By SHIRLEY WHITWELL in Kawerau
Police in Kawerau have decided to set up a register of bad tenants, in a move they admit is aimed at ridding the town of criminals.
The decision has been condemned by a lawyer specialising in privacy issues, but has been supported by the town's mayor and a major real estate company.
Senior Sergeant Mark Van Der Kley told The Daily Post that as far as he was aware, the initiative was unique to Kawerau.
It had been sparked out of police concerns that bad tenants were often linked to crime.
Mr Van Der Kley said he was determined to rid the town of "dishonest, law-breaking people".
"One way to drive them out of town is to make sure that if they want to break the rules we can make it hard for them to rent a house in Kawerau."
He said the register would be strictly confidential and restricted to registered landlords.
If a landlord phoned with the name of a prospective tenant, the only information they would be given was the former landlord's contact details. Details would not be kept on tenants' criminal convictions.
Mr Van Der Kley said the scheme was "worth a try".
"Some of my colleagues may not agree with this approach, but we have to keep pressure on those who are giving this town a bad reputation."
Wellington lawyer John Edwards, who specialises in privacy issues, said the police had no business setting up tenants' registers.
If landlords had a problem with tenants breaking the law they could ring the police, he said.
"The police do not have a role in blacklisting tenants ... there is a tenancy tribunal set up for that purpose," he said.
A spokesperson for the Privacy Commissioner said the police were not necessarily doing anything wrong.
However, operators of tenancy databases needed to take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information about tenants was accurate, and that the information was secure against unauthorised change or access.
Landlords should also notify tenants at the start of their tenancy that their details might be referred to the database if there was damage to the property or if they left owing rent.
Kawerau real estate agent Margaret Jensen of LJ Hooker, which manages more than 130 rental properties in the district, said the register was a "very good idea".
Mrs Jensen said the company preferred to rely on verbal references, as written references could often be forged.
The register would give any nervous investors peace of mind, she said.
"We have so many inquiries from investors and many of our sales are to them. But unfortunately Kawerau has a bad reputation and this need not be the case.
"We have some wonderful tenants. It would be brilliant to be able to weed out those bad ones."
Kawerau mayor Malcolm Campbell has also given the register the thumbs-up. Mr Campbell, who is a former landlord, said finding good tenants was a constant battle for any landlord.
"Appearances can be deceiving and it is so easy to get caught out. Having a register would be good for us and the town."
He also supported any move "that will rid the town of the criminals".
"Our police are working hard now towards making this a better place to live and getting rid of bad tenants sounds like a good idea. Tenants who trash the houses leave a blight on the whole street and make it all look untidy."
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