A Huntly boarding house landlord has been fined nearly $9000 for failing to lodge bonds and overcharging rent to tenants.
Huntly (file image). Photo: RNZ / Anusha Bradley
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment says it investigated Poomia Investments following a 2019 complaint.
It found the company hadn't lodged the bonds of 37 tenants and it had asked eight of them to pay rent in advance.
The Tenancy Tribunal ordered Poomia Investments to pay $8956, and restrained it from further breaches that will be met with fines of up to $2000.
The company was also investigated in 2017 and warned after it had failed to lodge bonds.
"This is also a timely reminder that boarding house landlords should be preparing for 1 July 2021, when all boarding houses will need to be compliant with the Healthy Homes standards," Steve Watson, a manager at Tenancy Services, said.
"These standards introduce minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture and drainage, and draught stopping in rental properties."