In the rental market, we have had few tenants who have been unable to pay their rent so far as they have either continued to work or have received the 12-week wage subsidy. But financial difficulties for many will be far from over once the lockdown is relaxed and there will be renters who are likely to struggle to pay their rent in the future. This may have an ongoing implication of a loss of renters as renters find other accommodation options such as moving in with other family or into shared accommodation.

We’re halfway through the 28-day lockdown period, so how are landlords and renters coping? The following are some of the things both landlords and renters should be aware of.

While no-one denies that the reasons for the Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act is to improve the lot of renters, there is concern that they have lost sight of landlords’ rights.

As the name suggests, a fixed-term tenancy is for a set amount of time, typically 12 months. A fixed-term tenancy automatically becomes a periodic tenancy at the end of the fixed-term period unless either the landlord or the tenant notifies the other party in writing that they do not want the tenancy to continue. The notice of intent to end the tenancy must be given by one party or the other between 90-21 days before the end of the fixed-term tenancy.

There has been a flurry of media response to the announcement of changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 1986. In particular, the change that will prohibit landlords from ending a periodic tenancy without reason, has produced a range of arguments (depending on which side of the rental market people sit) including jeopardising peoples’ safety, clogging up the Tenancy Tribunal even more than it currently is, and neighbours having to deal with anti-social behaviour.

What are the differences between fixed-term and periodic tenancies? And is one more advantageous than the other to either the landlord or the tenant?

The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2019 was introduced on 30 July 2019. It has a number of implications for tenants including that it limits their liability for careless damage to their rental property and prohibits insurance companies from pursuing them for the cost of damages, unless the damages were intentional or as a result of criminal activity.

The Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019 came into effect on 1 July 2019. They set minimum standards for rental properties for heating, insulation, ventilation, draught stopping, moisture removal, and drainage.

We often hear stories about how rental properties are cold and damp and indeed, some are...