New Zealand to Cease Hostilities Against Landlords and Restore ‘No Cause’ Evictions
The coalition government says the moves will ‘encourage landlords back to the rental property market’ and reduce the housing shortage.
The New Zealand government is reintroducing 90-day “no-cause evictions” and making several other changes to notice period laws in a bid to incentivize more landlords to enter the rental market.
Under the previous John Key-led National government, the same provisions applied but these were scrapped by the Ardern Labour government.
Housing Minister Chris Bishop described the changes as “sensible” and “pro-tenant” and said they would “help increase the supply of rental properties.”
“The previous government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether,” Mr. Bishop said.
- Ninety-day ‘no cause’ terminations for periodic tenancies, meaning landlords can end a periodic tenancy without requiring a specific reason.
- Notice periods for ending a periodic tenancy to 42 days where a landlord wants to move themselves or a family member into the property.
- Tenants’ notice period for ending a periodic tenancy from 28 days to 21 days.
- A landlords’ ability to give notice to end a fixed-term tenancy at the end of the term without requiring a specific reason.
The minister said the changes would make it easier for “mum and dad landlords” to be part of the rental property market and predicted it would increase the supply of rental properties and apply downward pressure to rents.
He said Labour’s policies had “caused worse outcomes for tenants: rents up by $170 (US$101) per week since 2017, the social housing waitlist increasing by about 20,000 families, and thousands of families living in emergency housing motels.”
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