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Information for Tenants

After-hours Emergency Phone - 021 557 050

Non-urgent maintenance requests can be submitted via the website. Please do not use this number for routine enquiries.

 

 

Welcome

Welcome to Mana Property Management where we will work with you to find the best quality home to fit within your parameters.

Below are details of some of the benefits of using us when looking for your next rental property in Dunedin.

Please check our FAQs to find the answers to some of the most common questions you may have, or feel free to contact us and our friendly, knowledgeable team will answer your questions.

 

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Our approach to tenants

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Tenant Feedback

We have been operating a tenant panel since 2019. This comprises of a small group of our tenants who have volunteered to get together two times during the year and discuss their experience with us so that we can constantly improve how we do things for our tenants.
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Tenant Newsletter

We send our tenant community a monthly newsletter between March and December covering common concerns, seasonal issues affecting your property to help you look after it and our favourite tips and information pertaining to the home.
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Early Exit Arrangements

Most of our tenancies are fixed term, but we understand that life doesn't operate in accordance with a fixed term and that circumstances change. You are responsible for the property and rent until the end of your fixed term, but we can come to an arrangement with tenants provided the owner is not disadvantaged in any way. Please speak to us for details.
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Kindness and Empathy

We aim to be kind and empathetic in all our dealings with tenants. We take the time to listen to any concerns that they may be having and find solutions together. We are always looking for new ways to care for our tenants.
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Emergency Phone - 021 557 050

We operate an after-hours emergency phone for maintenance issues that can't wait until the next business day. We will talk with you to understand what the emergency is and guide you to the next step of the solution.

Please browse through the FAQs below to find the answers to your questions, if your question remains unanswered, please contact us and we will be more than happy to help. Similarily, if you believe we should have specific information listed, please let us know.

Four weeks bond and the first week's rent payment in advance.

We will do our best to accommodate your schedule, although most viewings are scheduled around midday during the week.

Otago and especially Dunedin mainly runs on fixed term tenancies and the peak season for non student properties is January / February each year. Ending a tenancy at this time makes good sense for both the tenant who will have the best choice of properties to choose from and the landlord for the best choice of tenants.

The Residential Tenancies Act clearly states that fixed term tenancies cannot be ended with notice at any other time than the end of the fixed term. However, where possible we can help you find tenants to take over your tenancy. (The ability for replacement tenants to take over your lease is often but not always possible and depends on a number of factors). Where it is possible, we ask you to pay for any costs associated with finding these tenants including any costs that the owner would not have incurred if the fixed term continued to completion such as meth testing, checkout/check in inspections as well as advertising etc. The success rate of advertising through us will be higher than if you advertised the property yourself due to the number of inquiries that come via our website, facebook and other media. The costs to advertise through us is also the same or cheaper than it would cost you to advertise in the same locations. You would remain responsible for the property including gardens and the rent until the replacement tenants take over your tenancy. Contact us to discuss your situation

Most properties are available now and landlords cannot afford to have a property empty, not earning rent for months at a time, however, the date available is shown on each property so you can narrow down the choices. If you are looking for a property outside the typical student areas then it is unlikely that they will be advertised more than one to two months before they are ready to rent.

Rents have in most years continued to rise to varying degrees. The level of increases relates to the market conditions surrounding housing as well as general inflation. We assess the rents on a regular basis. Both landlords and ourselves appreciate the win win situation of having great long term tenants, so it is common for rent increases to be minimised for longer term tenants. The property owners benefit from not having additional costs incurred when tenants change and tenants benefit from lower rents.

Rents are assessed ahead of time and may continue to rise.  If rents have risen or the advertised rent is the lower end of a range, then it is common practise for us to build in the rent increase into the tenancy agreement.  This sets in stone what the increase will be and protects the tenant who could otherwise be subject to a much higher increase due to increases in market rent levels.  Rent increases can only take effect 180 days or more after the beginning of a tenancy or following the last increase.  Tenants are required to be given at least 60 days notice of the increase.  In 2010 the Residential Tenancies Act was amended and included Schedule 1 - Clauses for rent increases in fixed-term tenancy agreements; including the one which specifies the date of the increase and the amount of the increase.  In all instances, tenants are protected by the market rent provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act.

If you have a maintenance issue, you need to complete a maintenance form on our website. This then provides you with written confirmation that you have lodged the request and provides the Mana team with the written information they need to action your request. If your request is super urgent, then a quick call to the emergency / after hours number is also required to avoid any delays. The number is 021 557 050. However, ensure you still complete the written form and only call the emergency number for true emergencies. Please note we do still want to hear about very minor instances of maintenance via the maintenance form, however we may mark them with a status that enables a tradesmen in the future to deal with them when dealing with something else at the property, rather than arranging a specific call out for that particular minor issue. The rule of thumb is if you owned the property yourself, would you pay a tradesmen to come out to just fix that one item or would you wait until there are other items that could be fixed at the same time due to how minor that item is? Finally, if a maintenance issue is found to be user error, then the cost of that callout will be on-charged to the tenant. Common instances are when an oven appears not to be working due to the timer being set to delay start, a sink is blocked due to rice or fat etc, an error reading on the dishwasher is due to the filters not being cleaned regularly or a light or plug not working due to a blown fuse. Please ensure you check all common causes first before lodging a maintenance request.

Heat pumps have to be given an achievable temperature or they freeze up and cost a fortune to run, therefore setting the heatpump on high temperatures such as 25 or 30 degrees is counterproductive. Heat pumps are room heaters they are not installed to heat the whole house. The best way to use your heatpump is set it at a low temperature such as 16-18 and leave it going 24/7. When you are home, you can increase it a few degrees while requiring the extra heat but turn it back down to 16-18 degrees when going to bed. The temperature in the house will remain comfortable and the power bill reasonable as you are not spending a lot to bring the temperature up each day.

Guarantor Form

Please download the following form to fill it out and send to us at tenants@manaproperty.co.nz

Tenancy Application

To apply for tenancy, please follow this link to our Application portal.

 

Thanks - we look forward to working with you!