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The New Zealand Real Estate Institute (Reinz) has welcomed a promise to introduce a code of conduct for Labor property managers if re-elected.
Property management is currently unregulated in New Zealand, and the introduction of industry standards would protect both landlords and tenants, Labor said.
“Workers will work with the industry to develop practical standards and consider the similarities and differences with the existing regulatory regime for real estate agents,” the party said in comments accompanying its housing plan.
“A property manager will need to abide by a Code of Conduct, meet a good test of character, and follow a framework for tenants and follow a framework for tenants and their advocates to raise and resolve issues they may have with their property managers.”
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Reinz has welcomed the promise of a code of conduct for Labor property managers if re-elected.
In Australia, property managers had to adhere to the same rules as real estate agents, including licensing and minimum qualification requirements, Labor said.
Reinz had been campaigning for more than 10 years to try to raise the bar for property managers, Chief Executive Officer Bindi Norwell said.
“We are delighted with today’s announcement that Labor would work with the industry to develop practical standards to ensure property managers adhere to a code of conduct,” it said in a statement.
“New Zealand is currently one of the few OECD countries that does not regulate its property managers.
“This lack of regulation has had a negative impact on tenants and landlords who have reported bad experiences due to property managers acting unprofessionally and not taking responsibility for their actions.
“It also jeopardizes the reputations of good property managers who are doing great work in the industry.”
JOHN BISSET / THINGS
New Zealand is one of the few OECD countries that does not regulate property managers, says Bindi Norwell.
The New Zealand Institute of Property Managers (Prominz) “widely supported” efforts to reform and upgrade the skills of residential property managers, said President David Pearse.
“We would like a seat at the table given that Labor’s recent policy statement is quite light on detail,” Pearse said.
“A key question for us is what is the expectation of private owners? They may not employ professional property managers, they also need to improve their skills. “
Prominz had been developing its own code of ethics and mandatory education, and was about to launch a qualification of accredited residential property managers.
“In the end, it really doesn’t matter which party wins the election, we should all try harder to raise the bar,” Pearse said.
Robert Whittaker of Renters United said compulsory licensing was a key part of the proposal.
“It would not be a voluntary code, and we assume by saying that if people persistently misbehave, their license can be suspended or revoked, which we think is really important. There has to be a penalty at the end to make sure it’s meaningful.
“We want to make sure this industry professionalizes, and the things that we’ve seen in recent years around bullying and harassment and misbehavior and misrepresentation of people’s legal rights, that all of those things are taken away.” Whittaker said.
“A large proportion of our rental properties are now managed by property management companies, especially in the larger cities. You generally cannot choose who is the owner or manager of your property.
“Property management companies, their clients are the owners, not the tenants, and they often talk about how they take care of their tenants, but the reality is that we are not the clients.
“We hope that the professionalization of the workforce and the introduction of a code of conduct will encourage property managers to focus a little more on serving the needs of people who pay rent and less focused on their clients.”
Labor noted that Consumer NZ says property managers had a key to someone’s home, collected rent, and had access to financial information about tenants, but they didn’t have to meet any professional standards.
“The residential leasing industry has said that the lack of controls means that tenants may be reluctant to complain to or about the property manager for fear of losing their homes or jeopardizing their ability to rent houses in the future. ”Labor said.
“Landlords are also vulnerable to misconduct by property managers, with some reporting to the Auckland District Law Society that they feel powerless to do anything, either due to lack of money to file a claim or lack of legal ways to recover losses “.
They also called for improvements in the sector: Salvation Army, Property Council NZ, Habitat for Humanity, Renters United, Tenants Protection Association and Citizens Advice Bureau.
