Tenants changing boundary fence
Question from Denise updated on 26th February 2020:
This is a question about fences... We are owner occupiers and looking at renting our property out. Currently the neighbouring property is tenanted and the tenants are altering the existing fence, including removing planks from our side and popping it back on their side of the fence structure. We're concerned that if we leave the property to be tenanted, the property managers won't report further and future alterations and could leave us with quite a lot of repairs to share with the other owner. What are our options as owners to mitigate any losses please?
Our expert Bernard Parker responded:
You have raised two issues: the next-door tenants changing the boundary fence, and the fear that your property managers won’t report to you about such changes.
The second issue is most important – you should select a property manager who is thorough, accurate and reliable in their regular inspections, who reports to you fully on the findings of the inspections, and who has a full pre-tenancy photographic recording of the property. The pre-tenancy evidentiary photos, along with a detailed chattel list, allow the property manager to track any damage within a tenancy.
If the damage is caused by next-door tenants, that is a conversation for you to have with that property’s owner. Their tenants should similarly be held to account.
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
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