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Frequently Asked Questions

The time needed to lease your property varies with market conditions. We market your property as soon as we receive notice that the existing tenants are vacating. Generally, we can arrange viewing times with the existing tenants’ agreement and secure a new tenancy prior to the existing tenants vacating. This ensures minimum vacancy between tenancies.

We try to plan for leases to become available during the best times of the year (i.e. January – March). This increases the number of applications and means that we can get you the best possible weekly rent from the best choice of tenants.

Like you, we want the best possible tenant for your property. To make sure that happens, we:

  • Request and check all photo identification
  • Verify employment
  • Verify rental history and/or ownership of property
  • Get credit checks from Tenancy Information New Zealand (TINZ)
  • Match the best possible tenant for your property’s character and location. For example, we are unlikely to place tenants with a potentially noisy lifestyle into a housing complex with residents who prefer peace and quiet. Tenants who get on well with their neighbours are likely to remain longer in your property!
  • Present only the best application(s) for your final decision.

We take a bond of 4 weeks rent. This is held with the Department of Building and Housing at the Bond Centre in Wellington.

We close off our monthly accounts on the last day of the month. Statements are emailed the next working day, or posted within 5 working days (a fee applies for posted statements). Rent payments are transferred into your bank account within 5 working days of our monthly close off date. We can also arrange a payment on the 20th of each month if requested.

  • We recommend inspections every 3 months. In fact, if you have an additional Landlord insurance policy, you must have your property inspected every 3 months (check your policy to see if this requirement applies to you).
  • At each inspection a written report including photos is emailed to you.
  • A detailed property report with photos is also completed before new tenants shift in. At the end of their tenancy, a final inspection is completed using the original report (as above) to assess the property and compare its condition to when they first shifted in (with the exception of fair wear and tear).

Whittle Knight & Ltd have a ZERO tolerance to rent arrears.

  • Rents are monitored daily
  • All rent must be paid weekly or fortnightly in advance
  • If rent is one day late, the tenants are phoned, texted or emailed
  • If rent remains unpaid on day 2, the tenants are sent a notice giving them 14 days to fix the problem. We continue to monitor the situation and if the rent is not paid by the new deadline, an application to the Tenancy Tribunal is made to seek termination of the tenancy and payment of arrears

Yes. We arrange for all repairs and maintenance up to a maximum amount set by you. We always use trusted, efficient and cost-effective tradespeople for repairs and maintenance.

If you prefer to arrange maintenance and repairs yourself, or if you have preferred tradespeople, just let us know at the start of the management of your property and we will put this in place.

Your Property Manager is not required to obtain the Owner’s consent if:

  • Repairs are urgent and necessary
  • Failure to complete the repairs endangers the tenant or any occupant, or
  • Failure to complete the repairs means that the premises no longer comply with a code or law applying to the premises
  • Failure to complete the repairs risks damage or exacerbates damage to the premises

A Property Manager at Whittle Knight & Ltd is always available for emergency maintenance calls after business hours and during the weekend or on Public holidays. Only urgent repair work is carried out at these times. Non-urgent repairs are carried out during regular business hours. We will contact you with the details on the first business day after the repairs have been carried out.

Yes, but you need to check the type of lease the tenants are on.

That means:

  • Tenants with a fixed term lease have the right to continue renting the property until the end of the fixed term
  • If the Tenancy is a Periodic Lease, ie. No defined time frame, then if the property is sold with vacant possession, 42 days notice must be given to the tenants at the time the property goes unconditional.

No – but we are confident that we are the best in Christchurch. We employ professionals who are totally focused on providing the best service. To be honest, discount prices generally mean reduced service and that is not what Whittle Knight Ltd is about. Our charges are competitive and reflect the high quality of service we are committed to providing.

Whittle Knight & Ltd make renting and managing your property easy. We know what we’re doing and we want the whole process to run as smoothly as you do. Eliminate the risk by choosing Whittle Knight Ltd and maximise the potential of your property.

Our loyal clients appreciate the difference that the Whittle Knight & Ltd team makes. We are owned and operated by people who are proud to provide the best possible property management service. We have been doing it for nearly 50 years and we guarantee it!! See our Whittle Knight & Ltd Guarantee for details.

Still Can't Find an Answer?

If you can find the answer you are looking for in our FAQ's then feel free to contact us directly and we will be happy to assist you.

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