It is
heartening that Housing Minister Nick Smith has finally
accepted that there is a rental housing problem in
Christchurch, says New Zealand First Housing Spokesperson
Denis O'Rourke.
"The problems stem from an acute shortage
of homes for rent which have not been addressed by the
National government, and because of the substandard, damp,
leaky and cold properties that are too often rented.
"The
Minister is now 'open to the idea of a warrant of fitness'
but says that the devil is in the detail.
"New Zealand
First policy can help. What is needed is a set of minimum
standards enforceable by a change in the tenancy legislation
under which a tenant can withhold rent, and cannot be
evicted, until defects are remedied by the landlord.
"The
Tenancy Tribunal could be empowered to determine whether a
property is up to standard where there is a dispute.
"More
than four years after the earthquakes which caused these
problems it is high time the government acted on them," says
Mr O'Rourke.
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