Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill-which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason-ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season.
"The Government is giving renters a Christmas gift that no-one asked for: no-cause evictions," says the Green Party's Housing spokesperson Tamatha Paul.
"Housing is a human right, but this Government is treating it like a business. Housing forms the foundation for our communities to thrive, it is something we can afford to provide to everyone.
"However, successive Governments have failed to treat housing as the public good it really is. It is no surprise the current landlord Government has ignored the frankly overwhelming public opposition to this Bill. A massive 97 per cent of submitters on the no clause termination provision opposed it, including 53 per cent of landlords themselves.
"This isn't just another bad policy from this coalition, it's a blatant disregard for what the people of this country want. The introduction of no-clause evictions means that renters can be removed from their homes without reason, undermining housing stability and perpetuating insecurity. It's a cruel backwards step for renters' rights in Aotearoa.
"This Government has shown it has no interest in spreading goodwill or security this holiday season. Instead, they're dishing out the gift of anxiety and fear of homelessness to tenants, all the while lining the pockets, time and time again, of their landlord cronies. This is yet another example of the Government overplaying their hand, pushing through unpopular policies that benefit the few at the expense of the many. It's unacceptable.
"Everyone deserves a safe and secure place to call home. The Green Party will continue to fight for stronger renters' rights, and that includes no-clause evictions," says Tamatha Paul.
The Departmental Report which analyses the submissions on the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill can be found here. The Section referenced above can be found on pp. 30-31.
