Opinion: The rental system is broken, but demanding a radical overhaul won't fix it

Wellington City. Photo / Mark Mitchell

OPINION:

I am not pro-landlord. The very term itself is outdated and feudalistic and the system by which they profit is unquestionably broken.

I agree that housing is a human right, that no one person should be making money from holding it over another, and that the standard of housing in New Zealand is abysmal.

But, when I read the list of demands from Tenants' Action Wellington (TAW), I couldn't help but feel even more disheartened.

It asks that rent prices be lowered to 25 per cent of the lowest benefit, all reference checks of tenants be abolished, landlords must provide a year's notice before selling or moving back into the property and that they cannot charge bonds or carry out uninvited inspections.

There are things in the list which I believe are reasonable, and should be put in to law – for example that landlords should have to provide proof they are fixing things within a week of being notified by a tenant, and pets should be allowed in all rentals – I would however, add a caveat that you must prove yourself a good owner.

But the overall list does more harm than good. The chances of private landlords or property managers adopting even one of these demands is infinitesimally small, but they give people in opposition the perfect ammunition.

Radical ideology often works against the people perpetrating it – whether left or right, pro or anti, the extremes of any movement are easy for the opposition to discredit which is exactly why I think these demands have been set up for failure.

By having demands which are seen as extreme, it allows for an easy dismissal of the key point of the argument – that renting in New Zealand is expensive, unstable and often a health hazard.

This list means people can point to it and say - "look how unreasonable they're being, this is the future liberals want!" - which is exactly what happened on AM yesterday.

TAW spokesperson Anne Campbell appeared on the morning media run and faced significant criticism.

Host Melissa Chan-Green openly laughed at the list, calling it an over-reach. She was in disbelief of the demand that leases last five years with a blanket ban on evictions throughout winter months, pandemics or natural disasters.

"So, you can have someone in your house, tearing it up and you can't get them out until the weather gets warmer?" she asked incredulously and through laughter.

I want to support the kaupapa so badly, as I do think there are seeds of sense within the list.

But the other demands seem to me to be cutting off landlord's noses to spite the renters face. It discredits the legitimacy of the movement and sows even more division, giving people in power the opportunity to shoot down the group before it even gets off the ground.

Hopefully, this list is a bargaining technique. I hope TAW has started big, knowing that it will get them media attention, and the intention is to bargain down to something which still benefits renters and empowers them within a broken system – but unlike the current list, actually has a hope in hell of being brought in by the landed gentry.