Mike Butler: Rental property child hospitalisation claim contradicted

Housing Minister Phil Twyford justified the launch of costly new rental property standards in February by saying “6000 children are admitted each year for ‘housing-sensitive hospitalisations’” but, when questioned, two Ministries provided contradictory data that undermined the claim.

I sent a series of questions to the Minister’s office, to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and to the Ministry of Health, all seeking evidence to support this rather specific claim.

The full quote was that “6000 children are admitted each year for ‘housing-sensitive hospitalisations’, and that these children have been found to be nearly four times more likely to be re-hospitalised and 10 times more likely to die in the following 10 years.”

NZCPR Weekly: Attacking Landlords

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we question the Government’s proposed changes to tenancy laws and their continued attack on landlords, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Mike Butler explains why Labour’s changes could make tenancies unmanageable, and our poll asks whether you agree with Labour that the present rental laws are unfair on tenants.

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Frank Newman: Making life better for renters

Housing Minister Phil Twyford says he wants to make life better for renters. But in doing so, will he make life unbearable for landlords?

The Government has released a discussion paper as a prelude to what will be a comprehensive reform of the residential tenancy market. The changes to be "discussed" come on top of a number of changes either in place or on the way, which include:

• Insulation upgrades.
• Removing the right of property managers to charge a letting fee.
• Limiting damages claims against tenants.
• New standards which are likely to include the installation of a fixed heating source, a ventilation method, and protection against draughts.

Mike Butler: What Twyford tenancies will do

Reforms that could make many tenancies unmanageable were proposed by one Minister on the day that the Prime Minister launched an advisory group in a bid to avert flagging business confidence.

There was no indication that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford never considered any connection between the confidence of everyone involved in rental property, both landlords and tenants, and falling business confidence.

Twyford has 14 proposals, but the two that will make properties unmanageable for some, and this includes Housing New Zealand, are the end of 90-day no-reason terminations and the requirement to allow dogs.

Frank Newman: Tenancy changes ahead

By the end of the year, the new coalition government is likely to have introduced a number of changes to the Residential Tenancies Act intended to "fix" the rental market.

The Minister of Housing said he wanted to introduce laws that, "bring the best out in people, and encourage their better side. And that's why modernising the tenancy laws will be about a set of rules that work for landlords and tenants - and encourage for instance longer term tenancies, which are good for families and good for landlords."

What a load of idealistic nonsense. The Minister's proposed changes will do nothing to "fix" the rental market. The most likely outcome is that it will make it worse for tenants.