Latest news with #LiamWhite
Otago Daily Times
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Student pub still wanted: referendum
A new student pub gets a big tick, but a boycott on products with ties to the Israeli government proved less favourable among the student populace. Those are the results of just two of the many questions the Otago University Students' Association (OUSA) asked its members over the past month. The results, which were published this week, could form the basis of student activism over the next year. OUSA president Liam White said he was very pleased with the level of engagement, with about 1900 people responding. "We got more students engaging with our referendum than we did with our executive election. So I can't be too disappointed with that. "I think having close to 2000 students voting is awesome." The referendum asked an array of questions, including "Should OUSA establish student-friendly bars and pubs in North Dunedin" which got a 70% favourable response. Meanwhile, only 53.5% of respondents believed OUSA should adopt a policy for its operations that aligned with the "Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions" movement (BDS) against the government of Israel. The latter question was asked after the OUSA received two formal complaints about its decision to bar Domino's Pizza from "Tent City" during O Week. Mr White said he was not surprised at the support for the student bar. "I don't think that one will go away anytime soon. "We've been talking about this for years, and I think I sat through for about two hours when it came out and read all the student comments and a lot of them were pretty harsh. "But I think it's a fair frustration for the student body that we've been trying to advocate for this for years, come close, then had to step away again, and it just kind of feels like they've gone round in circles on it." Asked about the BDS question, Mr White said the result was "clear as mud" and meant it probably needed to be sent back to the executive. He was more surprised there appeared to be just as much division over whether OUSA should receive alcohol sponsorship. "It's clear that there's not a particularly united front there." There was however "overwhelming support" (68%) to adopt a policy of educating students on affirmative consent. "It seems like the appropriate time for that." Meanwhile, Mr White's attempt to extend the president's reign to two years proved less popular — 62% voted against it. "There were a lot of Trump jokes [in the responses]. I'm not taking it personally."
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Putting Nth Dunedin's house in order
The grungy student flat in Dunedin has become a stereotype that will be hard to shake. That is the nature of stereotypes: they become fixed in people's minds. They become reflexive word associations. Student flat in Dunedin equals dilapidated and unkept. Sadly, this label has more than an element of truth. Poorly maintained flats are not uncommon, as revealed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's (MBIE) tenancy compliance and investigations team. The team visited 53 North Dunedin student flats. It found "the majority" had maintenance issues, and three properties had "multiple breaches" of the healthy homes standards. While many homeowners might blush at their maintenance backlog, landlords operate a business, even if they own only one flat. They have both moral and legal obligations to provide satisfactory accommodation and respond to basic matters. MBIE targeted properties most likely to be poorly maintained and non-compliant with healthy home standards. Landlords had been "engaged" before the visits, allowing them to make improvements. They may have inspected smoke alarms and supplied copies of healthy home statements, but the number of remaining issues found was "disappointing", MBIE's team leader said. Otago University Students' Association president Liam White said he was not surprised by the inspection results. The core issue was the overall quality of housing. He cited one flat where mushrooms and mould were growing out of the walls. To gauge the extent of the problem, OUSA was preparing a Dunedin-wide flat survey. He had been told that 30% of student rentals would likely fail to comply with the healthy homes standards. Mr White said the housing regulatory system did not work because the burden was completely on the renters. Young students who did not know better were bearing the brunt of the poor flats. For some, the rundown flat is perceived as part of the Dunedin student experience, lowering expectations. Others might be reluctant to push landlords for improvements, fearing that doing so could impact their references for future rentals. When landlords get away with low standards, others are more likely to follow suit. Low standards beget low standards. If landlords can minimise upkeep costs while still profiting, why would they invest more? If landlords fail to maintain basics like wooden cladding and windowsills, students are less likely to feel inclined to care for the flats themselves. If the landlord does not care, why should they? Extreme cases of tenant damage and neglect also occur. Tenants should take responsibility for simple preventive measures such as ventilating bathrooms and airing the house when the weather is favourable. The healthy homes standards take effect from July 1, a critical safeguard and backstop. A bathroom extractor fan is among the ventilation, heating and insulation requirements. Mould on the ceiling and walls of a student flat. PHOTO: ODT FILES North Dunedin could be busy in the limited time available if landlords rush to comply. It would be unfair if some continued supplying substandard housing while others had made the necessary upgrades. Further regulation is tempting because tenants are vulnerable. Labour's Residential Property Managers Bill would have introduced compulsory licensing, a code of professional conduct and an independent complaints and disciplinary process. The government has abandoned this plan. A "rental warrant of fitness" has been an idea worth serious consideration. Further regulations, however, mean more time, bureaucracy and costs. That must be paid for somewhere and somehow. A good approach is for MBIE's unit to be efficient, decisive, firm and fair in its compliance operations. The regulatory system cannot just rely on potentially under-pressure tenants. Landlords need to know there are consequences for their failings. The grotty and poorly maintained North Dunedin flats are an important matter primarily for the health and wellbeing of students. Homes must be warm, dry and safe. Poor student accommodation also sends a poor message to families about life at the University of Otago and Dunedin. Landlords need to get their North Dunedin house in order. Even then, it will take years for the area to shake its deeply ingrained — and often well-earned — nationwide reputation.
