Mackey: No security for tenants during major events

Labour Housing spokesperson Moana Mackey says she is disappointed the National Government voted down an amendment to residential tenancies legislation that would have prevented tenants being evicted from their homes so that landlords could rent the properties out during major events.

Moana Mackey’s failed amendment to the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill would have prevented the eviction of a tenant from any rental property, including boarding houses, for the purpose of making a quick buck providing short term accommodation during major events such as the Rugby World Cup.

“In terms of the heartlessness and short-sightedness of this National Government, you couldn’t find a better example than this,” Moana Mackey said.

“Earlier this year, boarding house tenants were evicted en masse so that their rooms could be used during the Wellington Sevens. This put enormous pressure on social services and emergency accommodation providers which struggled to cope with the displaced and vulnerable people.

"There are already concerns in Auckland that the same thing is going to happen next year during the Rugby World Cup, especially with hotels charging such high prices. I spoke to the Minister months ago and alerted him to the issue. He chose to do nothing about it himself, and then voted against Labour's attempt to rectify the problem.”

Moana Mackey said the Government's claim they have "fixed" the problem by extending coverage of tenancy laws to boarding house tenants is ridiculous. "In terms of boarding house tenants, landlords will now have to give 28 days notice instead of 24 hours that they are terminating a tenancy. For tenants in private rentals nothing will change and landlords will still only have to give 90 days notice that the tenancy is being terminated.

"The only thing that has changed is the notice period for boarding house tenants, but that's an inadequate safeguard given that landlords know many months, if not years, in advance when a major event is coming up,” Moana Mackey said.

Moana Mackey said that while the overwhelming majority of landlords would never treat their tenants in such a way, there will always be some who will take advantage of loopholes in tenancy law. "When they can easily make a week’s rent in one night, there will unfortunately be some who will take advantage of that situation.”

Moana Mackey said that the Housing Minister's dismissal of the issue raises serious concerns about the Government's handling of the rugby world cup. “Emergency and social services are already likely to be under enormous pressure during this time, so why would the National Government want to add to that pressure by allowing what happened in Wellington over the Sevens to happen in Auckland? It makes no sense."

ENDS

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