“The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has told the Government that its new tenancy law will increase rents in the middle of a housing crisis”, says ACT Leader David Seymour.

The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill has its first reading in Parliament yesterday.

“The bill’s regulatory impact statement says the law could reduce the number of rentals available and increase rents, demand for state housing, and homelessness.

“It beggars belief that, at a time when Kiwis are paying record rents, Labour is passing a law that will increase them even further.

“Labour was elected to solve the housing crisis, but they’re making it worse.

“In opposition, Labour talked a big game about cutting red tape, freeing up land and bringing down the cost of housing. All we’ve seen is new red and bureaucracy on the housing market.

“You don’t need an economics degree to work out that new red tape will increase the cost and risk of being a landlord and that these costs will be passed on to tenants in higher rents.

“ACT says we need to change the law to free up land to bring its cost down, and make it easier to build houses. Only then will the next generation of New Zealanders be able to afford a stake in the future.”

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