Have your say on renting law
More than a third of all New Zealanders live in rental homes. Renting is a lifelong reality for many individuals and families. This Government is making the laws about renting a home fairer and more modern, and we want to hear what you think.
We are committed to addressing the country’s current housing crisis on several fronts. We’re building affordable KiwiBuild starter homes for first home buyers. We’re building more state houses. We’re stopping overseas speculators from purchasing existing homes in New Zealand. And we’re closing tax loopholes that speculators exploit.
Making life better for renters is another important part of our housing plan.
Our laws around renters’ rights haven’t kept up. They are still designed around the idea that renting is a short-term arrangement for people without children, and that renters will move frequently rather than set down roots in their community.
We are changing the law to make sure rental houses are warm and dry, and also to make renting more stable and secure.
In December 2017, we passed the Healthy Homes Guarantee Act, setting healthy homes standards for rental properties. And we recently introduced a law to ban letting fees, which will help reduce the cost of securing a rental home.
The next step is to update the Residential Tenancies Act, which is the law that sets the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants.
The changes the Government is looking at include:
❚ Limiting rent increases to once a year, and requiring the formula for any rent increases to be included in the tenancy agreement.
❚ Stopping ‘‘rent bidding’’ and making it easier to challenge rents when they are excessive.
❚ Making renting more stable by removing ‘no cause’ terminations, and lengthening notice periods for other terminations by landlords, while also making it easier for landlords to evict antisocial tenants.
❚ Giving tenants more ability to make a rental their family home, by making it easier for tenants to have pets and make minor alterations, like hanging pictures.
❚ Setting higher standards for boarding houses, and checking that they meet those standards, either through self-certification or a warrant of fitness
We want to hear your views. You can have your say on these ideas by going to www.mbie.govt.nz/ rta-reform. Submissions close on October. 21
Our team, led by Jacinda Ardern, is getting things done. We’re working to ensure everyone has a decent place to live and every family can have a fair shot at owning a home of their own. Making sure rental agreements are modern and fair is an important part of our plan.