Storage risks
Question from Julie updated on 23rd May 2018:
I have a two bedroom residential rental property. There is one bedroom with a bed in it that also has boxes of personal items being stored and the room is very full. Can the landlord legally request that the items being stored in the room be removed citing them as a fire risk?
Our expert Bernard Parker responded:
The landlord has a duty to provide a safe property for the tenant. If he considers that the level of storage constitutes a danger to the tenant’s health and safety, he is entitled (indeed required) to mention it to the tenant. You haven’t said which room you have been asked to remove items from. Is it your bedroom or the spare room?
Other factors come into play to decide whether the boxes of possessions constitute a fire risk. How full is the room? Is anybody inclined to smoke in the house? What type of heating is there? How often is the room accessed by you or other people? I suggest you talk to the landlord and ask for clarification as to why the storage constitutes a fire risk.
Bernard is principal of Quinovic – Kapiti-Mana. Quinovic's outstanding people and systems provide the most professional, effective and reliable residential property management service in the NZ market for over 30 years.Search the Ask an Expert archive
Browse all questions in the Ask An Expert Archive »