Tenants at risk of World Cup evictions

Some homes around Eden Park are being advertised for more than $7000 a week. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Rugby teams won't be the only ones getting the boot at next year's World Cup - some landlords are expected to evict tenants to cash in on higher-paying renters.

At least one tenants' protection group is planning to send letters to arm renters with an outline of their rights before the tournament.

However, tenants are also expected to try to profit - by illegally sub-letting their places.

Some homes around Eden Park are being advertised for more than $7000 a week. But Property Investors Federation vice-president Andrew King yesterday warned landlords not to be greedy.

"Just be aware of the risk that you may, in fact, have an empty property before and after the World Cup which could severely impact on the return that you make from it.

"A landlord has to give 90 days' notice to a tenant if they want to use the property for something else ... The tenant can leave at any time within that three months as long as they give three weeks' notice. You could be over two months without a tenant ... so it would really negate all the benefit that you would have of renting it out over the World Cup."

Mr King said he was also expecting to see tenants sub-letting properties.

"Having said that, it could be that the landlord and the tenant come to some arrangement. The landlord could find a higher-paying tenant over the World Cup period ... Something like that could work out really well, but it needs to be upfront and well organised."

Tenants Protection Association manager Helen Gatonyi is bracing herself to deal with renters being booted out. "I'm sure there will be some opportunists who will do it."

Ms Gatonyi plans to send out newsletters telling tenants of their rights and responsibilities and encouraging landlords to adopt good practices.

She warned landlords to be careful with World Cup tenancies. "There will be some wayward behaviour that may result in parties and spilling of drink, so they need to think about that."

Labour's housing spokeswoman, Moana Mackey, tried in vain to get tenants' protections added to the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill now before Parliament.

She said that during the Wellington rugby Sevens tournament, tenants of low-socio-economic boarding houses were kicked out to make way for fans - and she fears this will happen again during next year's Cup.

"Do we really want to be pouring people, making them homeless, out on the streets of Auckland during that time?

"We shouldn't be allowing families to be kicked out of their homes just so someone can make a quick buck."

Lie of the land

* Landlords have to give 90 days' notice to tenants.

* A tenant has to give only 21 days' notice.

* Tenants must leave a property tidy and in proper condition.

* Tenants must pay the final 21 days of rent.