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Ross Giblin / Stuff
Te Maari Papara was holding her 1-year-old son, Kash, when she was told that she could not see a property in Porirua.
A single mother was turned away at the door, with her son in her arms, when she went to see a house, even though the property was listed as “suitable for two tenants.”
Te Maari Papara had arranged to see the one-bedroom house in Porirua and brought her 1-year-old son, Kash.
“She [the property manager] he just stared at me and told me to go away, ”said the 21-year-old mother.
“It felt degrading.”
BRADEN FASTIER / THINGS
Kate van Turnhout, Danyon Stenton and Leo, 20 months old, are hoping someone will give them a chance to prove they are decent tenants.
The property manager told Papara that the house was only suitable for “professional singles or couples.” But the Oxygen Property Management listing hadn’t mentioned that requirement, and neither did it on Wednesday afternoon.
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Things He reached out to Oxygen Property Management for comment, but they had not responded by Wednesday afternoon.
Papara said he had applied for more than 60 rentals in the last six months, and this was the first visit he got.
Ross Giblin / Stuff
Te Maari Papara has been sleeping in the living room with her son, Kash, due to the lack of rents.
“I have requested everything,” he said. The experience “felt like discrimination” and would make her think twice before going to performances.
He was currently staying with his family in Tītahi Bay, sleeping on a mattress in the hall.
Wellington Area Manager for the Citizen’s Counseling Office, Jane Julian, said it would be illegal to screen out a potential tenant based on having a child.
Ross Giblin / Stuff
For six months, Papara applied for 60 rentals and had only received one visitor.
Julian referred to the Residential Leases Act of 1986, which cited Human Rights Laws when it stated that landlords could not discriminate against tenants for various reasons. One of them was family status, which included being responsible for a child.
“Unless for some reason the facilities are particularly unsuitable for a child, we believe the owner should think again,” Julian said.
Wellington Renters United spokesman Geordie Rogers said the owners were in a position of power.
“With housing precarious, we are seeing an increase in discrimination and landlords are becoming increasingly demanding,” said Rogers. “It is a disgusting result of not having enough houses.”
It was common for tenants to be discriminated against on the basis of sexuality, race or gender, in addition to identifiers such as family status, he said.
Leasing laws needed to be changed to prevent landlords and property managers from asking invasive questions.
What should landlords do when they rent a house?
A common question, for example, was whether a family member had ever been a gang member.
Wellington Renters United was working with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to create a set of guidelines for landlords that outlined what could and could not be asked of tenants.
In the meantime, anyone who has experienced discrimination in the rental market should email the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, as those experiences will inform the recommendations that the office ultimately made.
