For Natasha Middleton, being a landlord is more than just about owning property. She sees it as a privilege, a rare entry into the lives of others.
“You see a part of people's lives you never expected to be a part of … you're talking to them and you see how they live. It's a humbling experience.”
It's this emphasis on people that won Middleton the Landlord of the Year award at this year's New Zealand Property Investors Federation conference in Palmerston North. She and her husband self-manage their 10 properties (nine in Hamilton, one in Putaruru) and have self-managed for over 17 years.
They bought their first home in 2001: their first investment property in 2005; and have been expanding ever since.
Middleton laughs as she retells the story of how her husband became an investor.
“There was this four-bedroom house and it was filthy but bulletproof. I rang him up and said: ‘I'm putting an offer on a property. Can you go around and sign the sale and purchase agreement' … he hadn't even seen it. That's
