Candidate Dani Riekwel answers Renters United’s questions

VOTE HOUSING: LOCAL BODY 2022

Renters United asked every Mayoral candidate in Auckland 17 questions about the issues that most concern renters in their ward. Here are Dani Riekwel’s responses in full.

Rapid fire questions

Are you a renter? Yes
Do you own any properties? No
Do you support the Renters United Healthy Homes Commitment? Yes
Do you commit to funding tenant advocacy? Yes
Do you support councils retaining ownership an expanding supply of council housing? Yes
Will you lobby for IRRS to be extended to councils? Yes
Do you commit to densifying inner city suburbs? Yes
Will you commit to using your platform to abolish the ratepayers roll? Yes

Stable homes

What actions would you take to improve stability and security for private renters?

We will make housing a right in Auckland city.

We will create by-laws to solidify the right to secure, healthy, stable housing for life.

We will create by-laws that will eventually lead to the full takeover of rental properties to council housing, with rent to own options for tenants.

How will you ensure all council tenants have security of tenure?

By making housing a right see above.

What steps will you take to end homelessness in Auckland?

Make housing a right in Auckland, fund more projects like the Auckland city mission, create squatters rights by-laws in Auckland.

Meaningful enforcement

If elected, would you take steps to tackle persistent bad landlords who do not meet their obligations to renters in your area? If so, what?

I will make property management a council job. Property managers must be licensed through council and landlords must use property managers. There will be an audit of housing stock so we can assess risk and urgency for making those homes fit to live in.

What do you think Council should do to address power imbalance between landlords and tenants? If nothing, why?

Council should buy up all rental properties and establish a housing audit. However, that will likely not be immediately possible, so creating council run property management, and housing audits.

Fair rent

Would you advocate for additional powers or resources from Central Government to address the housing crisis (such as legislating for Rent Control), if so what and how?

I will advocate for my policies for Auckland to be extended Nationwide.
Housing as a right. Rent control and life long tenancies. A nationwide housing audit (this is also necessary because climate change means we have to move a lot of houses). Controls on property managers. Immediate fines for landlords who aren’t providing.

What do you think are the main reasons rents in Auckland are increasing? How would you ensure rents in Auckland are affordable?

False scarcity. There are 30k empty homes. I will increase rates on empty homes to at least 1/4 of the property value. I will create squatters rights by laws similar to the Netherlands. Rent controls and lifelong tenancies. Purchasing as many rental properties as we can for council housing while making it legally more and more difficult for landlords.

Safe and healthy homes

What actions (in contrast to or in conjunction with our Healthy Homes Commitment) would you take to improve the quality of private rental housing in your ward and in your city?

We would perform a housing audit, and create a wof for rental houses.

Anything else you want to share?

I would like to work on a long term plan to abolish landlords in Auckland. If we buy all the rental properties and empty properties in Auckland then we only pay for them once. Rent will be controlled and standardised to cover the cost of upkeep and not to furnish mortgages or profit. Create rent to own policies so that tenants can choose to take on the debt if they wish to own the house they live in.

I will work with Renters United to create policies that are fit for Auckland, that nobody can profit off housing any longer.

If you are a candidate or representative of a candidate and wish to correct or elaborate on the information please contact lbe22@rentersunited.org.nz.

Authorised by Geordie Rogers, geordie@rentersunited.org.nz

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In: Auckland, Elections 2022. .