North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Tenants angry, as Act hoarding not welcome
Renters are irate after their landlord hung a political hoarding on their property without asking for permission.
A North Shore resident, who would not reveal their address and wished to stay anonymous due to fears of agitating their landlord, noticed an ACT Party hoarding gracing the fence of his rental two weeks ago.
The resident took to reddit, an online forum where people discuss various topics, to vent his frustrations.
‘‘We were uncomfortable, the entire flat was confused about why there was an ACT billboard on our fence. We laughed at first but then it didn’t seem funny,’’ the resident said.
The resident removed the sign almost immediately, but a day later the landlord had come to the property questioning if the occupants had vandalised the sign, then proceeded to replace it.
The hoarding hadn’t been touched since its reinstatement, as the risk of ruining the relationship with the landlord was not worth continually removing it, the renter said.
An Auckland Transport (AT) election signs bylaw states landlords must obtain the consent of the occupier before installing a hoarding. Breaching the bylaw could result in a $500 fine.
Tenant’s Protection Association Auckland chairperson Peter Klein said hoardings most likely impeded the tenants’ right to quiet enjoyment of a property.
It was understandable the tenants feared eviction if they were to pursue action against the landlord to remove the hoardings, Klein said.
Tenants generally did not want to jeopardise their tenancy by causing trouble, even if they did not agree with what the landlord was doing, he said.
New Zealand Property Investors Federation executive officer Andrew King said communication between parties was the best solution towards solving problems of this nature.
‘‘We laughed at first but then it didn't seem funny.’’
Evicting the tenants for requesting the signs removal would breach the Residential Tenancies Act, King said.
‘‘There are really big consequences for a landlord who does not follow the rules responsibly.’’
An Electoral Commission spokesperson said the current legislation did not give it the role to regulate such issues, and it was down to specific council rules relating to tenancy and landlord rights regarding the responsibilities of hoarding advertising.