July 2021 Newsletter

What You Can and Cannot Charge Your Tenants For

In the Tauranga City and Western Bay OF Plenty, rubbish and recycle bins are now provided through your Land Rates, we have been asked about adding this onto your Tenants Rent so I asked the question of Tenancy Services and this was their response –

• Where the local council has supplied rubbish or recycling bins for the property, the landlord should pass these services on to the tenants. If the cost for the bins/service is part of the rates and not on a per usage basis, it is the landlords cost. The landlord is not required to provide more or better rubbish facilities for the tenant, but they can choose to.
•  If the local council does not provide bins or bags for rubbish/recycling, the tenant will need to buy their own.
•  If the bins go missing through no fault of the tenant, the landlord needs to arrange a replacement through the local council.

Rain gutters and outside windows must be kept clean by the landlord, tree pruning is also the Owners responsibility, Tenants must maintain gardens and lawns if that is written in their Tenancy Agreement

Water Rates can only be charged to a Tenant if there is a separate water meter which determines how much water they have used as with Power, it is against the law to estimate how much Water or Power may have been used by your Tenant and then charged for it

Don’t hesitate to contact Dan dan@taurangarentals.co.nz if you have any queries.