Firm for landlords with a conscience

Social service agencies are setting up an "ethical" property management company for landlords with a conscience. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Social service agencies are setting up an "ethical" property management company for landlords with a conscience.

The new social enterprise, Doorway Property Management, aims to find landlords who want to help their tenants to stay in their houses - but avoid the problems that Auckland landlord Ron Goodwin said yesterday could come from landlords and tenants becoming "friends".

"For some landlords, they do get into trouble when they become friends of tenants," said spokeswoman Lee Hickey of West Auckland's Housing Call to Action, a coalition that is sponsoring the enterprise.

She said Doorway would offer a "relational" property management service.

"Instead of sending a letter out, usually via a computer, informing a tenant that they are behind in their rent and that unless they pay up Tenancy Tribunal action will be taken, we would make contact with the tenants via phone or a visit to talk about what issues have arisen and what we can do to support them," she said.

For example, she said many tenants were not aware that they could get an accommodation supplement.

Lifewise general manager Moira Lawler said the enterprise would be "a bit like Trade Aid".

She said private landlords were needed to house families now living in cars and garages.

"There will never be enough social housing, and the social housing can't get scaled up fast enough, so we are going to need private landlords to be part of the solution," she said.

The Government has recently changed the law to allow income-related rental subsidies to be paid to tenants in privately owned housing if it is managed by community housing agencies. The Tauranga Community Housing Trust already operates a "Friendly Landlord" scheme for tenants with mental health issues and another service which helps needy families to find private sector housing.