Today, all MPs should vote against flawed amendments to residential rental tenancy law proposed by the Labour and Green parties, Tenancies War spokesman Mike Butler asked today.

The second reading of the Residential Tenancies Amendment bill is set down for today.

The consequences of this bill passing are extreme:

1. Extending allowable rent arrears from 21 days to 60 days means that debts by tenants will become larger, and will take longer and become more difficult to resolve.

2. Allowing two instances of anti-social behaviour every 90 days means that noisy, disruptive behaviour becomes much more difficult to manage, creating a problem for owners and neighbours.

3. Ending an owner’s contractual right to end a tenancy, as a tenant may, would make renting impossible for tens of thousands of marginal tenants and could lock owners into problems that they could only end by selling or moving into a property, or by doing a revamp that requires a vacant property.

“Proposed law changes such as this would make renting much more difficult for both owners and tenants at a time when tens of thousands are looking for a home. This is bizarre to say the least,” Mr Butler said.

“If this government does not want 290,000 private owners providing 540,000 rental properties it should say so. If the government gets rid of private landlords, it will have to build half a million rentals,” Mr Butler said.

Today, please vote against flawed amendments to the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill.

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