Scoop
24-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Some Landlords, Tenants Unaware Of Healthy Homes Standards Despite Looming Deadline
Liam White can share some horror stories about rental properties in Dunedin. 'I went into a flat and I saw a window – the landlord had cut out the corner wide enough that you could stick your finger through it so they could open the window past a balcony – there was just a constant draught coming in. There's heat pumps that don't work … there's the classic holes in walls, cladding on the side of houses broken that hasn't been fixed. It's a lot of stuff.' White is president of the Otago University Students Association. The government's Tenancy Compliance and Investigations team (TCIT) has this week been visiting student rentals in Dunedin to check whether they comply with the Residential Tenancies Act. Acting TCIT national manager Clare Lyons-Montgomery said landlords must provide rental homes that are warm, safe and dry. 'Young people are a priority population for our team, as they can be vulnerable and unaware of their rights because they are new to renting. 'Landlords have obligations and responsibilities under the Residential Tenancies Act and must provide a rental home that complies with all building, health and safety requirements in additional to tenancy law.' All rental properties must also comply with the Healthy Homes standards by 1 July this year, which require ventilation, heating and insulation. Tenancies started or renewed on or after 3 March had until then to comply but from 1 July there is no leeway and every new tenancy must comply immediately. White said he had been told about 30 percent of Dunedin student rentals would not comply. But he said students were sometimes hesitant to raise problems with property managers or landlords because they worried about their ability to get a reference in future, or about creating other problems for themselves. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development said its most recent survey of Healthy Homes compliance was in January 2024 and found 17 percent of landlords said they fully met the standards and almost three-quarters had done something to prepare. 'From July 1, all private rentals must comply with the healthy homes standards. All boarding houses, Kāinga Ora houses and registered community housing provider houses must already comply with the healthy homes standards,' Lyons-Montgomery said. 'Landlords who do not meet their obligations under the standards are in breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 – and may face consequences, like financial penalties.' Sarina Gibbon, general manager of the Auckland Property Investors Association, said she had been talking to colleagues about the lack of awareness about how the deadline applied. 'The situation appears to be split across experience lines. Seasoned landlords and property managers who have had the standards drummed into them since 2019 have largely adapted and developed the right muscle memory. 'You'll recall that in 2022 when the government extended the deadline out by two years so that Kainga Ora could have more runway [it] went down like a lead balloon for the private sector. That said, the already generous compliance timeline should mean that there is no excuse for rental properties to not comply. We are finally getting to a point in the rental sector where we can stop negotiating on tenants' wellbeing.' But she said she was still seeing things that concerned her. 'Many less experienced landlords and property managers seem unaware that, from July 1, there's no grace period – properties must be fully compliant, period. So none of that 90 or 120 day runway from the start of the tenancy. That's fine because the TCIT can clean that up. What worries me the most is that the knowledge gap extends to tenants too. Many don't realise they will have the right to a fully Healthy Homes compliant home from 1 July. This is potentially harmful for vulnerable renters in non-compliant houses. ' She said if landlords did not treat compliance as a priority, it was reasonable to expect the Tenancy Tribunal and TCIT to 'come down hard on them'. 'The industry has had way too long to get our heads around the standards, let's get on with it already.' Some property managers are understood to be preparing to drop clients who are not willing to make changes to comply with the rules. But MBIE is likely to monitor bond forms for a change of landlord from a property manager to a private arrangement, then audit those properties. Matt Ball, spokesperson for the NZ Property Investors Federation, said his organisation's members tended to be well prepared. But he said there could be some 'accidental landlords' who had decided to rent a property rather than sell it who might not have considered it properly. He said he had heard from tradespeople that there had been an increase in inquiry from property owners needing work done to comply. 'There might be some people rushing at the last minute to get everything done.'
