August 17th.2017
The Residential Tenancies Act needs to change to reflect the new realities of renting in New Zealand to-day.Generation Rent is with us and will be continue to be a strong presence being felt every where around the country as the housing crisis continues unabated.
One area of concern is when a tenant dies, the remaining tenant may be evicted on the grounds that they never signed the tenancy agreement,even if they were married and had shared the home for years.The same situation applies if a partner dies,its a draconian law that needs to go,on humanitarian grounds,its just not fair to the remaining tenant.
Pets are another issue that has become an issue for long term tenants,both HNZ and Private Landlords have strict policies towards tenants pets,it is a no go area for the vast majority of tenants.A bond could be charged to the the tenant to cover any damage to the property and be refunded back when the tenancy is ended and is left in a reasonable condition.It is a simple solution for all concerned,pets have been acknowledged as good for tenants physical and mental well being.We would encourage all landlords to consider the benefits to their tenants of such a clause in their tenancy agreements.Local Authorities could set the benchmark with their housing portfolio by allowing tenants to have a pet,it should be noted that this policy could be done on a case by case basis.It should that the majority of tenants don't have pets.
The relationship between tenant and pr tooperty managers would be improved,if all property managers were licensed and had a code of practice.At present anyone can operate as a property manager without any qualifications what so ever,and they have real power and control over tenants lives and can evict them without any reason.The law needs some balance for both parties,not just property managers.
All landlords should be required to have their properties tested for P before a tenant moves in and it should be written into the tenancy agreement,so tenants know that the property is safe to occupy for them and their families.
There is a real need for these suggested changes to be reviewed as New Zealand has started to develop a rental culture and this culture,is the future for an up and coming generation of New Zealanders.
