Renters can’t live in discussion document

Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

The Greens welcome today’s Property Manager Regulatory Options Discussion Document, but say it’s time to fix the basics and implement a landlord and property manager register.

“While today’s discussion document is a concrete proposal of Government options, we’ve spent far too long discussing renters’ rights in this country and far too little reflecting them in law,” says Chlöe Swarbrick, Green spokesperson for renters.

“Nearly 15 years ago, back in 2008, Parliament was arguing whether property managers should have professional standards apply to them in the same way Real Estate Agents do. While we’re finally moving ahead on this basic point, we’re light years behind where we should be.

“The 1.4 million New Zealanders who rent can’t be left out in the cold any longer. The Government can and should fold these proposed standards into a Landlord and Property Manager Register, seen in places like Scotland, as the foundation of a system that requires good relationships and ensures bad actors can’t continue to get away to do the same thing over and over again.

“Time to get on with it.”

/Public Release. View in full here.