No winners from tenancy law tinkering

Tenancy.co.nz director Scotney Williams

Labour Party leader Jacinda Ardern recently announced a package of rental policies aimed at boosting tenants’ rights.

The proposed policies include increasing landlord notice periods from 42 to 90 days, abolishing “no-cause’ tenancy terminations, limiting rental increases to once a year, and banning letting fees.

But industry commentators have zeroed in on the plan to remove the 90 day notice to end a tenancy with no cause as the most problematic of the proposals.

Tenancy.co.nz director Scotney Williams said that, from the little that is known about the proposal, it is a retrograde move and not a good idea.