October 28th.
At long last the Ministry of Business,Innovation and Employment [ MBIE ] have recognized the problem of rogue landlords who rent out sub-standard properties.
It should be noted that sub-standard rental housing has been a blot on the the landscape for a number of years. Just look at the poor condition of student housing,yet they pay market rent for slum housing,its wrong.
The Manawatu Tenants Union has for a number of years been pushing for a Landlord Register,in a number of developed countries this is common practice.In the UK it is seen as a way of targeting the worst landlords in the private rental sector.
Landlords should have to be licensed and those renting sub-standard properties should be blacklisted.A landlord licensing scheme would require all landlords to be register their rental properties with the local authorities and are fit for purpose.After all taxpayers contribute $2 Billion and increasing by the year to landlords through the Accommodation Supplement.So it is reasonable to expect that the accommodation being supplied is fit for purpose.
When looking at renting a property,landlords or their property managers want to know every thing about a prospective tenant.Yet the tenant knows nothing about the landlords reputation or character.
Renting out property is about power and control over peoples lives,landlords and property managers would like us believe that they provide a public good,that is nonsense it is a private good,it is a business there is nothing charitable about it.
The fact that the government has acknowledged that there is an imbalance in the relationship between tenant and landlord is long overdue,we will follow this issue with interest.
