Calls to freeze rental prices amid Auckland floods

PHOTO: For rent. FILE

Renters United have written an open letter to Minister Michael Wood, calling for him to put a six-month freeze on rent prices amid the devastating floods in Auckland.

Speaking to Breakfast this morning, Renters United president Jordy Rodgers said the freeze is about protecting communities and those who have suffered the most damage.

“Families right now need to focus on how they’re going to get their belongings back, how they’re going to continue to make ends meet, and one of the concerns that does keep coming up is if my rent is going to increase, what am I going to cut, what belongings am I not getting back, which meal am I skipping.

“And so for that reason, we are asking for the Government to implement a rent freeze on rent increases to protect tenants.”

Rodgers says he’s expecting to receive more clarity on whether rent prices are set to increase in the coming weeks.

“Most commonly right now it is the fear looming over tenants that their rent could increase at any moment.”

“Knowing that they’ve got a six-month period with their rent isn’t going to increase [means] they can get back on their feet [and] it’s the security they’ve been asking for.”

Also speaking to Breakfast this morning, Auckland Property Investors Association president Kristin Sutherland says she does not support the idea of rent freezes.

“Firstly, it’s too soon. We just don’t know how many properties have been affected, the scale of the issue, what’s going to be the best interventions to help,” she said.

“I think jumping to a legislative change in the first bit when we don’t know the numbers is just too soon.”

“Secondly, we have mechanisms in place and that is the Residential Tenancies Act and that is existing legislation and under section 25 of that act, it is within the tenant’s power if they believe they are being charged above market rent to be able to make an application to the tenancy tribunal.”

She says she’d like to see solutions other than raising people’s rent, “so let’s look to try and increase the supply of housing that’s already there”.

Sutherland called for landlords to work with their tenants, saying they are “part of a team”.

“It’s a negotiation and we really need to keep this communication open, so we are not asking in this first instance for landlords to raise rents.”

The Green Party has also calling an immediate freeze on rental prices following reports of landlords intending to hike rents.

#BREAKING The Green Party is joining more than 20 community organisations to call for an immediate rent freeze in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, after reports of landlords intending to hike rents after flooding.

— Green Party NZ (@NZGreens) February 2, 2023

“It is mind-blowing to hear some landlords and speculators are consciously planning to raise rents in light of a climate crisis landing on our doorstep. They’ve said this is market forces at work – those ‘forces’ are their decisions and their disproportionate power,” Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick said in a media release.

“Poverty is a political choice. We implore the Government to use their power to freeze rents, as many of the grassroots organisations who have responded to the flooding this weekend are, because some landlords have clearly indicated they intend to abuse their power.”