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A Nelson landlord said it was his inexperience that led him to ask for a $ 5,000 bond on his rental property.
When a prospective tenant responded to Bijendra Shrestha’s listing on the Facebook marketplace, he was shocked when he responded with a request for bail that was more than double the legal requirement.
“I spoke to my insurance team, they said my [excess] It’s 5k, so if you could do that, we could talk more, ”Shreshta texted him.
Supplied
A potential Nelson tenant has spoken out after a landlord asked for a $ 5,000 bond.
Under the Residential Leasing Law, a landlord can request a bond equivalent to a rent of up to four weeks. For the $ 450 property, that came to $ 1800.
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The woman, who asked not to be identified, contacted local real estate agents to verify.
“They all said this was illegal and [the landlord] I can’t ask for that much, ”he said.
With a baby due in a few weeks and the Nelson housing market, the woman felt pressure to find a place quickly, she said.
“At least we were able to step back for a second … we’re pretty desperate so this could have ended a lot worse than it did.”
Shrestha said Things he was a new owner and was unaware of the law.
BRADEN FASTIER / Things
to ???? No matter how tight things are [in the rental market] the owners are obliged to comply with the law, ‘???? Nelson MP Rachel Boyack said.
It was only after the comments that followed her announcement that she learned of the four-week rental rule, she said.
“I have not had bad experiences, but I have seen so many times that tenants have run away without paying their rent,” he said.
“If something goes wrong in the house, any damage caused by the tenants, I have to pay for it.”
When asked if she had posted her tenants’ bonds with Tenancy Services, another requirement of the Residential Leasing Act, Shrestha said she was not aware and asked for more information.
Nelson’s MP Rachel Boyack said $ 5,000 was an “unreasonable amount.”
“The purpose [of the bond] It is not a surplus component, it is to cover damages that require repair ”.
He asked tenants to report similar incidents to Tenancy Services or his office.
Braden Fastier / Stuff
Nelson’s deputy Rachel Boyack said that $ 5,000 was not a reasonable amount to request bail.
“No matter how tight things are [in the rental market] owners are obliged to comply with the law. “
Summit property manager Stewart Henry said that managing a property required a degree of experience.
“It’s not just the Residential Leasing Law, it’s the Home Improvement Law and the council bylaws.
“There are a few teeth in the RTA now, so owners need to investigate.”
Henry recommended that landlords and tenants check out the Tenancy Services site, which had a lot of information.
