Chic Property Management Ltd

Rental property inspection photos

Admin — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 21:44:29 +0000

How many photos should your property manager be taking during a property inspection? Property inspections are necessary before, after and during a tenancy. At Chic Property Management we consider the photographic record at the beginning and end of tenancy as of utmost importance in identifying property condition to prevent disputes. We also like to record tenant’s furnishing placements during the tenancy during routine inspections. With increasing compliance requirements a time and date stamped photographic record is invaluable. Most insurers require 3 monthly written property inspections. Property inspections need to record any damage or potential maintenance requirements. Our preferred practice is to do limited typing during a routine inspection but take photos to ensure nothing is missed then add any additional text required to the inspection off site later in the day while fresh in memory. One of our software suppliers RentHQ conducted research. Here we share the results. Remember the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”.

In summary the averages are as follows:

There are a few outliers who go above and beyond, taking well over 100 photos per inspection. The highest average goes up to an astonishing 157 photos per inspection.

Conversely, the most popular category stands in stark contrast, with an average of fewer than 10 photos per inspection. 40% of clients fall into this category, showing a preference for capturing minimal photos.

Digging deeper, a significant 90% of all clients take 50 photos or less on average. Half of all clients take less than 15 photos per inspection, indicating a general trend towards limited visual documentation.

This data sheds light on the photo-taking habits of property managers and landlords, showcasing the diversity in their approach to inspection photography.

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New Chic Rental Property Management Plans for 2020 and beyond

Admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 22:02:08 +0000

We have recently increased Chic Property Management’s property management offerings from 1 plan and now offer 4 different management plan fee options (see property management plans). Although designed pre-covid the new plans offer more flexibility to meet the individual needs of Auckland’s residential landlords providing easier direct comparison with competitors offerings. As the NZ rental housing market becomes increasingly heavily regulated the need for a professional property manager becomes almost mandatory to ensure compliance. It is important property management plans are robust yet flexible to serve landlords and their tenants effectively and affordably to meet the challenges of ever changing regulations. If you have been renting property out via AirBnB please read this article by Real IQ. You may be breaching the Residential Tenancies Act without realising it.

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Meeting the challenges of Covid19

Admin — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 07:40:41 +0000

Chic Property Management confirms meth testing, photography, viewing by appointment, tenanting and property inspections can re-commence gradually under strict protocols as New Zealand moves from level 4 lockdown to level 3 from 28th April 2020. Moving services are expected to be available from this time as are electricians and plumbers for necessary work. Some trade contractors may choose not to open due to additional costs of doing business while meeting the stringent level 3 requirements, or health reasons, so some patience may be required. We aim to continue to pay rents to landlords weekly during level 3, a trial initiative we have implemented to provide additional cashflow support to our clients during this difficult period. We believe we are only at the beginning of many challenges which will be encountered in coming months thrown up by the necessary steps the government has taken. The challenges to the property management and real estate industries are being met by technology innovations which have been available for some time, but which are now finally beginning to receive a green light from regulators for wider use. Electronic signatures are set to gain wide acceptance, making fixed-term tenancy renewals and other document signing a whole lot simpler. More details are available from your Chic property manager.

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Landlords – Are you planning a holiday this year?

Admin — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 22:49:06 +0000

Chic Property Management offers the perfect solution for self-managing landlords to prevent stress and anxiety while you are away and ensure your compliance with Section 16A. Section 16A was introduced to the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 via the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2010 so this legislation has been around for a while now. Residential rental property owners (landlords) are legally required to appoint an agent when departing New Zealand for more than 21 days. From our Papakura location Chic provides options to suit every landlord’s needs. Chic’s “Casual” Property Management Plan offers a cost-effective open-ended comprehensive property management solution for your Auckland rental property without the usual 12 month contract term. The plan is casual in name only, allowing you to stay overseas for as long as you like, yet enjoy the peace of mind of knowing your cashflow, properties, tenants, tenanting and compliance requirements are being professionally attended to. Contact Chic today for your peace of mind!

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Healthy Homes Act – Heating

Admin — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 02:09:37 +0000

Insulation is now compulsory in rental homes
All rental properties must now have ceiling and underfloor insulation installed – where it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Healthy homes standards are now law
From 1 July 2021, private rental properties must comply with the healthy homes standards within 90 days of a new (or renewed) tenancy.

More information on the healthy homes standards, including MBIE’s Heating Assessment Tool to determine the heating capacity required for the main living room in rental properties, is now available on the MBIE website.

Over the last couple of months Chic Property Management team members have organised site visits to properties managed in conjunction with an experienced HVAC Engineer to assess the heating requirements of rental properties we manage. We have negotiated excellent deals to supply and install the latest, most reliable heat pump technology available and are encouraging all our landlords to take advantage of the deals we have negotiated as soon as possible. We have had obselete fires decommissioned and some owners entire portfolios have had their heating upgraded to the 1 July 2021 standard already. We believe this will benefit Chic tenants and provide our landlords with a market advantage for the next couple of years, making Chic properties more popular and possibly commanding a rent premium.

