ACT and National say Labour has an anti-landlord policy which includes 'warrant of fitness' checks on rental properties and plans to give problem tenants free legal representation but deny it to landlords.
Building issues minister Chris Carter dismisses the claims as hysterical scaremongering, but says his party won't reveal its plans until after the election.
In that vacuum; opposition politicking is finding fertile ground among landlords who already believe Labour plans changes to the Residential Tenancies Act which will give tenants the upper hand in disputes with landlords.
A plan is on the table under Labour's review of the act to give tenants the right to free legal advocates for hearings at Tenancy Tribunal, while not allowing landlords to be represented.
'That would be grossly unfair,' said Andrew King, president of the Auckland Property Investors Association, as it would pit trained lawyers against part-time landlords.
'We can see the point for people who are intellectually challenged, but not in general,' he said:' That policy was introduced in the Australian state of Victoria, said King, and was a disaster, causing a dramatic fall in the amount of rental accommodation as landlords sold up.
But Chris Carter' said the proposal was only a suggestion, and no policy would be-made until after the election.
Act and National are using Labour's silence to woo landlords - about 180,000 voters - and claim Labour favours other proposals which would damage their interests.
Act MP Muriel Newman says Labour favours warrant of fitness checks on rental properties and a register of landlords.
She says', Act would change Tenancy Tribunal rules which allow exemplary damages for things such as causing emotional distress to be awarded against bad landlords, but do not allow penalties to be Imposed on tenants who move out owing rent.
If caught, runaway tenants have to pay back only what they owe.
Act would scrap the tenancy act review, but National housing spokesman David Carter says his party would,' continue the review, but focus on making it easier for landlords to deal with bad tenants.
Carter says National would reintroduce market rents for Housing NZ homes and pay accommodation supplement benefits direct to landlords.
But King and property market commentator Philip Macalister of publisher Good Returns warned landlords against believing all the spin from Act and National.
King said Labour had introduced landlord-friendly policies including alterations to the ten-day notice rules enabling landlords to move more swiftly against problem tenants.
Labour had also promised to make Tenancy Tribunal decisions available on the web so landlords could see which tenants had been repeatedly taken to the tribunal.
Macalister said responses to the review of the tenancy act appeared to indicate whoever formed the next government very little had to change.
'Landlords and tenants groups believe the system favours the other, which to me shows it to probably about right,' he said.
In a written statement, Chris Carter said: 'Generally speaking, National and Act's claims are hysterical nonsense and should be ignored.'
'The government simply wants to ensure the law keeps pace with the market.'
'A consultation document has been circulated by the Department of Building and Housing to assess what changes people think should be made to the law.
'Cabinet has not considered these changes yet.'
Carter also ruled out a capital gains tax on investment properties and second homes, even if Labour is forced to power-share in a coalition with the Greens, who advocate such a tax.
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