Anti-LL Gov't - Ashley Church

[donna]

News item - re. Ashley Church on the property market - not the property crash some commentators were predicting.

Love the comment 'most Anti-Landlord Government ever' but not a lot of detail on why, just stats on increasing house prices and that it's still a sellers market.

Will be an interesting week re if the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2020 is passed.

Good summary here - and hard not see LLs selling up - FHBs getting a foot on the ladder but at the expense of renters. As said for every investor home sold to a FHB, at least one person is left with nowhere to live. Hello another 'Housing Crisis'!

cheers,

Donna

[Perry]

Urgency used to hide unworkable tenancy law changes

This week, Jacinda Ardern's "kind" government rather unkindly wants to push through under urgency amendments to residential rental tenancy law that are both unworkable and vicious, Tenancies War spokesman Mike Butler said today.

If the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill is passed as is:

* Section 55A would allow two weeks of unpaid rent every 90 days. This breaches every tenancy agreement which requires rent to be paid as agreed.

* Section 36 would permit two separate instances of anti-social behaviour every 90 days. This also breaches every tenancy agreement which forbids anti-social behaviour.

* Section 32, which would end contractual terminations by owners, means that the only ways for owners to end tenancies are to renovate, move into, or sell the property.

* When considering termination for a serious breach, Tenancy Tribunal adjudicators would be legally obliged to put the personal circumstances of a tenant above the rights of the owner and neighbours, and above fairness and acceptable behaviour.

* Schedule 2 would impose massive fines that are far from fair and reasonable. Seventy three of the 87 proposed penalties target owners.

The current Government appears to believe that it can fix housing problems by tinkering with the law. The Government appears not to understand that high demand and the diminishing availability of rental property is the problem.

Bear in mind that the current government failed to produce the 30,000 affordable houses in three years that it promised at the last election.

Winston Peters should show that there is at least one adult in this rickety coalition government and help the National Party and Act vote against these unworkable and vicious amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act.

The bill may be read here.

Stop the War on Tenancies is a group that since October 2018 has been highlighting the failure by the Government to create sound policy and law for residential rental property. Much policy has only increased rents and disadvantaged both tenants and owners.

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Contact:
Mike Butler 27-277 7295
[email protected]

[Perry]

When considering termination for a serious breach, Tenancy Tribunal adjudicators would be legally obliged to put the personal circumstances of a tenant above the rights of the owner and neighbours, and above fairness and acceptable behaviour.

This will place Adjudicators in an impossible position, if, for instance, a tenant has assaulted a LL, property manager or property owner. Under the present section 55 (c) termination of the tenancy is required. What will Adjudicators do? Order some more wet bus tickets for the tenant and sticking plasters for whoever was assaulted?

Politicians are like nappies and should be changed frequently - for the same reasons.

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[Perry]

Stuff Item

Property investors say proposed tenancy law changes 'unworkable and vicious'
3 Aug 2020

Property investors have warned that proposed changes to tenancy law will lead to renters getting away with low but persistent anti-social behaviour or unpaid rent.

[PC]

What a disaster for tenants, owners and the poor neighbours.

[Don't believe the Hype]

What a disaster for tenants, owners and the poor neighbours.

so you're saying a disaster for everyone except the Labor party who will get voted back in on the back of tenants thinking they've got their back - until the rents skyrocket and those tenants realise it's actually a knife in the back - but too late to change their vote.

[Perry]

What Have I Missed?

Let's keep doing this.

Doing what?

Window dressing? Yep.

Misogynistic Muslim solidarity? Yep.

30,000 affordable homes? Nope.

Reduction in immigration? Nope.

No new taxes? Nope (Just hikes in levies, 'fees,' excise and duties, being taxes by another name)

Empty vessel make loudest noise.

[flyernzl]

Anti-LL Gov't - Ashley Church

NZ First just lost the votes of 274000 landlords when they supported the 'Bash the Landlord' bill in Parliament today.

RTA amendment bill:

- Removal of the 90-Day No (Stated) Cause Termination of a Periodic Tenancy.In cases of poor tenant behaviour, landlords would now be required to issue three separate notices within a 90-day period before engaging the Tenancy Tribunal. Unfairly, this is not the case for Kaianga Ora (Housing NZ) and social housing providers who will still be able to end a tenancy without having to give a reason.

- Tenants will be able to make minor alterations to the property without prior consent

- Expiring fixed term tenancies will automatically become Periodic Tenancy Agreements, unless both parties otherwise agreed. Tenant can unilaterally decide to stay - effectively, lifetime tenancies

- The Tenancy Tribunal to have authority to impart higher financial penalties and grant anonymity to parties absolved of actions by the Tribunal

- Rent increases limited to once every twelve months.

- Landlord fines: Currently the Tenancy Tribunal can make awards up to $50,000 against a landlord.The threshold is doubled to $100,000 and those who operate larger numbers of tenancies will face larger fines

- Assigning a property to another tenant: Landlords cannot unreasonably decline a request by tenants to assign a fixed-term tenancy.|

- Tenants' names can be removed from a Tenancy Tribunal decision.