Tenant Quarterly Newsletter – March 2020

In this edition:

• Coronavirus COVID-19 – What Tenants need to Know/Do
• Maintenance during the pandemic
• Is it time for Contents Insurance?
• Recycling/Rubbish e.g soft plastic, what can and cannot go in bins
• Have you got a Septic Tank?
• Waste Disposal Unit Do’s and Don’t’s
• Easter Colouring Competition
• Lockdown Tips For Your Wellbeing

Coronavirus – What Tenants Need to Know/Do

As you would be aware, an outbreak of a Coronavirus disease called COVID-19 has been identified around the world including New Zealand. COVID-19 can be transmitted from person to person and symptoms include fever, coughing, and difficulty breathing.

In response to the outbreak minimisation decisions by the government, Auckland Property Management are doing everything we can to also minimise the impact on our staff and tenants.

What does this mean for you as a tenant?

• If you need to self-isolate or plan to self-isolate, please contact your Property Manager as soon as possible to let them know. More information on self-isolation can be found on the Ministry of Health website here.
• Property inspections will need to be postponed by your Property Manager.
• Unless there was an emergency or a high priority, maintenance work orders will also be postponed.
• If you are moving, or have questions, check out the Tenancy Services website for more information.

Keep up to date with updates from the Ministry of Health and call the dedicated healthline 0800 358 5453 if you have any concerns.

REMEMBER – Wash your hands regularly with soap, stay at home if you are sick, cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow and then wash your hands, and clean surfaces regularly.

Maintenance during the pandemic

If you have urgent maintenance, contact your Property Manager via their cellphone, then please leave a voice message and text them immediately. For any other repairs that are needed, please email your Property Manager, or use the Maintenance Manager App, to submit your maintenance request to your Property Manager.

Our Property Managers are working remotely instead of from the office but you wont be affected. They often work from home so It’s business as usual should you need to contact them.

Is it time to get Contents Insurance?

With recent legislation changes meaning tenants are responsible for careless damage to a rented property, it’s now more important than ever to get contents insurance.

Contents insurance offers protection if anything happens to personal possessions, things such as furniture, clothes, appliances, jewellery, and tools, but it also protects personal liability to someone else’s property – including damage to a rental property.

There are many insurance providers out there, we recommend that you do your research and ‘shop around’ to get the policy that best suits you and your family.

Read a recent article highlighting the importance of contents insurance here.

Recycling and Rubbish Collection

General household rubbish, waste and recycling must be removed weekly from the property or when required. Ensure you are familiar with what days rubbish and recycling collection are in your area.

What can be recycled? 
Cardboard, paper, newspapers, clean glass bottles, plastic bottles, and cans, aerosols, clear food containers. Milk cartons, pizza boxes (clear of food), and egg cartons.

What can’t be recycled in general recycling collection 
Plastic bags, garden waste, medical waste, food waste, building waste, clothing, polystyrene takeaway containers and meat trays, cookware, window glass, light bulbs electronic items, and batteries.

Top Recycling Tip

Did you know that you can recycle soft plastics?
Soft plastics include things like plastic bags, bread bags, frozen food bags, confectionary and biscuit wrapping, chip bags, courier envelopes, shopping bags – basically anything plastic that can scrunched into a ball.
Look out for the collection bins to drop off your soft plastics like the one pictured at Countdown supermarkets and The Warehouse.

More information can be found at https://www.recycling.kiwi.nz/

Have you got a Septic Tank?

In these strange and unprecedented times with the COVID-19 pandemic, even though you need to clean regularly, please do not put excessive bleach, disinfectant products, or wipes down the drain. Septic tank service providers have been in touch us us regarding this issue.

Waste Disposal Do’s and Dont’s

If you have a waste disposal unit in the property you are renting then take note of the below:

You CAN’T put down:

• Bones
• Grease/Oil/Fats – butter lard or left over fat from cooking
• Egg Shells – these do not sharpen the grinders/blades
• Stringy and fibourous vegetable peels (e.g. corn husks, celery, potato peelings)
• Coffee grounds
• Fruit pits/stones – E.g. nectarines, cherries, apricots,
• Anything inorganic
• Banana Peels
• Pasta and rice – they swell up when wet
• Cigarettes
• Paper Scraps ie paper towels, tissues, cotton balls

You CAN put down:

• Liquids and soft foods
• Foods chopped into small bits
• Citrus Rinds
• Scraps of Cooked Meat
• Fruit Scraps with the exception of pit/pip fruit such as peaches, nectarines, plums, cherry pits and avocado seeds
• Almost all vegetable scraps with some exceptions as above

IF IN DOUBT – DO NOT PUT IT DOWN THE DISPOSAL

Remember to always run water when you are using the waste disposal and add a bit of lemon or washing liquid to clean and deodorise.

*COVID-19 Lockdown Update – Still send your Easter competition entries through, we have not yet finalised what will happen since Easter is during the lockdown but we know we need to minimise contact between others as much as possible. We will update those who submit entries on what will happen.

Easter Colouring Competition

It’s back for the third year in a row – our annual Easter colouring competition.

This year we are shaking things up a bit with two age categories:

Category 1 – For children ages up to 5 years. 
– First $50.00 Easter bag of goodies for the family
– Second $25.00 Easter bag of goodies for the family

Category – For children ages 6 years and up. 
– First $50.00 Easter bag of goodies for the family
– Second $25.00 Easter bag of goodies for the family

HOW TO ENTER

• Download the APM Colouring Competition page here (link to download page)
• Let your kids’ artistic talents shine
• scan & email to [email protected]

More information and terms and conditions can be found on our website here

Lockdown Tips For Your Wellbeing

The Herald came out with an article the other day on 10 tips to help your wellbeing during lockdown that we would like to share with you.

1. Focus on what you can control and manage.
2. Set up shared goals for the family.
3. Keep yourself active – physically and mentally.
4. Recognise your feelings and thoughts.
5. Identify your triggers and signs for possible mental health issues.
6. Express your emotions in a healthy way.
7. Open up about your feelings and concerns to friends and family.
8. Seek help through the helplines
9. Give others love and care.
10. Remember five key words: Connected, creative, giving, learning and active.

Read the full article for more details on each tip and if you want to see a cute video of a dad and son dancing in the lounge.

If you have any topics you would like discussed in any upcoming Tenant Quarterly Newsletters, feel free to send your suggestions to Lana on [email protected]