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Alert Level 3 Guidance for rental industry
Wednesday, 29 April 2020
On 20 April 2020, the Government announced that New Zealand can safely move out of Alert Level 4 lockdown to Alert Level 3 from 11.59pm on Monday 27 April.
More information on this announcement (Beehive website)
More information on Alert Level 3 (central government website)
Information for landlords and tenants
What will change at Alert Level 3?
- Tenants are allowed to move to a new house and moving companies will be able to help tenants. Movers will have to adhere to physical distancing rules and should keep records for contact tracing purposes.
- Routine inspections of rental properties cannot take place unless it is an emergency situation, such as a landlord needing to confirm that emergency maintenance is required.
- Maintenance can only occur in emergencies or with tenant approval. This might include plumbers, electricians and tradespeople who can work on, and inside rental properties.
- We recommend landlords arrange for professional services to clean or undertake maintenance of their vacant rental property.
- Open homes where multiple people view a property cannot take place.
- In-person viewings for rental properties can take place under Alert Level 3 with some restrictions. If the property is tenanted, landlords will need approval from the tenants and viewings should only occur when the tenants are not on the property.
- During viewings, physical distance should be maintained and contact with surfaces kept at a minimum. Anything that is touched should be wiped with disinfectant. In-person viewings should be limited to two per day per property to minimise the impact on the tenants.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has information on what it means for landlords and tenants to move from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3:
Summary of Alert Levels 4 and 3
Questions and answers about Alert Level 3 (Ministry of Housing and Urban Development)
Tenancy Services COVID-19 (coronavirus) – information for landlords and tenants
Landlords and property managers can find up-to-date information for businesses on the business.govt.nz website .
More information on safe practices at Alert Level 3 is available on the WorkSafe website.
