18 Nov 2019

Most landlords aren't using no-cause evictions - Kris Faafoi

From Morning Report, 7:20 am on 18 November 2019

The government wants to change the rules of the residential tenancy act to help renters, but landlords say it will make their lives harder.

As it stands, landlords can kick out renters on open-ended tenancies without having to provide any reason as long as they give 90 days' notice.

Under the proposed new regime, if landlords wanted to evict a tenant for bad behaviour or for not paying rent, they'd first have to apply to the Tenancy Tribunal with proof of three examples over three months.

Associate Minister of Housing Kris Faafoi told Kim Hill no cause tenancy terminations are rare, but the reform would give renters security.

"The overwhelming majority of good landlords aren't using no cause terminations to end tenancies, they've actually got good relationships.

"I think, you know, a very small number of landlords are using the no cause termination and in some cases, may not be using that in the spirit in which they are intended."

National Party housing spokeperson Judith Collins slammed the proposed changes, saying they would lead to landlords exiting the market, but Mr Faafoi said that's not the case.

"[The National Party] said the same thing at the time that we introduced the changes around the Healthy Homes Guarantee to make sure that people live in warm and dry homes and we haven't seen any evidence, while that's still running its course, of a mass exodus."