Landlords wanting to take advantage of the heat pump deals should contact Chic Property Management on 022 0800 237. Landlords – If you are paying a letting fee you are paying too much! Chic Property Management don’t charge letting or tenanting fees on managed properties!

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Merry Christmas Tenants… No more letting fees!

Admin — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 04:47:34 +0000

The bill before parliament to ban letting fees by christmas received Royal Assent today and passed into law, in effect altering the Residential Tenancies Act.

From 12 December 2018 letting fees that are currently being paid by tenants will be abolished.

Tenants will still be asked to pay rent in advance, and a bond.

Where the landlord gives consent to any assignment, subletting, or parting with possession of the premises by the tenant, the landlord shall be entitled to recover from the tenant any expenses reasonably incurred by the landlord in respect of the proposed transaction.

At Chic Property Management Ltd we have already made changes to our Property Management Authority which currently allows options for the recovery of the letting fee from the landlord either once the property is rented or over the life of the management of the property.

We anticipate the increased costs to the landlord will likely be offset in a one off rent increase of approximately 2.00%. Our current government wanted to encourage longer term tenancies, however, we anticipate the reduced cost in moving will mean tenancies will shorten if there is any change at all.

Please feel free to contact Chic if you wish to discuss this matter further.

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Insulate now or risk paying twice!

Admin — Sun, 28 Oct 2018 21:13:21 +0000

Time is running out to have your rental property insulation upgraded to the legally required standard by 1 July 2019. The cost to insulate the average rental property is under the $4,000.00 fine which will likely be applied to non-compliant rental property owners post 1 July 2019. MBIE is being vigilant in notifying property managers that they will be pursuing non-complying property owners. As there has been a long lead in period to bring properties up to standard Chic Property Management believe there will be no chance of landlords getting away without paying significant fines which will be awarded to the tenant. Unless you plan to gift your tenants $4,000.00 NOW IS THE TIME TO INSTALL. Call Chic today on 022 0800 237 to organise a professional insulation assessment and quotation for required upgrades as the period prior to January 2019 may be your last chance to get installers on the job prior to the 1 July 2019 deadline Rush!

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Free Meth Test worth $339.25 with every new 12 month property management for a limited time!

Admin — Mon, 14 May 2018 04:37:38 +0000

For a limited time Chic Property Management is providing a free initial laboratory composite methamphetamine test for up to 10 rooms (locations) for all new property management authorities signed. This will reduce costs for landlords seeking professional property management services and assists all parties to meet their obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Residential Tenancies Act. For more details and a free on-site rent assessment call Chic today on 022 0800 237.

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NZS 8510:2017 Standard for Testing and decontamination of methamphetamine-contaminated properties

Admin — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 00:53:01 +0000

The anticipation is over with the release of the long awaited New Zealand Standard for testing and decontamination of methamphetamine contaminated properties. The general NZ standard threshold for decontamination requirements of residential properties is set at 1.5 micrograms per 100 square centmetres surface area. Chic Property Management Ltd is committed to ensuring the homes we manage are safe and secure. This benefits all parties. To this end Chic have invested in both in-house capabilities compliant with CDC NIOSH9111 (modified) standards and 3rd party relationships enabling a comprehensive time sensitive meth management strategy to be implemented for our tenants and property owners. Chic provide an in house sampling collection/instant testing service, independent 3rd party testing service with the backing of independent NZS ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited Analytica Laboratories sample analysis. This combination of services we believe enables the most comprehensive and cost effective meth testing service currently offered by local property managers. Chic Property Management Ltd are committed to compliance with NZS 8510:2017 standards in all of our testing of rental properties. Chic will continue to evaluate new technologies in this space as they emerge in line with our policy of continuous improvement. If you would like to know further how Chic can assist you to ensure your property remains safe from methamphetamine contamination or would like cost effective on-going meth-management of a previously remediated property please contact Chic at your earliest convenience for a confidential no obligation discussion.

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Chic Property Management Reports 99.97% Occupancy 0.03% Vacancy over last 12 months!

Admin — Mon, 22 May 2017 03:17:55 +0000

Chic Property Management Ltd are now able to report occupancy vs vacancy KPIs. We have known for some time our occupancy levels are very high by industry standards however have not had a simple tool to provide an accurate measure. Our current cloud software provider has now released a report which assesses occupancy/vacancy rates on an industry standard basis. This tool now enables Chic to drill down on a per property manager, per owner, per property basis over any given period. This reporting tool can be used to benchmark which properties and team members are performing most efficiently for property owners. As is very evident from the above statistic Chic are in need of more properties across Auckland to rent to quality long term tenants. Landlords feel free to contact Roger Matheson on 022 0800 237 for a Prompt Obligation free Rental Assessment for your property so you can say goodbye to costly vacancies!

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