No more rental evictions without cause

Labour Party leader Jacinda Ardern is promising to make life easier for renters, if elected to government. File photo.

The Labour Party has promised to stop landlords evicting tenants without good reason, as well as extending notice periods to 90 days, if elected to government.

Labour leader Jacinda Ardern says the policy is about making renting a ‘more stable and healthy experience for families'.

'Labour is committed to restoring the Kiwi dream of owning your own place. We also recognise that long-term renting has become a reality for more families, but the current law creates instability and insecurity for many,” she says.

'It is not uncommon for renters to be forced to move as often as once a year. Families are living with a level of stress and anxiety, with often very little notice that they have to move on and find a home in a tough rental market.

'Cold, damp homes are also a huge problem. It's vital we improve the quality of rentals so our children no longer get sick or die from living in cold, damp and mouldy houses.

'We're going to fix this. We want our rental system to be fair, and take away stress for both tenants, and landlords.”

Labour would extend notice periods to 90 days to allow renters more time to organise their affairs. The party would also abolish 'no-cause” terminations. Rent increases will be limited to once a year instead of the current six months, and the formula for increases will need to be set in tenancy agreements so that tenants know what to expect. Letting fees will also be abolished.

'Landlords should also feel secure knowing that their property is in good hands. If a tenancy agreement is breached, landlords should be able to access the tenancy tribunal and have action taken straight away. We'll make sure the tribunal is resourced to take act quickly when they need to.

'Many landlords and renters are looking for secure longer term fixed tenancies. In these cases, we'll change the law so there is the option of paying higher bond in exchange for the ability to make a house a home by making minor alternations, like painting a wall or hanging a picture, as long as the tenant returns the property to the state it was in at the start of the tenancy.

She says Labour will also pass the Healthy Homes Bill into law, ensuring that all rentals are warm, dry, and healthy to live in.

'We'll help with this by offering landlords $2000 grants for insulation and heating. These measures will help stop our kids getting sick and dying of preventable diseases that have no place in a country like New Zealand.

'This package has been designed, based on international examples, to get the balance between tenants and landlords right.”

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14 comments

Who would want to?

Posted on 03-09-2017 12:13 | By Papamoaner

On reflection, all those years I spent in younger days doing up rental properties were a waste of bloody time. Made that old mistake of not factoring in my labour. probably earned a very low hourly rate when I think about it. It was fun, but hunting and fishing is even better fun. Now they have all these new rules and regulations. Why would you even bother?


rental property?

Posted on 03-09-2017 13:04 | By phoenix

So this idea will increase the number of rental properties available and lower rents will it?Who in their right mind would even consider this as an investment.


Rental Property

Posted on 03-09-2017 14:15 | By PaulM

I have a local couple who have 2 quality rentals which the bought for their retirement. Theey have good tenants for some time, but are now on notice.Both are going to the auction market very shortly as they feel that Joan of Arc will go out of he way - transparently to screw them.There will bee two families totaling nine people on the market to rent. again shortly - not that they are bad tenants at all.They feel that they are about to be treated like parasites as they have both worked hard over many years to secure their retirement future.


Thats made my..

Posted on 03-09-2017 17:04 | By Me again

hubby and I think twice or maybe more about renting anymore. Seriously thinking of selling. Just had a vile tenant in one of our rentals. $$$$$ out of pocket but he's on the park bench with partner so I guess that makes up for it. It is not a thing we like to do, putting someone the park bench but when you give them 3 weeks to catch up their rent then there is no other option especially when both had jobs. The place a stinking mess with holes in All walls. So Labour you may have put the final nail in the door.


Your property is NOT your property

Posted on 03-09-2017 17:58 | By The Tomahawk Kid

Proof that your property is in fact NOT your property, but will belong to LABOUR if they get in.Property rights do not matter to Labour. If you believe property and individual rights are as important as I do, then do not vote for these property thieves..


Has no idea

Posted on 03-09-2017 20:07 | By TVFactory

She obviously has never owned a rental property or been a bad tenant. All good to promise this stuff when you know nothing about it.


Paul M,...at this rate.......

Posted on 03-09-2017 20:48 | By groutby

..I can truly believe that many landlords, will want to move their property on as soon as possible to prevent the further agro they possibly already have in getting "compliance" from the tenants they currently have. If this happens, I imagine more 'state" homes needing to be built, as there will be for sure a lack of available homes once ( and when) this happens, and it will. Joan of Arc?..well yes, makes for an interesting comparison.......


CGT is almost inevitable.

Posted on 04-09-2017 00:12 | By Papamoaner

The one saving grace for property investors is capital gain upon sale. This new woman will introduce Capital Gains Tax as soon as her feet hit the deck, make no mistake about it. Get out while you still can I reckon.


Has to go both ways...

Posted on 04-09-2017 12:49 | By Border Patrol

having owned a rental we got out as it was too skewed towards the tenant. New laws need to be fair both ways. The problem in this country is that you have a certain element that know all of their "rights" and know how to play the system. As a landlord if you are unlucky enough to have one of these tenants it usually ends in property damage, rent arrears, etc which all cost the property owner, but the tenant gets to walk away and most likely do it again elsewhere, even if the tribunal has found in the landlords favour. I get the intent of this policy, but it has to be fair to both the tenant and the property owner otherwise there will end up being a big rental shortage as investors sell up.


@Border Patrol

Posted on 04-09-2017 16:24 | By Papamoaner

But it's not all bad news. I'm thinking the labour upsurge in the polls was an aberration because people didn't like the idea of Mr Little as prime minister. Now that the dust has settled after the first rush of blood to the head, plus all the unaffordable election promises, the polls are swinging back to their original position with bugger-all hysteresis. Touch wood!


@Groutby

Posted on 04-09-2017 16:30 | By Papamoaner

My fear is that they will follow Walter Nash and build "ghettos" of state houses all together, thus creating a hub of a particular kind later down the track. I'll be long gone by then, but it's still a bit of a worry


Capital gains

Posted on 04-09-2017 18:58 | By Minib

I cannot for the life in me understand the uproar about this subject, most properties have received very good gains in value so where is the problem in paying tax on the property when sold,most people pay tax on earnings so why not when you sell an investment.What makes them difference?


@Minib

Posted on 05-09-2017 08:55 | By Papamoaner

Agree, but when I sat down and factored in my labour, the capital gain only just countered it with a piddling profit. By the way, nobody actually "owns" property. As stated on titles, we are tenants, not owners - it is leased to us by the crown in "fee simple" Scary eh! What makes it worse in my view is the disappearance of paper records, with everything now electronically stored. Including "births deaths and marriages" Motor vehicles etc, etc, etc. Nothing like the perfect crime on a victim that "never existed" We live in a queer world now and getting queerer. That old quotation whose origin I forgot - "they're all queer cept me and thee, and thee's queer" is starting to look authentic these days.


@ Pappa-eettee

Posted on 19-09-2017 20:41 | By MISS ADVENTURE

You say "We live in a queer world now and getting queerer" now isnt that the truth of it, at last you have said it. Finally that cloud look though the whiskey is cleared a bit (must be spending a bit more than before?) to "see". Of course you are referring to the true new Zealand history rther than that exstolled of the last 30-40 years or so.


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