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Can landlords still do maintenance and inspections during COVID-19 (coronavirus)?

property-management maintenance insurance inspections for-tenants for-landlords damage coronavirus compliance
22 March 2020 by Anna

Photo by Skitterphoto from Pexels

Landlords should prepare for a country-wide lockdown starting this week and consider how the COVID-19 crisis might change your obligations as a landlord.

More details have now become available as the Government passes COVID-19 Response (Urgent Management Measures) Amendment Act.

Routine Inspections

These would be considered non-essential services, and are now deferred until the lockdown period is over or the restrictions go down to Level 3.

Routine Maintenance

These maintenance issues are likely to be considered non-essential services and are expected to be deferred until the lockdown period is over or the restrictions go down to Level 3.

Urgent Maintenance

Depending on the nature of the problem, this can be considered essential or non-essential. If the maintenance issue is related to power, water, gas, waste (the essential services), then the landlord can contact an essential services company to perform the repair.

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What the community has to say
  • TW
    Teresa

    So we have a tenant who"s notice is up on Friday 27th and has moved out already so the property is empty.
    The property is in Stratford and we live in Rotorua.
    I guess my query is wether there is any word on wether us going to clean it for the new tenants will be possible, as we have some ready to move and I couldn't let them in without our once over and a going over with the Rug Doctor.
    The new tenants live in Stratford, so will only be moving a few streets to move. The Husband is an essential worker so I wold like to think maybe them having a permanent home would be good in this time of uncertainty, Im not really worries abut loss of rent or anything.
    I realise it maybe considered non essential however the new tenants have to move out of there current shared living, and also we don't want it unoccupied in the fair of having it damaged.

    Any thoughts??

  • AS
    Anna

    @Teresa basing it on the information we have now, your new tenants are unlikely to be allowed to move in on Friday. I know it's very late notice. But you may want to.check if they can move in today at all.

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