If you thought lead poisoning is something that only happened to people in ‘the olden days’, you might be surprised to hear that hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders may still be at risk of getting sick from the effects of lead-based paint today. This is because it remains dangerous as long as it is on the property. In 1986 a survey carried out by the Building Research Authority of New Zealand (BRANZ) estimated that 251,000 Kiwi homes still contained lead-based paint, which was phased out in the early 1980s.

The problem is that many are unaware of the risk, or assume that if the old paint was painted over with a layer of safe paint then the problem is gone for good. There is an element of truth to this, but if the new paint is damaged or deteriorates then the danger of the lead-based paint underneath returns. Ingesting this toxic substance can cause severe or even deadly developmental and neurological problems, particularly in children and developing foetuses, but can also lead to an array of other serious health problems in people (or pets) of any age.

What does this mean for you as a property landlord?

To begin with, it is your duty to assume that, if your property was built prior to 1980, it will still contain lead-based paint unless you are able to prove otherwise. You must ensure the problem is dealt with competently by someone who is aware of the danger and knows how to safely eliminate, isolate or minimise it. You could do this yourself if you are clued up on the relevant lead paint removal safety precautions, or you could hire the services of a professional who is experienced in carrying out this fairly risky process.

Isn’t it always the same. Just as you’re about to move in and do some repairs and maintenance on your rental property, you find a very active, very large wasp nest right where you want to do some work!

Wasps nests can seemingly pop up almost overnight. They range from a small nest of only a few keen wasps to something the size of small playground. Fortunately, wasp nests are normally picked up before they get too large and difficult to deal with.

When to look out for wasps

Heading into summer, a queen wasp will go out and find a good spot to build their nest. Starting off around the size of a large marble, the nest can easily reach a size large enough to hold thousands of wasps if it is not treated early on.

When the weather is colder, wasps are not so aggressive but if you wait until summer, you can find it very difficult to get close enough to do anything yourself. Ideally, it is better to avoid using treatments that require you to get too close, such as powders. Common sense should also suggest that using petrol on a nest that is attached to your property is also a bad idea!

Who pays to remove the wasp nest?

Ideally, a thorough inspection should find any wasps nests that are present before a new tenant moves into your rental property and deal with them before the tenants move in.

Pest control can be a point of contention between landlords and tenants but in the case of a pre-existing nest, the landlord should deal with it promptly themselves. The situation with infestations during a tenancy is not so clear and tenancy services tend to suggest the cost is split between the landlord and the tenant.

What should you use to kill the wasps?

You can buy Wasp-X online at www.waspx.co.nz.

Wasp-X is an effective wasp spray that you can use from a distance of up to 5 metres. The spray can shoots out a jet of foam that will coat the nest and the wasps and continue to kill any wasps that arrive back at the nest later. Delivery is also free throughout New Zealand.

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