Residential Tenancy Reforms will lock vulnerable out of rental housing
“Further changes to the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill will lock vulnerable New Zealanders out of housing in a time of massive demand,” says Property Managers Institute of New Zealand President David Pearse.
“It’s precisely the wrong time for the Government to be pushing ahead with this legislation which would inevitably result in landlords making a decision not to rent to people they perceive as at risk.
“It means more people in hotels and emergency accommodation funded by the taxpayer.”
Mr Pearse is commenting on Select Committee changes to the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill which will make it even more difficult for landlords and property managers to move people on for anti-social behaviour.
The Committee has by majority agreed that, ‘where a tenant challenges a notice of anti-social behaviour in the Tenancy Tribunal, the landlord bears the burden of proof’.
“Landlords and property managers should not be expected to be detectives, and we are sure there would be a public outcry if they started snooping on tenants. The alternative is to ask neighbours and complaints to provide evidence of the behaviour. This may put them at risk.
“Both these scenarios are likely to factor into decisions around the sort of tenants which landlords and property managers take on. This runs counter to the Government policy to get more people into good quality rental accommodation,” says Mr Pearse.
Other aspects in the now changed Bill are also concerning, he says.
They include:
- Higher infringement fees and pecuniary penalties for landlords with more than six properties
- Tenant given the sole right to decide if Fixed Term Tenancies renewed or not.
“The Property Managers Institute of New Zealand’s membership includes professionals who help facilitate housing for hundreds of families. We are concerned that this legislation will have very negative consequences in terms of rental supply for those who are most disadvantaged.”
ENDS
