Jacinda Ardern’s “kind” government rather unkindly wants to push through under urgency this week amendments to residential rental tenancy law that are both unworkable and vicious, Tenancies War spokesman Mike Butler said today.

If the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill is passed as is:

1. Section 55A would allow two weeks of unpaid rent every 90 days. This breaches every tenancy agreement which requires rent to be paid as agreed.

2. Section 36 would permit two separate instances of anti-social behaviour every 90 days. This also breaches every tenancy agreement which forbids anti-social behaviour.

3. Section 32, which would end contractual terminations by owners, means that the only ways for owners to end tenancies are to renovate, move into, or sell the property.

4. When considering termination for a serious breach, Tenancy Tribunal adjudicators would be legally obliged to put the personal circumstances of a tenant above the rights of the owner and neighbours, and above fairness and acceptable behaviour.

5. Schedule 2 would impose massive fines that are far from fair and reasonable. Seventy three of the 87 proposed penalties target owners

The current Government appears to believe that it can fix housing problems by tinkering with the law. The Government appears not to understand that high demand and the diminishing availability of rental property is the problem.

Bear in mind, the current government failed to produce the 30,000 affordable houses in three years that it promised at the last election.

Winston Peters should show that there is at least one adult in this rickety coalition government and help the National Party and Act vote against these unworkable and vicious amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act.

Stop the War on Tenancies is a group that since October 2018 has been highlighting the failure by the Government to create sound policy and law for residential rental property. Much policy has only increased rents and disadvantaged both tenants and owners.

The bill may be read at http://legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2020/0218/latest/LMS294929.html

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