THE
HEALTHY
HOMES
COMMITMENT
Everyone has the right to a healthy home
Councils can make that a reality, now →
LET’S ABOLISH THE RATEPAYERS ROLL
We want to fix renting in Aotearoa, but we can’t do that if our voice is diluted in elections. Right now, it’s one rule for renters and another for landlords. In 2016 one landlord voted in seven separate local elections. We believe that each person’s vote is equally important. We did away with property-based voting rights for national elections in 1893. It’s time that local government caught up.
RENT
CONTROLS
NOW
Rent prices are out of control. We’re calling on the government to implement Rent Controls Now. Rent controls are an urgent measure to reduce the stress that too many New Zealanders face due to exorbitant and unjustified rent increases.
For the last ten years rent prices have been increasing faster than incomes. That means rent makes up a larger portion of renters incomes, making escaping the broken rental market harder than ever.
You have to work for your raise, and your landlord should too. In this market landlords have no incentive to improve, or even maintain your home. If the Government believes everyone deserves a warm, dry, safe and affordable home, they must implement rent controls.
Find out more →
PROPERTY
MANAGER
REGULATION
The countdown to property manager regulation has already started, but there’s a long road ahead of us. As it stands Property Manager Regulation won’t come into force until 2026!
The current regulations only apply to property managers, and not owner managers, meaning half of the countries property managers won’t be regulated!
You can’t design or operate a system intended to uphold the rights of renters if we’re not included in it’s design and implementation.
We’re fighting to make sure renters are heard, and that when the regulations are finally implemented they uphold the rights of renters.
Find out more →
We think every renter
should have the right to:
Stable homes
A secure and stable home is essential for wellbeing. Renters should not fear eviction for reporting problems, or for reasons outside our control. Instead we should be able to make our rented property a home. It’s time to change the perception of renters as visitors in their communities who can never put down roots. Introducing security of tenure will reduce transience, strengthen community engagement, improve educational outcomes and give renters the protection we need to raise the quality of our homes and the housing stock in general.
Fair rent
Everyone should be able to afford a decent place to live. Renters should not face frequent, unpredictable rent rises that compromise our ability to realise our right to a home. Instead, renters should know that our rent has been set fairly and that it isn’t the result of landlords exploiting supply shortages or other factors.
Safe and healthy homes
All rental housing should be warm, healthy and safe. Much of our private rental housing stock is cold, drafty and poorly maintained. Even where higher legal standards do exist, the burden of enforcing these standards falls on individual renters. Poor quality rental housing makes renters sick and costs our health system and economy hundreds of millions of dollars every year. We need higher standards that are properly enforced and we need them now.
Meaningful enforcement
The system to sort out disputes must be fair, timely and well-resourced. The current system relies on renters with endless time and energy to invest in sorting out problems, despite the inherent power imbalance between renter and landlord. When we do stick up for ourselves, we risk damaging our relationship with our landlord, our chance of finding another rental and our own wellbeing. We need better mediation services and tenancy advocacy services, a Tenancy Tribunal that enforces the law, and proper regulation of property managers and landlords.