Letters: Stop attacking landlords

Landlords should not be vilified, says a reader. Photo / File

It is clear that you have two correspondents who abhor landlords (Letters, August 31), which is their right, and one of them wants rental homes to be state homes with guaranteed rents.

Well that's fine, but already the ongoing attacks on landlords are having several byproducts;

Rental homes are being sold, reducing supply even more.

As more owners get brassed off more rentals will be lost, rents will rise even further so the market gets crazier than it is now.

So the brandishing by Phil Twyford of being a missionary to protect tenants is having exactly the opposite effect, that is reduced supply, higher demand and that equals higher rents.

So the few landlords still hanging in will be getting amazing rents, is that what Phil Twyford wants?

So tenants upset by rent rises over the next few weeks should know why and who to blame.

If you want to fix the rental problem there is a simple, easy answer: First say thank you to the landlords who own 80 per cent of all rentals in New Zealand who put their own cash and reputation up front, and then make it easy for landlords to be landlords.

The result will see a rapid rise in rental supply, and a calming down of rent rises.

Attacking and abusing landlords does nothing to better the situation, it really is that simple. (Abridged)

Richard Evans
Rotorua

Justify the rises

How on God's green earth does the Remuneration Authority believe the massive pay rises for MPs and councillors can be justified?

Do these bureaucrats have any sense of reality in New Zealand?

Maybe relative to their own pay increases the levels they set for the councillors is "normal".

Do they understand it is your money and my money (as taxpayers and ratepayers) they are spending on these pay rises?

I am sure the usual twaddle about needing to pay for relevant job skills etc. will be used – but MPs and councillors are not selected for their job skills, particularly.

Nurses and teachers had to fight hard to get a fraction of these sorts of increases. I'm sure rank and file council staff would love these sort of pay rises.

It would be nice to see our councillors leading by example and moderating their pay rises in line with the real world and what their own staff might expect to get.

MPs managed to do it for a change.

Paul Laing
Rotorua

Apt description

Congratulations to councillor Mark Gould, who attempted to raise the issue of council pay increases at Thursday's full council meeting as an urgent item (Local News, August 31).

His request, however, was rejected, with Mayor Chadwick ruling it out of order.

I smiled at the comments of councillor Rob Kent, accusing Government officials of "rampant overspending on high public profile projects, while under funding core services".

This, in my view, is the precise description of our current council's actions.

Next year's local body elections are looming. Rotorua councillors must be aware that thinking Rotorua citizens have long memories. (Abridged)

Jackie Evans
Rotorua