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ROSA WOODS / Things
The Tenants, a tenant advocacy group and politicians gathered outside Parliament to bid farewell to the rent freeze on Friday.
Black balloons, a “rent freeze goodbye” sign and a carrot cake battled the Wellington winds as tenants said goodbye to the six-month freeze that kept landlords from raising rents.
Meeting in the front lawn of Parliament, Renters United, a group that advocates for tenants and has started a petition for fair rent, arranged the farewell on Friday. Green Party co-leader James Shaw and Opportunity Party candidate for Ōhāriu Jessica Hammond also attended the event.
The end of the government’s rent freeze, implemented in March under urgent coronavirus legislation, meant that starting Saturday, landlords could give rent increase notices.
Speaking at the event, Renters United member Aaron Packard said the rent freeze brought “happy days” that were “worry free.”
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Later, he led the crowd to shout, “Freeze the rent, don’t go, don’t go, we love you very much.”
Speaking to the small crowd, Green Party co-leader James Shaw said there was not enough protection for tenants.
He called on property owners and managers to be part of a professional record so that they can be accountable and have clear obligations.
ROSA WOODS / Things
Green Party co-leader James Shaw says there is not enough protection for tenants.
Shaw also called for an increase in the number of affordable homes, and wanted to make sure that proper standards around housing could be enforced, such as a rents’ fitness order.
“That is what I would like to see the next term in Parliament,” he said.
Opportunity Party candidate Jessica Hammond said that housing prices and rents were rising faster than people’s incomes. She also asked for a release order for the rental properties.
ROSA WOODS / Things
Opportunity Party candidate for Ōhāriu Jessica Hammond says that housing and rent prices were rising faster than people’s incomes.
Students struggled to pay for housing and families struggled to provide food and shoes, with most people spending most of their income on rent, he said.
There needs to be a tax incentive for homeowners and an increase in housing is needed, he said.
“I don’t think we have to live with this crisis.”
ROSE WOODS
Tenant Ashok Jacob says the rent freeze provided tenants with certainty.
Wellington tenants Ashok Jacob and Zoe Woodfield also spoke at the event.
Jacob said: “stable rents, we hardly knew you … we return to the desert of uncertainty and that uncertainty will continue.”
The rent freeze gave tenants the certainty that they would have a roof over their heads.
ROSA WOODS / Things
A small group gathered on Friday to bid farewell to the government’s rent freeze that was implemented under urgent coronavirus legislation in March.
“It does not have to end, there are things that the Government can do to improve the situation of tenants,” he said.
Woodfield said she was disappointed that the rent freeze had come to an end.
The government had the power to “drastically” improve the living situations of tenants, he said.
“Tenants need rent control now.”
ROSA WOODS / Things
The final part of the farewell was a carrot cake made by a tenant who attended the event.
Renters United spokesman Robert Whitaker said the end of the rent freeze was a “huge disappointment.”
The group had heard stories from tenants facing a $ 100 per week raise in cities and regional centers.
“These kinds of increases are not sustainable and are causing significant pain,” he said.
The event came to an end when he cut a carrot cake made by a tenant and Whitaker said that with that piece, he had made several wishes for the tenants of New Zealand.
ROSA WOODS / Things
Renters United spokesman Robert Whitaker cut up a carrot cake when a group of people said goodbye to the rent freeze.
“As we say goodbye today, we call on our politicians to control rents as a priority for the next government. We need a rental right now. “
The Green Party and the Party of Opportunities have been the only parties so far to support the introduction of rent limits. This would limit the amount that a landlord could raise the rent.
THE DETAIL / RNZ
On today’s episode of The Detail, Emile Donovan talks with Stuff’s chief political reporter, Henry Cooke, and landlord Mark Todd, about the reformed rental regulations and what they will mean for his tenant or tenants.
