I’ve been waiting 29 days and still no bond refund!
Renter says delay in getting a bond refund is causing her financial hardship
A Hamilton woman is frustrated she’s been waiting three weeks for Tenancy Services to process her bond refund while she’s had to find a $1520 bond for her next tenancy.
Shaina Moss, who moved out of her previous flat in February, said in the past it had taken her about 10 days to get a bond refund, which she said was reasonable.
After a relationship break-up with her partner of 12 years, who also lived at the flat, Moss and the three other tenants left the property. The refund form for the $2600 total bond was lodged with Tenancy Services on March 4.
She was originally told the wait would be 15 working days, but during that time Tenancy Services extended the time to up to 20 working days.
I moved out of my rental on the 28th February.
On the 11th March, Housing & Tenancy Services emailed me to say my bond would be with me in 15 days.
It’s 29th March – no bond paid back & today Housing and Tenancy Services email me to say they have no record of my bond.
Thank you @MBIEgovtnz
This is just another example of how renters get fucked in this country.
Not only are you at the whim of the landlord for any natural wear and tear to their untaxed rental, you then get fucked by the very agency supposed to protect your interests!
Remember, renters still have to cough up the 4 weeks bond before moving in and are now being delayed over a month to get it back and then told they had no record of you!
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Is this the same type of government dept that the Labour government want to be given control of the entire country’s water supply both in and out of homes and waste water. If so I will be buying a Jerry can just in case.
Imagine if banks did the same with wild eyed property speculators who have just closed on a house flip, holding the predators to ransom by witholding their money until they see fit. The wild eyed property speculators would be bloody crying with outrage, the media would go into bat for them and the government would probably start an inquiry
I’ve had only one landlord who did not want the bond to go anywhere other than to him at the end, even though he could not justify it. I saw a looming never-ending struggle ahead and just told him to keep it. However I’m not advising that for anyone else. I was all-out of fight at the time.
But… Having no record of the bond?
After having said it would be there in 15 days?
It doesn’t make sense.
I wonder how often that happens to people.
Grant says that if renters are unhappy with their rent or conditions they can look elsewhere. Well they can look, but they’re not necessarily going to find anything. And if they do, the cost of moving is significant.
Over on Kiwiblog they are all threatening to raise rent the equavalent of the tax deduction they have lost. What they have forgotten is that there are more and more properties for rent on tradme every month. Auckland has nearly 5500 properties where if you go back two years there were only about 4000.
Tenants can still refuse to pay any increase, ask for arbitration and with the new laws it is very hard for the landlord to get rid of tenants. If you landlord is unreasonable give him the finger.
This is the Ministry for Everything @ Martyn. It’s never been able to walk and chew gum at the same time.
IF it makes improvements in one area (such as it has in starting to take worker exploitation seriously with a few more prosecutions of arseholes) – rest assured it comes at the expense of falling short elsewhere,
Messrs Coleman and Joyce – working as designed.
The saddest thing about it all is that its responsible Munsters seem happy enough with all its failings and have “complete FAITH in its officials”. So far they haven’t yet managed to make a big enough bite in Ministerial bums for them to wake up. Although if someone from the 4th Estate took the time to look back and presented it all, it might be a different matter.
Bond release requires a join signature release form with your landlord.
If Tenancy Services have no record of your bond, it may be because your landlord never filed it.
If that that’s the case – then that is illegal https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/rent-bond-and-bills/bond/preventing-problems-with-bonds/
If so, and you have evidence that money was paid as bond (bank statement) then you should file an application with the tenancy tribunal
https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/disputes/tribunal/making-an-application/