Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Landlords losing out under current Government

18 October 2018

Landlords losing out under current Government

The Government’s claim it is striking a balance between the interests of landlords and tenants has been further rubbished in Parliament today, National’s Housing spokesperson Judith Collins says.

“New Zealand landlords are set to lose out if the Labour-led Government goes ahead with its proposed changes to the Residential Tenancy Act.

“Under the proposed changes, landlords are limited to increasing rents once a year, they will need to give 90 days to terminate a tenancy under all circumstances, and the changes will end ‘no cause’ tenancies.

“National believes good tenants who pay their rent on time and take care of their property should have their leases protected, but these changes will make it impossible for a landlord to move out difficult tenants who trash their homes.

“Housing Minister Phil Twyford continues to miss the mark with his tenancy proposals, as he fails to look into unpaid rent.

“Persistent unpaid rent makes up about 72 per cent of total applications to the Tenancy Tribunal. But if the ‘no cause’ tenancy provision is removed landlords won’t be able to evict tenants who aren’t paying rent.

“Minister Twyford confirmed today the proposed changes will allow tenants to keep pets and make modifications. This would mean tenants would have free rein to modify their houses, including painting walls or adding as many shelves as tenants want.

“The discussion document comes on top of the prohibition of letting fees which is currently being pushed through Parliament, further restricting the rights of landlords.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“We know the changes will just drive more landlords out of the market, something we are seeing already. Trade Me has already confirmed the number of rentals on its site is down 3 per cent.

“We need to protect both landlord and tenant rights. But with these changes, it seems like tenants will be favoured well above the Mum and Dad landlords who have put their hard earned savings into an investment property.”


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.