags, placed in private storage.

McLaren had insurance cover for default on rent, and damage caused to the property while occupied by tenants.
She has since learned another lesson about specialist landlord cover, and the obligations upon them, including that they must apply to the Tenancy Tribunal for vacant possession if the rent was more than 21 days overdue.
Inspections were also required at least every three months and between each tenancy.

The Insurance Council of New Zealand said that while it could not comment on individual cases, it acknowledged this was a difficult and stressful situation for the property owner.
A spokesperson said landlords needed to ensure they had the right policy in place and understood what it covered, particularly around deliberate damage and loss of rent.
They should also be aware that excesses applied per event, not when damage was discovered, and that regular inspections were an important way to identify and manage risks early.

“Loss of rent cover is also available if the property cannot be lived in due to damage from an insured event, and this is generally time-limited,” the council said.
It said landlords had responsibilities to maintain their property and take reasonable steps to prevent loss which included regular property inspections, collecting rent and bond in advance, and monitoring arrears.
The Property Investors Federation said inspections benefited the landlord and the tenant by ensuring problems were picked up and fixed quickly, before they became bigger problems.
Greywarbler September 14, 2025 At 6:03 pm

Body cameras for police in NZAO. About –
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/572550/why-nz-police-don-t-wear-body-cameras-and-if-that-will-change
…Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said that he sees body cameras as a priority to deliver for frontline staff.
“Work is under way to explore options to do this while also considering the legal, privacy and operational issues this will raise,” he told RNZ.

Nearly two years ago in late September 2023, Police Association president Chris Cahill told the New Zealand Herald that its members supported the tech and it “was a matter of when not if” they were adopted….
Ignatius September 15, 2025 At 2:06 am

I’d rather be an Ally of Brazil who prosecute and imprison tin pot dictators who attempt bad coup which undermine democracy. Than the 5 eyes deal we mired in.

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