Landlords say tenancy law reforms heading in the right direction.
The announcements by the Minister of Building and Construction at the NZ Property Investors’ Federation Conference today confirmed that tenancy law reforms are heading in the right direction, said Mr Evans, President of the NZPIF. Achieving fairer outcomes for landlords through the tenancy law has been a priority for the Federation.
The proposals to make it illegal to sub-let without a landlord’s permission and to over populate a property are good steps. Giving the tenancy tribunal the right to impose higher penalties, from $12,000 to $30,000 to cover unpaid rent and or damages to a property will save going to the courts to claim this money.
However, the Federation is disappointed by the proposal to revisit the issue, rejected by Parliament in 2006, of tenant damages. Landlords whose properties are so damaged will not be able to claim more than the equivalent of four weeks’ rent. This amount is unlikely to be enough to replace items such as floor coverings or window treatments. Mr Evans also said the legislation needs major improvements in the enforcement and debt recovery areas.
Mr Evans indicated that the Federation would be revisiting all these issues in the written and oral evidence in the Select Committee process.
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