If you can’t find the answer to your question, you can get in touch with Te Āhuru Mōwai team, 9am to 4.30pm, Monday - Friday.
Where is Te Āhuru Mōwai located?
Te Āhuru Mōwai is located in the heart of Porirua City centre. Level 1, 1 Cobham Court (above Cobb and Co restaurant).
Do Ngāti Toa own the properties?
No. Ngāti Toa, through Te Āhuru Mōwai, manage the tenancies and maintenance of the properties. The Ministry of Social Development (Work and Income) continue to decide the eligibility criteria for who lives in the properties. For access to a home, you will need to be on the Ministry of Social Development’s Social Housing Register.
What are my obligations when I rent a home from you?
When you rent a home from us you will be given a tenancy handbook. The tenancy handbook outlines the main points regarding your tenancy, but there are also additional obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act.
You must take reasonable care of the property, keep it clean and tidy. You need to ensure all steps are taken so that no damage to the property is made by you or visitors.
Can I bring other tenants to help pay the rent?
If you have somebody living with you who is not on the tenancy agreement you will need to contact us. Having additional paying adults living in your home may affect your rent rate and benefit. It is extremely important that you contact us.
What are my obligations regarding inspections?
We are required to give you 48 hours’ notice to enter the property or 24 hours for maintenance. We require you to be present at the inspection and you are required to be present for contractors who have arranged a time with you to do general repairs or maintenance. If a contractor has arranged a time with you and no one is home, you may be charged a fee.
What do I do if I have no hot water?
If you have just moved in check that your hot water cylinder is turned on at the unit (usually next to it) and that you have power to operate the cylinder. Check the hot water switch / fuse at the switchboard to ensure that it is also turned on. Make sure that the hot water cylinder is not leaking or visibly damaged and if it is contact us immediately.
What happens if the stove, oven or cook top is not working?
Check that you have power to the rest of the Kitchen or the house. Check the fuse board to make sure a fuse hasn’t blown. Sometimes older stoves/ovens have a timer function, when not set it will not operate. Try re-setting the timer function. If you are not comfortable with doing these checks, phone us on freephone 0508 832 487. Our office is open from 9am – 4.30pm from Monday to Friday. At other times, calls are directed to an after-hours service who will manage the incident as required.
What do I need to do, to rent or apply for a home?
All our tenants are referred by the Ministry of Social Development (Work and Income). If you would like to apply for a home or speak with someone you can phone us on: 0508 832 487 or email: enquiries@teahurumowai.co.nz. Our office is open from 9am – 4.30pm from Monday to Friday.
What happens if I miss a rent payment?
If you have missed a rent payment you need to contact us immediately. Do not wait for us to contact you. By communicating with us we may be able to come to an agreement around paying any arrears and help with advice such as how to check you are receiving the correct benefit entitlement.
What do I do if something breaks or needs repairing?
We are obligated to attend to various maintenance issues. You will need to contact us on freephone 0508 832 487. Our office is open from 9am – 4.30pm from Monday to Friday. At other times, calls are directed to an after-hours service who will manage the incident as required. The quicker you report issues to us the quicker they will be addressed.
Emergency repairs and maintenance include anything relating to power, security, water and sewerage and you need to contact us urgently regarding these items.
Urgent repairs may include broken locks, and other items which mean the property is not secure. If you experience these problems after hours you can phone our call centre on freephone 0508 832 487.
General repairs and maintenance refer to items that do not cause any real damage in the shorter term but are annoying and inconvenient. These may include oven elements that are not working, leaking taps and toilets. If these issues are reported after hours we may not be able to organise until the next working day. However, these sort of repairs are not urgent so will not cause any further damage.
What happens if I have a blocked drain, sink or toilet?
Most blocked sinks and toilets are a result of a blockage caused by the tenant.
In sinks this is often caused by fats, foods and soaps blocking the drains. You should avoid washing any fats and food waste down the drain.
Pouring boiling water or products designed for drains will assist to disburse any blocked wastes. A plunger is a good tool to have at any property. Toilets are often blocked due to too much toilet paper or other items being flushed. You need to be careful with what you flush down the toilet. You should not flush nappies, or sanitary items.
What happens if I have a water leak?
If the leak is coming directly from the toilet you may be able to turn the inlet valve off which is usually located at the back of the toilet. For other leaks turn the mains off if you need to temporarily stop the water flow. Contact us immediately.