But when did we stop being kind to our landlords?
It's horrible and frankly disgusting to hear landlords are facing abuse due to the region's ongoing housing crisis.
One property investor says she felt like a "modern-day witch" and would have sold up if it weren't for her great tenants, who love their homes and have begged her not to sell. And she's not alone.
Where is this animosity coming from?
The answer, in my opinion, is tall poppy syndrome, jealousy of others who have done better.
Let's not forget landlords are people too. Why should we be bashing people who dared to save and work hard to get ahead, invest and save for retirement?
According to NZME analysis of housing records last year, 30 per cent of homes were owned by people who only own one home.
Just under a third were owned by people with two to six homes and another 10 per cent by those with between seven and 20 homes.
A sixth were owned by professional investors with more than 20 properties.
Yes, there are some bad egg landlords that need to be brought into line, but that's why there are rules and laws which have also been beefed up this year.
Most landlords are genuinely good people, in my experience, and provide a service that is much needed - and they are damn good at it too.
They're not hiking up the rents because they want to, they're doing it because they have to.
Rents are high but so is buying and maintaining a house.
High rates and insurance premiums plus the extra compliance costs forced on landlords over the years have driven up the rents.
No matter how mad we are about the rising rental prices, landlords don't need to be in the firing line of hurtful comments.
No one deserves to be called names, treated badly, and mentally beaten up.
If demand continues to outstrip supply, it's unlikely we're going to see rental prices cool off any time soon.
But the solution is to build more homes, not to criticise our landlords.
So the critics need to be kind. It's not our landlords' fault.
