The Green Party welcomes the announcement by the Privacy Commissioner today to look into the ways landlords and property managers seek information from prospective tenants.

Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson says this focus on the rental market is long overdue as people compete for a home in an overheated rental market.

“Everyone deserves a home to live in and people renting deserve rental regulations and processes that maintain their dignity and uphold their right to privacy.

“But many people who rent are forced to settle for substandard, overpriced homes where landlords may be crossing the line on what personal information they ask for.

“I’m particularly distressed to hear some landlords and property managers are sharing people’s private information on Facebook, unfairly keeping people out of a home.

“There are landlords and property managers who do a good job, but some let everyone down. There is no licensing or registration system for landlords and property managers in Aotearoa and this needs to be fixed.

“The Greens will continue to push for clear professional standards and obligations for landlords and property managers to adhere to.

“This will provide protection for tenants and give confidence to the sector that bad practices will be identified and addressed.”

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