Property Owners

Our expert Property Managers will ensure your investment is generating the maximum returns possible. We work for the Owners and act with your best interest in mind. Our service standards guarantee ensures that the rent is collected on time, property maintenance is completed and inspections are done on time every time.

“I am confident that our service is unmatched by others, so confident in fact that we offer a 3 month money back guarantee if you are not happy with our service.  We understand that you have choices.  With that in mind, we hope once you consider what Housemart has to offer, your choice will be us!“ - Hayley Stevenson

We’ve shared some of our most frequently asked questions to help you out!

How much rent can I get for my property?

Our Housemart experts offer a free market rent appraisal for your property.  Tenancy Services also provides a market rent guide on their website, based on bonds lodged over the previous 6 months.

How do I access my Owner Portal?

The owner portal allows you to view and download your statements and other documents relating to your property.

You can visit the owner portal here: Owner Portal

How does Housemart market my property?

We reach the widest possible audience by presenting your property on our Housemart website, TradeMe.co.nz and Realestate.co.nz, and local advertising via our office and newspapers.

When your property is being advertised for rent, we personally show every potential tenant through.  That means we can present all the features your house offers, whilst keeping your property secure.

Do I need property insurance?

If you’re a landlord, make sure your property is insured and that the cover is for a rental. Landlords are responsible for paying the premiums and if tenants or their guests cause careless damage in a rental property, they will be liable for the cost of the damage up to four weeks’ rent or the landlord’s insurance excess, whichever is lower.

Landlords must provide insurance information in any new tenancy agreement, including whether or not the property is insured, and the excess amount of any relevant policies.

Some insurance companies require a certain number of property inspections each year for your cover to be valid. Please check with your insurance company and let us know if they are required more frequently than our standard 3-4 monthly cycle.

You may also choose to insure any furniture or other items that are in the agreement. Any damage to them won’t be covered by the tenant’s contents insurance.

For your insurance to be valid in the event of a fire, your property MUST have working smoke alarms that comply with new legislation introduced in 2016. Housemart can help ensure your property complies.

What are routine inspections?

Routine inspections allow us to check room by room that the tenant is keeping the property damage free and reasonably clean, and to capture any maintenance issues that have not been reported. We keep you informed with a written report including photos and/or videos, and contact you if maintenance may cost more than $350. If the tenant has caused the damage, we will ask them to pay for repairs and follow-up reimbursement for you.

We inspect the property approximately every 3-4 months – this helps us to make sure your property is being looked after. We let your tenants know 7 days before an inspection, and provide them with a form where they can note any maintenance issues or concerns. 

How often can I increase my rent?

Our team at Housemart makes sure your rent is reviewed every 12 months against market conditions as per the Residential Tenancies Act.

We will always contact you for your permission before the rent is increased.

We must give the tenants at least 60 days written notice of a rent increase. This is why we conduct rent reviews 9 months into the tenancy/after the last increase so that we have time to discuss with you and then put the notice period in place, in time for the rent to be increased at the 12 month mark.

How do I end my tenancy early?

The landlord or tenant can’t give notice to end a fixed-term tenancy early unless by mutual agreement. However, there are some options available if landlords or tenants want to do this.

If a landlord or tenant has an unexpected change in circumstances, they can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal for help. If the applicant will suffer from severe hardship if the tenancy continues, the Tribunal may decide to end the fixed-term early at a date the Tribunal determines is appropriate. For this to happen the hardship of the applicant (if the tenancy continues) would need to be greater than the other person's (if the tenancy ends early).

We would encourage that we have a discussion with the Tenants in the change in your circumstances first and try to reach an agreement.

What is a break lease?

A Break Lease is when the Tenants wish to vacate the property and end their Tenancy Agreement before the expiry date of their Fixed Term agreement.

A fixed term tenancy agreement means Tenants and Landlords cannot give notice to end a ‘fixed term tenancy’ early. However, if landlord (yourself) and all tenants agree to go through the ‘Break Lease Process’ we can change the terms of an existing agreement to finish early (should suitable new tenants be found to take over).

You, as the landlord, are not liable for costs associated with re-letting the property. The tenant pays a ‘break lease fee’ to cover the cost of advertising, finding new tenants, and setting up a new tenancy. This is the same amount you would have paid as a landlord in the form of an ‘Owner Letting Fee’.

The tenant is liable for rent up until the day a suitable new tenant moves in, meaning you will not have any breaks in your rental income.

The Landlord can bring the property up to current market rent when finding replacement tenants. When a new tenancy has been established, the rent cannot be increased again for 12 months. Note; If the rent is increased when readvertising for a break lease and new tenants cannot be found within a reasonable timeframe, the tenant could apply to Tenancy Tribunal.

A new tenancy agreement will be generated and signed. If you would like to make any changes, please let us know, we can help you choose which type of tenancy agreements suits you and adjust your property advertisement to fit your needs. We will contact you as soon as we have suitable applicants for you to approve.

What is an assignment of tenancy?

An assignment is where a tenant finds someone to replace them in the tenancy. The person who replaces the tenant takes over all the tenant's responsibilities under the tenancy agreement. A tenant can make a written request at any time to assign their tenancy to someone else for the remaining duration of their lease, unless otherwise agreed by both parties.

The applicant is required to fill in a Housemart application where we will do reference and credit checks before presenting the applicants to you to consider.

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