Better rental conditions welcomed but 'overdue'

Whanau living in healthy, warm and safe homes is now a reality, Waiariki MP and Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell says.

The Government last week announced changes to strengthen the Residential Tenancies Act, which will require landlords to insulate most houses, install smoke alarms and prosecute landlords for breaking tenancy laws in the most severe cases.

"Living in a dry, healthy and safe home is a fundamental right for all whanau.

"So we are pleased to see a greater onus on private landlords to provide insulation," Mr Flavell said.

"I am particularly pleased to see that there will be new powers given to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to investigate and prosecute landlords for breaking tenancy laws.

"I know the enforcement of existing legislation has been seen as a major barrier in providing better rental properties for people."

Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox said while the party welcomed the changes, she questioned the delay in enforcing these new requirements and whether the proposal went far enough.

"A high proportion of whanau Maori live in rentals and we would have liked to see the proposed changes come in a lot sooner," she said.

"Do landlords really need one year to install smoke alarms and four years to insulate their properties?"

She said the Minister for Building and Housings had finally released the headline results from the trial warrant of fitness (WOF), carried out on Housing New Zealand (HNZ) properties last year.

"The WOF trial was initiated by the Maori Party because we wanted to know how healthy and safe HNZ homes are," she said. "It is of major concern that only 4 per cent of the HNZ homes trialled met the full requirements.

"We will continue to advocate for a warrant of fitness on all HNZ homes and private rentals. We will make sure the government does not become the biggest, 'slumlord'."