Scoop
24-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Some Landlords, Tenants Unaware Of Healthy Homes Standards Despite Looming Deadline
Article – RNZ All rental properties must comply with the Healthy Homes standards just weeks from now, including ventilation, heating and insulation. Liam White can share some horror stories about rental properties in Dunedin. 'I went into a flat and I saw a window – the landlord had cut out the corner wide enough that you could stick your finger through it so they could open the window past a balcony – there was just a constant draught coming in. There's heat pumps that don't work … there's the classic holes in walls, cladding on the side of houses broken that hasn't been fixed. It's a lot of stuff.' White is president of the Otago University Students Association. The government's Tenancy Compliance and Investigations team (TCIT) has this week been visiting student rentals in Dunedin to check whether they comply with the Residential Tenancies Act. Acting TCIT national manager Clare Lyons-Montgomery said landlords must provide rental homes that are warm, safe and dry. 'Young people are a priority population for our team, as they can be vulnerable and unaware of their rights because they are new to renting. 'Landlords have obligations and responsibilities under the Residential Tenancies Act and must provide a rental home that complies with all building, health and safety requirements in additional to tenancy law.' All rental properties must also comply with the Healthy Homes standards by 1 July this year, which require ventilation, heating and insulation. Tenancies started or renewed on or after 3 March had until then to comply but from 1 July there is no leeway and every new tenancy must comply immediately. White said he had been told about 30 percent of Dunedin student rentals would not comply. But he said students were sometimes hesitant to raise problems with property managers or landlords because they worried about their ability to get a reference in future, or about creating other problems for themselves. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development said its most recent survey of Healthy Homes compliance was in January 2024 and found 17 percent of landlords said they fully met the standards and almost three-quarters had done something to prepare. 'From July 1, all private rentals must comply with the healthy homes standards. All boarding houses, Kāinga Ora houses and registered community housing provider houses must already comply with the healthy homes standards,' Lyons-Montgomery said. 'Landlords who do not meet their obligations under the standards are in breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 – and may face consequences, like financial penalties.' Sarina Gibbon, general manager of the Auckland Property Investors Association, said she had been talking to colleagues about the lack of awareness about how the deadline applied. 'The situation appears to be split across experience lines. Seasoned landlords and property managers who have had the standards drummed into them since 2019 have largely adapted and developed the right muscle memory. 'You'll recall that in 2022 when the government extended the deadline out by two years so that Kainga Ora could have more runway [it] went down like a lead balloon for the private sector. That said, the already generous compliance timeline should mean that there is no excuse for rental properties to not comply. We are finally getting to a point in the rental sector where we can stop negotiating on tenants' wellbeing.' But she said she was still seeing things that concerned her. 'Many less experienced landlords and property managers seem unaware that, from July 1, there's no grace period – properties must be fully compliant, period. So none of that 90 or 120 day runway from the start of the tenancy. That's fine because the TCIT can clean that up. What worries me the most is that the knowledge gap extends to tenants too. Many don't realise they will have the right to a fully Healthy Homes compliant home from 1 July. This is potentially harmful for vulnerable renters in non-compliant houses. ' She said if landlords did not treat compliance as a priority, it was reasonable to expect the Tenancy Tribunal and TCIT to 'come down hard on them'. 'The industry has had way too long to get our heads around the standards, let's get on with it already.' Some property managers are understood to be preparing to drop clients who are not willing to make changes to comply with the rules. But MBIE is likely to monitor bond forms for a change of landlord from a property manager to a private arrangement, then audit those properties. Matt Ball, spokesperson for the NZ Property Investors Federation, said his organisation's members tended to be well prepared. But he said there could be some 'accidental landlords' who had decided to rent a property rather than sell it who might not have considered it properly. He said he had heard from tradespeople that there had been an increase in inquiry from property owners needing work done to comply. 'There might be some people rushing at the last minute to get everything done.'
