Labour pushes for changes to rules around residential tenants

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Labour says the government has watered down a bill which regulates residential tenancies and is wanting some changes before it is passed by Parliament.

Wednesday, May 12th 2010, 6:00PM 7 Comments

by The Landlord

Labour's housing spokesman Moana Mackey says the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill was developed and introduced to Parliament by the Labour-led Government has been adopted by the current government, but they have watered it down.

She says the opposition party will be putting forward amendments during the committee stages of the House to further improve the law.
 
"Labour's amendments deal with some of the up front financial barriers tenants' face - like the charging of letting fees, as well  as protecting innocent tenants against liability for damage to premises that they did not cause or could not reasonably have prevented. 
 
Amongst the changes the party will be proposing amendments to ensure that the Tenancy Tribunal process is fair and accessible to all parties, whilst retaining its focus on quick and low-cost resolution of disputes.
 
"For this reason   Labour opposes lifting   the automatic threshold for the right to representation from $3,000 to $6,000 which this bill does, instead we would like to see this threshold removed altogether, or if that cannot be achieved then we would like to see it significantly lowered.
Mackey says she is also concerned about situations where tenants are being evicted earlier so their rooms can be let to people attending sporting events like the Wellington Sevens and Rugby World Cup.

"Increasing numbers of New Zealanders are living in rental accommodation and they deserve the protection of fair and equitable tenancy laws," Mackey says.

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