WINZ payment of rents

[Glenn]

Hi there folks.
Some of you might like to read my latest letter to the Editor of the Nelson newspaper. We need more people standing up and refuting the loonies in our society who think the answer for housing anyone and everyone is for the Governement to control all housing. This lady wrote a letter suggesting private landlords were greedy and this causes homelessnes and poverty. Private investment in housing should be discouraged.
We need more landlords writing letters to their local newspapers. Elections are coming up and we need to be heard.

Sir, S Jacobs’s comments re direct payment of rents by WINZ (4 April) needs a reply. Currently twelve of my tenants have their rent paid direct from WINZ. This facility has been provided because these people are not able to manage their finances without assistance. They are afflicted with intellectual disabilities or mental illnesses. One has a severe gambling addition. Most have other issues in their lives and are hard work to manage. To suggest I house them out of greed rather than compassion is uncharitable of you. It would be much easier to only house fit and able tenants. I am forced to decline most applicants that have bad credit. If the tenants do not pay the rent, owners are unable to pay their mortgages, maintain the properties and pay the various taxes that are associated with property ownership. If WINZ would provide the same service as a number of my tenant’s private employers do and pay the rent direct to me, I would then be able to help and house more people. Show some love and understand that many people are not strong and organised enough to budget and resist the temptation of drugs, booze, gambling and consumer pressure.

[Glen]

Hi there folks.
Some of you might like to read my latest letter to the Editor of the Nelson newspaper. We need more people standing up and refuting the loonies in our society who think the answer for housing anyone and everyone is for the Governement to control all housing. This lady wrote a letter suggesting private landlords were greedy and this causes homelessnes and poverty. Private investment in housing should be discouraged.
We need more landlords writing letters to their local newspapers. Elections are coming up and we need to be heard.

Sir, S Jacobs’s comments re direct payment of rents by WINZ (4 April) needs a reply. Currently twelve of my tenants have their rent paid direct from WINZ. This facility has been provided because these people are not able to manage their finances without assistance. They are afflicted with intellectual disabilities or mental illnesses. One has a severe gambling addition. Most have other issues in their lives and are hard work to manage. To suggest I house them out of greed rather than compassion is uncharitable of you. It would be much easier to only house fit and able tenants. I am forced to decline most applicants that have bad credit. If the tenants do not pay the rent, owners are unable to pay their mortgages, maintain the properties and pay the various taxes that are associated with property ownership. If WINZ would provide the same service as a number of my tenant’s private employers do and pay the rent direct to me, I would then be able to help and house more people. Show some love and understand that many people are not strong and organised enough to budget and resist the temptation of drugs, booze, gambling and consumer pressure.

Glenn,
are you saying though that WINZ doesn't pay their rent directly to you though?

I wonder what the reply from S Jacob will be? Stay tuned

[Glenn]

Glenn,
are you saying though that WINZ doesn't pay their rent directly to you though?

I wonder what the reply from S Jacob will be? Stay tuned

At the moment WINZ pay the rent for 12 of the tenants. The other 250 or so pay their rent by auto payment. Approximately 50 per year get taken to the tribunal usually for non payment of rent.
WINZ hardly ever pay the rent for bad payers.

[hawkeye]

On Friday I went to the Housing Forum meeting in Christchurch. It was brought to my notice via the local Property Investors Association.

It was hosted by the Tenants Protection Association people and the main speaker was the Minister of Housing with assistance from Clayton Cosgrove and assorted other Labour MP's.

Most of those attending were from Left Leaning political parties or Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) that house people at the bottom of the pile. (Mental illness etc)

When it was suggested from the floor that WINZ benefits should only be paid to private Landlords directly if their property met a "reasonable" standard there was much nodding and note taking from the assembled MP's. I'm looking forward to yet more regulation if Labour somehow dodge the bullet and get re-elected.

Clayton Cosgrove also mentioned that his successor Shane Jones is moving the RTA amendments back onto the front burner. I think is based on the need to have more controls over the Boarding Houses that have been featuring on the news in the last week.

I would have thought they had all the rules they need to clean them up by sending either the Fire Service or the Public Health Officer to close them down.

Clayton is still pushing his model for long term tenancies that both Tenants advocats and Private Landlords have strongly rejected.

[Glen]

I have a tenant who has $300 of the rent($350) directly paid into my account from WINZ, but if this wasn't going to happen then from the outset I would have declined her as a tenant.
These people can't be counted on to fulfill their obligations.
Smokes, beer, drugs, TVs, XBox etc and new car payments come first before rent!,.....didn't you know that?....these are the real PRIORITIES!!! (...and they wonder why they can't afford a house) Go figure.

[Green Fish]

That end of the market is a bloody nightmare, Glen. Returns are lower in the mid-zone, but you get to deal with reasonable people. I prefer a reduced income and less stress.