Scoop
24-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Some Landlords, Tenants Unaware Of Healthy Homes Standards Despite Looming Deadline
Liam White can share some horror stories about rental properties in Dunedin. "I went into a flat and I saw a window - the landlord had cut out the corner wide enough that you could stick your finger through it so they could open the window past a balcony - there was just a constant draught coming in. There's heat pumps that don't work … there's the classic holes in walls, cladding on the side of houses broken that hasn't been fixed. It's a lot of stuff." White is president of the Otago University Students Association. The government's Tenancy Compliance and Investigations team (TCIT) has this week been visiting student rentals in Dunedin to check whether they comply with the Residential Tenancies Act. Acting TCIT national manager Clare Lyons-Montgomery said landlords must provide rental homes that are warm, safe and dry. "Young people are a priority population for our team, as they can be vulnerable and unaware of their rights because they are new to renting. "Landlords have obligations and responsibilities under the Residential Tenancies Act and must provide a rental home that complies with all building, health and safety requirements in additional to tenancy law." All rental properties must also comply with the Healthy Homes standards by 1 July this year, which require ventilation, heating and insulation. Tenancies started or renewed on or after 3 March had until then to comply but from 1 July there is no leeway and every new tenancy must comply immediately. White said he had been told about 30 percent of Dunedin student rentals would not comply. But he said students were sometimes hesitant to raise problems with property managers or landlords because they worried about their ability to get a reference in future, or about creating other problems for themselves. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development said its most recent survey of Healthy Homes compliance was in January 2024 and found 17 percent of landlords said they fully met the standards and almost three-quarters had done something to prepare. "From July 1, all private rentals must comply with the healthy homes standards. All boarding houses, Kāinga Ora houses and registered community housing provider houses must already comply with the healthy homes standards," Lyons-Montgomery said. "Landlords who do not meet their obligations under the standards are in breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 - and may face consequences, like financial penalties." Sarina Gibbon, general manager of the Auckland Property Investors Association, said she had been talking to colleagues about the lack of awareness about how the deadline applied. "The situation appears to be split across experience lines. Seasoned landlords and property managers who have had the standards drummed into them since 2019 have largely adapted and developed the right muscle memory. "You'll recall that in 2022 when the government extended the deadline out by two years so that Kainga Ora could have more runway [it] went down like a lead balloon for the private sector. That said, the already generous compliance timeline should mean that there is no excuse for rental properties to not comply. We are finally getting to a point in the rental sector where we can stop negotiating on tenants' wellbeing." But she said she was still seeing things that concerned her. "Many less experienced landlords and property managers seem unaware that, from July 1, there's no grace period - properties must be fully compliant, period. So none of that 90 or 120 day runway from the start of the tenancy. That's fine because the TCIT can clean that up. What worries me the most is that the knowledge gap extends to tenants too. Many don't realise they will have the right to a fully Healthy Homes compliant home from 1 July. This is potentially harmful for vulnerable renters in non-compliant houses. " She said if landlords did not treat compliance as a priority, it was reasonable to expect the Tenancy Tribunal and TCIT to "come down hard on them". "The industry has had way too long to get our heads around the standards, let's get on with it already." Some property managers are understood to be preparing to drop clients who are not willing to make changes to comply with the rules. But MBIE is likely to monitor bond forms for a change of landlord from a property manager to a private arrangement, then audit those properties. Matt Ball, spokesperson for the NZ Property Investors Federation, said his organisation's members tended to be well prepared. But he said there could be some "accidental landlords" who had decided to rent a property rather than sell it who might not have considered it properly. He said he had heard from tradespeople that there had been an increase in inquiry from property owners needing work done to comply. "There might be some people rushing at the last minute to get everything done."
