It seems to be "bash a landlord" year. They're public enemy number one - in the gun for everything from high house prices to overcrowding.
But what if the majority of landlords weren't the big bad guys but instead just average Kiwis trying to set themselves up for retirement - so they aren't reliant on government help in their old age?
The vast majority of landlords - more than 90 per cent - only own one rental property.
While it's fashionable to complain about how hard life is for tenants, it's also worth thinking about what it is like for these small-scale investors.
Crack down on lending to property investors? That's seen as totally fair - although investors have only really been "increasingly active" over quite a short recent period and the presence of first-home buyers is actually increasing in the market, from $591 million in loans in May 2015 to $833 million in loans in May this year.