Rental WOF still on the cards

The drive for a warrant of fitness (WOF) for rental properties just won’t go away.

Saturday, November 14th 2015, 12:00AM 2 Comments

by Miriam Bell

Labour’s latest attempt at rental WOF legislation may have failed recently, but the Green Party’s Residential Tenancies (Warm, Safe and Secure Rentals) Amendment Bill is still in the Parliamentary ballot.

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei introduced the Bill back in August. 

It would set minimum standards for warmth, dryness and safety in all rental properties, and also contains a host of changes to tenancy standards and regulations.

Now, new Green MP and housing spokesperson Marama Davidson has raised the issue again.

She said children are becoming seriously ill because the Government refuses to create minimum health and safety standards for rental homes and properly renovate state houses.

“Introducing minimum standards is the best way to fix our cold, mouldy, shoddy houses – the Government’s hands-off approach is only going to end up in more Kiwi kids getting sick.”

Davidson called for the Government to enact the Greens Bill.

However, the NZ Property Investors’ Federation believes that a rental WOF is not the best way to go.

NZPIF executive officer Andrew King said the Government was right to reject a comprehensive WOF for rental properties.

“It would affect all tenancies and increase rental prices, rather than concentrating on correcting the main aspect which leads to children becoming sick from their living situations.”

Only 7% of calls from tenants to the Tenancy Services call centre are about the condition of their property, so an all-encompassing WOF would be an expensive and poorly targeted proposal, he said.

“The Minister of Building and Housing’s focus on improving insulation levels in rental properties is likely to achieve more in terms of improving the living conditions of children.”

All tenanted properties will require floor and ceiling insulation by mid-2019, while social housing which receives government subsidies will require insulation by July 2016.

King, who has previously said the Green’s Bill is too restrictive for landlords, also said the NZPIF believes landlords are in a service industry.

“Providing a well maintained home is good customer service as well as being a legal requirement.

“But it's good that tenants are becoming more aware they have a right to expect a safe and well maintained home.”

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Comments from our readers

On 18 November 2015 at 1:24 pm hsharkey said:
I am 100% in favour of a WOF for all rental properties and reject the argument that rents would go up. Tenants, like us, deserve to live in comfortable, attractive properties. It gives me great pleasure to maintain our properties in an excellent condition whilst still looking forward to doing further planned improvements. It feels good to look after our tenants who appreciate our efforts.
On 18 November 2015 at 10:03 pm spurner said:
The problem is that most rentals already meet minimum requirements, so a WOF won't improve them, and an army of people with clipboards will need to be employed to tick boxes stating the rental has a toilet, hot water, insulation etc. The really bad rentals will slip under the radar as they do already. Some landlords are likely to exit the market and some houses withdrawn from rental so there will be less supply and higher costs which will be a double whammy for tenants!

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