Greens will fix slum-like rentals exposed in Renting Review

23 August 2017

The Green Party in Government will end the slum-like renting conditions exposed in the People’s Review of Renting by Renters United and Action Station, the Green Party said today.

“With nearly half of New Zealanders renting, the grim findings of the review are a wakeup call about the true state of rentals in this country. Too many renters are festering in slum-like conditions under the thumb of landlords who have largely unchecked powers and ignore tenants’ complaints when it suits them,” said Green Party social housing spokesperson Marama Davidson.

“The Green Party is proud to support many of the recommendations in the report. We will implement a mandatory rental warrant of fitness, improve security of tenure for renters, support rent fairness and strengthen tenancy tribunal powers.”

“It is simply unacceptable that 70 percent of those surveyed did not have ceiling or underfloor insulation and over half of the homes are not weathertight.

“We know that over 1600 deaths are year are attributed to cold, damp homes. Poor quality housing is a national emergency which is killing New Zealanders.

“This Government has been completely clueless on insulation, making no efforts to seriously police or monitor insulation levels - even though it is a legislative requirement.

“People’s Review of Renting contains far too many incidences of shoddy, abusive behaviour from landlords, for example; refusing to fix taps, failing to remove rotten, mouldy floorboards and charging rent to live in an outdoor shed.

“The lack of affordable housing has forced renters in brutal competition against each other, with viewings creating ‘quasi-auctions’ which push up prices and force poorer tenants into competition for unsuitable, unhealthy housing.

“We want to thank Renters United and Action Station for highlighting the raw deal that renters get in today’s housing market. We are committed to working to fix renting and end the scourge of slum renting in New Zealand,” said Ms Davidson.

Volunteer

The Greens are proud to be driven by passionate people like you. Today we need your help to take action on the biggest issues facing Aotearoa. Volu...

Action

Save Auckland's Climate Budget

Sign the petition to stop Mayor Wayne Brown's proposal for dangerous cuts to climate and environmental programmes that protect us from extreme weat...

Action

No New Mines 2023

Action

Expand Voting

Now more than ever, young people in Aotearoa are impacted by Government decisions, and they deserve to have a say. We are calling on all Members of...

Action

End Intensive Winter Grazing

Sign the petition to Labour Ministers, to move faster in bringing regulations into force and end intensive winter grazing.

Action

Trains for Climate

Add your name to our open letter urging the Minister for Finance Grant Robertson to save our passenger trains between Wellington, the Wairarapa and...

Action

Healthy Oceans 2022

Join our Healthy Oceans Crew to help us keep the health and protection of our oceans high on the Labour Government’s political agenda.

Action

It's time: A Ministry for Rainbow Communities

Join our call asking the Prime Minister to establish a Ministry for Rainbow Communities that can champion Rainbow issues.

Action

No new mines on conservation land

Sign the open letter asking Labour Ministers to stick to their promise of banning new mining projects on conservation land.

Action

Allow community ownership of our buses

Public transport is an essential service and helps to tackle the climate crisis by reducing our carbon emissions. But there are barriers to communi...

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Housing Announcements

Story

Only the Green Party will make life better for renters

Green Party co leader Marama Davidson spoke at a Fair Rents rally at the University of Auckland today.

Only the Green Party will build houses at the scale Aotearoa needs

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is visiting The Commons Project at Housing First Ōtautahi, which helps vulnerable whānau connect and engage w...

People need a government that will build many more homes

Labour’s plan to build more homes is a welcome step forward, but it lacks ambition.

Greens welcome launch of Te Ohu Tāmaki and challenges other parties on housing

The Green Party is welcoming the launch of Te Ohu Tāmaki, and affirms its commitment to clear the social housing waitlist in 5 years - and challeng...

Green Party launches Rental WOF Bill

The Green Party has today placed a Rental Warrant of Fitness Bill in the Member’s Ballot.

Marama Davidson Speech - A Home for Everyone

A decent home is the foundation to a decent life. To be warm and dry in your home is a human right.

Story

Let’s build better, warmer, and climate-friendly

The Government must take steps to ensure that the way we build our homes is helping to meet New Zealand’s climate change targets, the Green Party s...

Sustainable buildings and warm dry homes

Everyone has the right to a warm, dry home. Instead, housing in Aotearoa often makes us sick from damp and cold. In Aotearoa, much of our housing s...

National would rather save landlords some cash than look after sick kids: Green Party

The National Party is more concerned about the back pocket of property investors than sick kids and the elderly, Green Party Co-leader Marama David...

Stop charging homeless people for emergency housing

The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop sending homeless people into thousands of dollars of debt with the Ministry of Social Develop...

Green Party: Building code out of date and won’t ensure warm, dry homes

In response to calls for a compulsory energy rating for buildings the Green Party is renewing calls for the building code to take better account of...

Green Party calling for bold steps to tackle issues in Salvation Army report

The Green Party agrees with the Salvation Army that bold new steps are needed to stop a worrying trajectory of increased rent rises and homelessnes...