Food or rent? Tough choice for tenants

Some tenants are going without food or dipping into savings to help pay the rent.

The Government has put a sixmonth freeze on residential rent rises, increased protection for renters from having tenancies terminated, and has encouraged landlords and tenants to work together during the pandemic.

But a tenants’ group says while the rent rise freeze prevented a worse situation, government support is not enough to bridge the gap.

Renters United surveyed 1983 people during lockdown and found that many renters had lost their income and were struggling to pay for the essentials.

One told the group that their flat had to talk about whether to save money for food or to pay rent.

Another, who followed government advice to communicate their situation, said: ‘‘We were met with a brick wall of a landlord saying they have no sympathy and will need the rent in full.

‘‘I don’t know how we can live more frugally than we do, without forgoing food or things that our kid needs to get a proper education. I feel very hopeless.’’

An Auckland woman, Irina, said she had lost her job at the beginning of the lockdown and had not received her wage subsidy.

Her property manager had not been understanding. ‘‘I’m living off foodbank parcels and spending all my life savings on rent,’’ she said.

In New Zealand on a working visa, she felt as though she was in limbo every day.

Two out of every three renting households had seen their income drop by more than a third, the survey found.

Renters United spokeswoman Anna Mooney said more than half of those surveyed also reported that their renting situation affected their mental and physical health.

‘‘The findings show lockdown has exacerbated renting situations that were already unaffordable.’’

The case of a man crushed to death by his own truck is being looked into by police.

The man was killed on O’Reily Ave, off Wellington’s Boulcott St, when he was crushed between the vehicle and a wall on March 29 as New Zealand entered level four lockdown.

WorkSafe was notified but said, because the incident happened on a public road, police were investigating.

Police said they were looking into the death on behalf of the coroner. No charges have been laid.