If you are considering selling a Christchurch rental, involve your property manager before agreeing marketing access or a vacant-possession date. The sale plan needs to work with the tenancy and respect that the property is someone’s home.
Bring together the signed agreement, variations, fixed-term dates if applicable, rent ledger and current notices. Decide whether the intended sale is with tenants remaining or requires a lawful end to the tenancy. A sale does not automatically end a tenancy, and a fixed term cannot simply be shortened because a buyer wants to move in. Have the agreement and dates checked before making commitments.
Tenants must be told in writing when the property is put on the market. Permission is needed for photographs and buyer or professional visits. Tenants can set reasonable access conditions and may refuse open homes, requiring appointments instead. Photographs of personal possessions also need care. Read Tenancy Services’ selling-a-rental guidance for the current scenarios and notice requirements.
Make one written access plan that the owner, tenant, manager and selling agent can work from. Record the contact person, agreed days, how appointments are confirmed and how changes will be communicated. Avoid separate instructions that leave the tenant unsure who is coming.
Discuss disruption early. A useful plan takes account of work, family routines and the tenant’s concerns, while allowing agreed sale activities to proceed.
Have the tenancy position reflected accurately in the sale documentation by the appropriate adviser. If the tenancy continues, plan the rent reconciliation, change of landlord, tenant contact information and bond-record update. If it will end, establish the lawful process before fixing move-out and settlement arrangements. A final inspection and key return need their own coordination.
Keep your solicitor and property manager informed when dates or conditions change. Do not assume the selling agent’s calendar has automatically updated the tenant or the management records.
For tenancy coordination, contact senior property manager Alysha Kinnaird on 021 778 020. This resource explains the property-management side of a sale; obtain suitable legal advice for your agreement and circumstances. Return to our landlord information for management, guide and appraisal resources.