Making renting fairer
We’re committed to improving the wellbeing of all New Zealanders, and housing is a key piece of that puzzle. Since coming into Government, we’ve worked hard to turn around New Zealand’s housing crisis and to ensure more people have access to affordable, healthy, and secure homes.
As part of this work, we’ve just taken the next step in our plan to better protect renters, by releasing our proposals to regulate residential property managers. Aotearoa is one of the few countries in the OECD that doesn’t currently regulate this sector, creating risk and uncertainty for both renters and landlords.
More Kiwis than ever are renting, including families and older people. By regulating property managers, we’ll better protect everyday New Zealanders and deliver on a 2020 manifesto commitment. You can read our proposals and have your say now.
This is just the latest in a range of practical measures we’ve taken to ensure renters get a fair deal. These include:
Limiting rent increases to once a year
We’ve changed the law so landlords can only raise the rent once a year. We’ve also banned rental bidding, stopping landlords from asking prospective tenants for higher rent payments in order to secure a home. Together, these changes will help keep costs down for renting families.
Making sure rental homes are healthy
Your home shouldn’t make you sick. We’ve introduced new rules for rentals to ensure everyone has a warm, dry place to live. Landlords will now have to ensure their properties comply with heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture and draught standards, so they’re healthy homes for tenants.
Banning unfair letting fees
Letting agents and landlords used to be able to charge tenants a fee when renting out a home. This created an extra cost for families on top of all the other costs people face when moving. We’ve banned these letting fees, making life easier for renters.
Helping renters have more say
We’re making rental properties safer and more liveable by enabling tenants to make minor changes to their homes, like when quake-proofing. We’ve also increased financial penalties and introduced new tools to help ensure landlords and tenants are meeting their obligations.
Stopping no-cause terminations
We’ve removed landlords’ ability to kick out their tenants without giving them a reason, to give renters more security and allow them to put down roots in their community.
New Zealand’s housing crisis has been brewing for years. There’s no silver bullet or quick fix, but we’re working hard to increase housing supply, tip the balance in favour of first-home buyers, and get more Kiwis into homes.
Making sure renters get a fair deal is a really important part of this work. There’s more to do, but we’re proud of the progress we’ve made.
You can read more about our work on housing here. Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.