tmmonline.nz  |   landlords.co.nz        About Good Returns  |  Advertise  |  Contact Us  |  Terms & Conditions  |  RSS Feeds

NZ's Financial Adviser News Centre

GR Logo
Last Article Uploaded: Saturday, December 21st, 2:19PM

News

rss
Latest Headlines

Green’s rental bill fails

A Green Party bill aiming to strengthen tenant rights and increase the length of tenancies has failed at the first hurdle.

Thursday, December 1st 2016, 11:00AM 3 Comments

by Miriam Bell

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei’s Residential Tenancies (Safe and Secure Rentals) Amendment Bill was voted down by 61 votes to 59 at its first reading in Parliament last night.

The Bill would have set minimum standards for warmth, dryness and safety in all rental properties, but it also contained a number of significant changes to tenancy standards and regulations.

These included:

• Removing the obligation on tenants to pay leasing fees.

• Setting a default of three years for fixed-term tenancies - while maintaining the provision for both parties to opt out and set the term of their choice.

• Enforcing a 90 day notice period in the event a landlord decides to sell a tenanted property.

• Limiting rent increases to no more than once a year, regardless of tenancy type or term.

• Requiring the formula for calculating any future rent increase be included in tenancy agreement forms.

• Allowing tenants a right of first refusal when their lease expires

Turei said the Bill was an opportunity to support the more than 1.5 million Kiwis who live in rented homes.

With New Zealand’s home ownership rate at the lowest level since 1951 and over half of all Aucklanders renting, tenancy rules needed to be updated to give renters a “fair deal” and more security, she said.

“People who rent need stability so they can put down roots in their communities.

“Stable tenancies are good for landlords too, because the time properties are empty and not earning rent is reduced, and tenants look after properties when they know they can call them home for several years.”

However, National, United Future and Act voted against Turei’s Bill, which meant the end of its passage through the legislative process.

ACT Party leader David Seymour said all of the measures in the Bill could already be written into a tenancy contract and that a law change was not required.

Political moves to boost tenants’ rights are not off the Parliamentary agenda though.

Labour Party leader Andrew Little’s Healthy Homes Guarantee No 2 Bill is currently before the Government Administration Select Committee.

Little’s Bill passed its first reading in Parliament by 61-60 and is likely to be fiercely contested in its passage through the House.

The National Party has already said that it won’t be supporting Little’s Bill.

« Fixed term tenancies most popularDraft meth standard released »

Special Offers

Comments from our readers

On 1 December 2016 at 5:13 pm jeff.saunders said:
As a Green supporter it is most disappointing to see tenant's rights being strengthened. We already have a huge skew towards tenants rights, and this deserved to fail until more balance is found.
On 1 December 2016 at 6:21 pm Peter L said:
A fitting fate for a stupid bill.

Isn't it amazing hom so many leftish MPs think that you can get rid of costs simply by legislating them away.
On 1 December 2016 at 8:01 pm mcranus said:
I'm also not in favour of skewing the rights towards tenants without the right to remove bad tenants in a timely manner . Been bitten three times Iin 5 years trying to do the right thing.

Sign In to add your comment

 

print

Printable version  

print

Email to a friend
News Bites
Latest Comments
  • The good guys get told off
    “I can't quite reconcile the rationale, or lack thereof, with the comments so far. Pathfinder were found to have made misleading...”
    2 days ago by John Milner
  • The good guys get told off
    “As a follow on to this conversation: I'm assuming that the Regulator will be consistent by 'naming and shaming' the other...”
    2 days ago by Pragmatic
  • The good guys get told off
    “FMA does not understand the consequences of these type of actions A number of Insurance Companies were taken to court and...”
    2 days ago by LNF
  • The good guys get told off
    “Superlife was censored for using unregistered salespeople however what is not commonly known was that the FMA were aware...”
    2 days ago by Patrickdiack
  • The good guys get told off
    “FMA executive director, Response and Enforcement, Louise Unger said:... Unger was appointed to that role in April of this...”
    3 days ago by Aggressively_passive
Subscribe Now

Mortgage Rates Newsletter

Daily Weekly

Previous News
Most Commented On
Mortgage Rates Table

Full Rates Table | Compare Rates

Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
AIA - Back My Build 4.94 - - -
AIA - Go Home Loans 7.49 5.79 5.49 5.59
ANZ 7.39 6.39 6.19 6.19
ANZ Blueprint to Build 7.39 - - -
ANZ Good Energy - - - 1.00
ANZ Special - 5.79 5.59 5.59
ASB Bank 7.39 5.79 5.49 5.59
ASB Better Homes Top Up - - - 1.00
Avanti Finance 7.90 - - -
Basecorp Finance 8.35 - - -
BNZ - Classic - 5.99 5.69 5.69
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
BNZ - Mortgage One 7.54 - - -
BNZ - Rapid Repay 7.54 - - -
BNZ - Std 7.44 5.79 5.59 5.69
BNZ - TotalMoney 7.54 - - -
CFML 321 Loans ▼5.80 - - -
CFML Home Loans ▼6.25 - - -
CFML Prime Loans ▼7.85 - - -
CFML Standard Loans ▼8.80 - - -
China Construction Bank - 7.09 6.75 6.49
China Construction Bank Special - - - -
Co-operative Bank - First Home Special - 5.69 - -
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 6.95 5.79 5.59 5.69
Co-operative Bank - Standard 6.95 6.29 6.09 6.19
Credit Union Auckland 7.70 - - -
First Credit Union Special - 5.99 5.89 -
First Credit Union Standard 7.69 6.69 6.39 -
Heartland Bank - Online 6.99 5.49 5.39 5.45
Heartland Bank - Reverse Mortgage - - - -
Heretaunga Building Society ▼8.15 ▼6.50 ▼6.30 -
ICBC 7.49 5.79 5.59 5.59
Kainga Ora 7.39 5.79 5.59 5.69
Kainga Ora - First Home Buyer Special - - - -
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
Kiwibank 7.25 6.69 6.49 6.49
Kiwibank - Offset 7.25 - - -
Kiwibank Special 7.25 5.79 5.59 5.69
Liberty 8.59 8.69 8.79 8.94
Nelson Building Society 7.94 5.75 5.99 -
Pepper Money Advantage 10.49 - - -
Pepper Money Easy 8.69 - - -
Pepper Money Essential 8.29 - - -
SBS Bank 7.49 6.95 6.29 6.29
SBS Bank Special - 5.89 5.49 5.69
SBS Construction lending for FHB - - - -
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
SBS FirstHome Combo 4.94 4.89 - -
SBS FirstHome Combo - - - -
SBS Unwind reverse equity ▼9.39 - - -
TSB Bank 8.19 6.49 6.39 6.39
TSB Special 7.39 5.69 5.59 5.59
Unity 7.64 5.79 5.55 -
Unity First Home Buyer special - 5.49 - -
Wairarapa Building Society 7.70 5.95 5.75 -
Westpac 7.39 6.39 6.09 6.19
Westpac Choices Everyday 7.49 - - -
Westpac Offset 7.39 - - -
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
Westpac Special - 5.79 5.49 5.59
Median 7.49 5.79 5.69 5.69

Last updated: 18 December 2024 9:46am

About Us  |  Advertise  |  Contact Us  |  Terms & Conditions  |  Privacy Policy  |  RSS Feeds  |  Letters  |  Archive  |  Toolbox  |  Disclaimer
 
Site by Web Developer and eyelovedesign.com