Property

Not the time for rent freeze calls

The Auckland Property Investors Association is asking tenancy groups to refrain from politicking after the anniversary weekend floods.

Thursday, February 09th 2023

Renters United has asked the Government to implement a rent freeze for tenants.

The association (APIA) says renters groups should be focused on supporting tenants who have been adversely affected by the floods.

“Renters United rent freeze call is a mistaken belief that landlords are being encouraged to hike up rent in an opportunistic fashion,” association general manager Sarina Gibbon says.

“To be clear, we have not called on landlords to increase rent and we won’t be either. Not only is it distasteful, doing so could potentially have implications under the Commerce Act,” she says.

“We continue to encourage landlords to work with their tenants humanely, pragmatically and expediently under these difficult circumstances.”

As to whether a rent freeze is warranted, Gibbon is unconvinced. Only now is visibility being gained into the extent of the floods’ damage and how many tenants are adversely affected. Now isn’t the time to politick for ill-conceived feel-good policies. Let’s get the data points onto the board, keep a cool head and come up with a policy response to these floods that actually works.”

She says most of the inquiries the association has fielded are about protecting and preserving tenants’ interests. “Our members are far more preoccupied with keeping their tenants safe and comfortable, getting their properties remediated, rehousing tenants, and abating rents appropriately than they are about where the market is headed and what that means on prices.”

Comments

No comments yet

SBS FirstHome Combo 5.15
Unity First Home Buyer special 5.49
Heartland Bank - Online 5.65
TSB Special 5.69
Co-operative Bank - First Home Special 5.79
Nelson Building Society 5.95
ICBC 5.99
ASB Bank 5.99
AIA - Go Home Loans 5.99
ANZ Special 5.99
Unity 5.99
Heartland Bank - Online 5.55
ICBC 5.65
Kiwibank Special 5.69
BNZ - Classic 5.69
ASB Bank 5.69
ANZ Special 5.69
BNZ - Std 5.69
TSB Special 5.69
SBS Bank Special 5.69
Unity 5.69
AIA - Go Home Loans 5.69
ICBC 5.49
BNZ - Std 5.59
BNZ - Classic 5.59
TSB Special 5.69
Westpac Special 5.69
SBS Bank Special 5.69
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 5.69
Kiwibank Special 5.69
ASB Bank 5.79
AIA - Go Home Loans 5.79
ANZ 6.19
SBS FirstHome Combo 5.44
AIA - Back My Build 5.44
CFML 321 Loans 6.20
CFML Home Loans 6.45
ANZ Blueprint to Build 7.39
Heartland Bank - Online 7.49
ICBC 7.49
Unity 7.64
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 7.65
Co-operative Bank - Standard 7.65
Credit Union Auckland 7.70

More Stories

Competition between investors and first home buyers about to heat up

Monday, November 04th 2024

Competition between investors and first home buyers about to heat up

Existing properties are on the radar of property investors as the pace of decline in property values finds a floor and first home buyer numbers dip.

From hunted to hunters

Tuesday, August 20th 2024

From hunted to hunters

Property investors will be back in the market next year, even as house prices rise by 5-7%, Kiwibank says.

Division over OCR cut and problems with RBNZ

Tuesday, August 13th 2024

Division over OCR cut and problems with RBNZ

The NZ Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) shadow board is split over whether the Reserve Bank should drop the OCR tomorrow.

The RBNZ pivot is here

Monday, August 12th 2024

The RBNZ pivot is here

As most of the country’s economic indicators fall, the BNZ and Kiwibank are calling for an immediate OCR cut.