Where do you stand if your rental property is broken into?

Tenants are urged to ensure they are covered by contents insurance in the event of a break-in at their rental property.

Contents of a rented property are the responsibility of the tenant, so we always stress to every tenant the importance of putting an insurance policy in place to cover the cost of any stolen items.

That being said, the owner is required to provide an appropriate level of the security for the property.

The act states: ‘The lessor must supply and maintain the locks that are necessary to ensure the premises are reasonably secure.’

However, there is no standard to define what is considered ‘reasonably secure’ as ultimately, this will depend on the premises and its surroundings.

In the event of a dispute over security between manager/owner and tenant, the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) recommends self-resolution in the first instance. For matters that cannot be resolved in this way, the RTA can provide conciliation assistance.