Alexander: Landlord left in limbo

United Future MP Marc Alexander has pointed out to the Government that as Parliament sat today, a Christchurch landlord stood powerless as a family that has trashed two houses in the past month, and provided him with false references and having not paid a cent in rent or bond, continued to enjoy tenancy of his property.

In asking the Housing Minister, Steve Maharey, when and how the Government would move to protect landlords from bad tenants, he cited the case of the 19-year-old Christchurch property owner who was simply waiting, watching and hoping that the family did not trash his property, as he went through the weeks it would take for the Tenancy Tribunal to order the family's eviction.

"Here we have a young man, setting out on life, showing initiative and the motivation to get ahead, and he has to wait and watch powerless, as people who deceived him with false references, and have paid none of the money agreed, occupy his property.

"Just what kind of tenants are we trying to protect?" Mr Alexander asked, in again mooting the idea of a bad tenants register.

Speaking in Parliament, he asked Mr Maharey why the Department of Work and Income (Winz) would not help reimburse landlords for rental arrears, yet would fund such disastrous tenants into their next rental property, effectively inflicting them upon an innocent landlord.

He also again raised the issue of bad tenants effectively being protected by privacy legislation that does not allow sharing of information between government departments.

© Scoop Media