Property Managers Wary Of Labour Rent Plans

Susan
Edmunds Money Correspondent

Some
property managers are concerned at the prospect of a Labour
government removing their ability to issue no-cause eviction
notices.

Since the beginning of last year, landlords
have again been able to terminate
a periodic tenancy with no cause if they give 90 days’
notice.

A spokesperson for Labour said it had publicly
said that it opposed the changes and had pledged to fix
it.

“Details on further housing policies will come in
due course.”

Chris Matthews, of property management
platform Tenancy.co.nz, said he understood Labour’s policy
to change the Residential Tenancies Act again would be
revealed this month.

“Property managers I speak to say
no-cause terminations can be a useful tool when dealing with
persistent anti-social behaviour. But tenants also need
security and protection from unfair termination. The
challenge is finding a workable balance that lasts beyond
the next election.”

Sarina Gibbon, director of Tenancy
Advisory, said problems had arisen with the previous ban not
the removal of the option itself but with what was
introduced to replace it.

She said there had been a
set of criteria issued for ending a tenancy that had created
unintended consequences.

She said it would be hard to
judge’s Labours plans until it was clear what its policy
would
mean.

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