Renting advice
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=27343
Printed Date: 06 September 2025 at 1:20pm
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Topic: Renting advice
Posted By: spanky77
Subject: Renting advice
Date Posted: 06 July 2009 at 1:07pm
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Hi there, new to forums today. I think this is the most appropriate forum for my query and is vaguely related to pregnancy!
I found out last week I'm 8 weeks preg (nearly 9 now!) and due feb 10th. Its been quite a surprise!! We rent a 2 bedroomed flat with 2 living rooms and fenced in garden, and are in no position to buy in the foreseeable (one wage and baby on the way). We have lived in our flat for a year and a half - its a large converted building with 5 other flats above - ours takes up the bottom floor alone - space is no issue (rarely!), and we mainly live in the extension part, which has nothing above to disturb other tenants. When we moved in our landlady indicated that this was a child-free zone (despite the neighbours 11 year old boy in the flat above), and my partner asked about what would happen in the event that we were expecting a baby, her reply was that we would cross that bridge when we came to it. She is quite a reasonable lady I think, and we need to discuss the situation with her, I know (am waiting til first trimester is past) Its not that there would be an overcrowding issue, and that yes, the neighbours may hear a crying baby from time to time - obviously we wouldn't leave it to cry for long. We get on well with all the neighbours, and lots of the houses surrounding seem to be families - its quite a quiet neighbourhood, but not spookily so. I just don;t want to have to move, I feel soooo settled here, its a beautiful flat in a perfect location for us. The tenancy is due to run out 2 weeks before the baby is, and my partner has a month long overseas trip planned which he has to move forwards now to Nov/Dec. We're good tenants, no parties, nice and quiet, rent paid on time and look after the property, and obviously would put right any damage a child might do to the property. So I guess my question is . . . if any people here have been in a similar situation . . . renters having to move out cos of having a baby, or having negotiated with landlords on this, or even landlords who could share their concerns about their tenants expanding the family in their property. Cheers all |
Replies:
Posted By: DJ
Date Posted: 06 July 2009 at 2:22pm
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I'm pretty sure it would be illegal to kick you out because you are having a baby. Does you lease specify no kids?
You could ring tenancy services to find out your rights. With the tenancy coming up for renewal so close to the due date, I would recommend getting it sorted well before then - if the landlady decided she wanted you gone she could always find some "other reason" not to renew the tenancy and you could fund yourselves in the poo. Congrats on your pregnancy ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 06 July 2009 at 2:55pm
Congrats on your pregnancy 
I dont think your landlady can kick you out for being pregnant, but with your lease expiring that could be a prblem. I would tell her when you are ready, if she doesnt seem impressed etc i would keep in the back of your mind you may need to move. You wont want to move 2 wks before your baby is due so maybe moving earlier could be an opition. From previous experience i find landlords mainly dislike children between say 2-5 when they do naughty things like writing on walls etc, at that stage when they dont quite know right from wrong. Good luck i hope it all works out :) -------------  
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Posted By: catisla
Date Posted: 06 July 2009 at 7:10pm
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Congrats!
If you've been good tenants, and have always paid rent on time etc etc then your landlord would be mad to kick you out or not renew your tenancy. Good tenants are hard to find! Tenancy services do provide excellent advice though . . http://www.dbh.govt.nz/tenancy-index - tenancy services page and tel number ------------- |
Posted By: crafty1
Date Posted: 07 July 2009 at 2:23pm
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I'd be worried that if she isn't happy about the idea it will make you feel unsettled and yes if she changes her mind at lease time then you're stuffed. On the other hand if she is happy then it should be fine.
My sil and her husband lived in a split villa with their first child and because of the neighbours they went to her every time she made the slightest noise and she is the worst sleeper now! My sil is convinced that is because they could never let her self settle. She is 4 and still doesn't sleep through the night! There are some times when babies make a lot of noise and if you'll be on egg shells it may be harder for you. It depends on how good the noise insulation is between flats. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: HoneybunsMa
Date Posted: 07 July 2009 at 2:47pm
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I thought we would have a hard time with our landlords when we found out we were pregnant. Well actually more my neighbour then my landlord. We were going to move out as we only have a one bedroom but have decided we would stay here as we know we can afford this while I am not working. My suggestion tell your landlady now about being due which gives you plenty of time to find something etc in the future if she is not happy about it. We live behind my landlady and are the first down the drive in theblock of units. I wanted her to talk to my neighbour to make sure she is ok with it but they decided not to. The way my landlady sees it is one person can make more noise with a stereo and tv then a baby can. She talked it over with her husband and they are fine with us staying, they have uped our rent by another $15 a week as they pay our water which is fine by us (we weren't paying that much anyways) and we have signed a new tenancy agreement. If landlady is not happy with you having a baby then ask if you can get out of the agreement early so that you can look (if you have a fixed term agreement). ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: spanky77
Date Posted: 07 July 2009 at 4:55pm
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Thanks for replies, you lot! I don’t think she would kick us out for being pregnant, the concern was more around whether we would be able to renew the lease. I don’t think she would have a problem with us getting out of a fixed term lease if she said upfront that she was adamant that she did not want a baby on the premises, as long as we got someone else in to cover the rest of our lease.
Yeah I don’t see the logic of kicking us out with our history there, but I don’t think it would be hard to find someone to move in here, as it’s the best flat ever!! I’m pretty sure if we were allowed to stay another year at least, the rent would go up to cover water. The flat could quite comfortably accommodate 3 flatmates, and I think she was ok with that with previous tenants. I would probably be concerned about disturbing the neighbours – for our first year here I tried not to crank the stereo (needs to be done when cleaning the house) but checked with the neighbours and they said they never heard anything, I’ve told them to come and let us know if we are being too noisy but they never have. They’re all pretty friendly here so I’m sure they would. The building is an oldish one but we don’t hear the neighbours too much, other than walking around every so often (and that’s allowed!) The place we lived before, seriously sounded like the neighbours had an elephant playing hopscotch up and down their entire flat! But normal living sounds are just that. I think we would have the baby’s bedroom under one of their living rooms, so that’s not too bad. I know we need to talk to her (she’s out the country quite a lot), really wanted to wait through the first trimester to make sure everything was semi-ok – would hate to find we had to move out, then for the unmentionable to happen and end up stuck somewhere else unnecessarily. Got 6 months to find somewhere if the worst comes to the worst |
Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 08 July 2009 at 10:42am
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if your rental agreement says 2 people only it will need to be changed to three by agreement to include the baby.
We rent to people with a baby and as it is a legal unit is is fire rated (soundproofed) and we NEVER hear the baby at all until we step out the front. OUr forms state 2 plus child but when they have family to stay (yes a 2 bedroom!) that is fine so long as not semi permanent. Make sure you talk to the landlord well in advance of bubs birth to change the form and then she cant do anything once baby arrives if she has agreed to having 2 plus a baby there. A baby crying would not be a good excuse to give you notice. |
Posted By: spanky77
Date Posted: 13 July 2009 at 6:32pm
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We spoke to the landlady over the weekend as DP decided to get it over and done with . . . she had half guessed, and said we could stay . . .YAY!!!!
We LOVE it here and our baby will too! She did have a 2person thing on the flat but is ok about baby, and agrees that its unlikely to bother neighbours given the layout of the property Can relax a bit more now!! Thanks for your help in here, peeps! |