Extending the agency's healthy homes standards deadline a "slap in the face" for private landlords – APIA chief
The Auckland Property Investors Association (APIA) has called on the government to ditch plans to extend its own Healthy Homes Standards deadline for Kāinga Ora rentals.
Read more: REINZ calls for Healthy Homes deadline extension
The Healthy Homes Standards became law in 2019 to overhaul the poor standard of rental housing quality in New Zealand. It introduced specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage, and draught stopping in rental properties.
Kāinga Ora and registered community housing providers were required to meet the standards by July 2023, while all private rentals must comply within 90 days of any new tenancy from July 2021, and all rentals from July 2024.
Late last week, the government confirmed that it was actively considering granting itself an extension, which according to Kristin Sutherland, APIA president, was a “slap in the face for private landlords.”
“Private landlords have made significant progress towards full compliance despite increased tax burden, inflating costs, anaemic rent growth, and a host of COVID-related residual issues,” Sutherland said. “And we are doing all that without the powers and levers of government. It is an insult to the ingenuity and resilience of the private rental sector to see the government lowering its own standards.”
Read next: REINZ seeks deadline extension for Healthy Homes compliance
But what Sutherland said she found more insidious was the continued assault on the dignity and well-being of social housing tenants.
“Why should anyone suffer an unhealthy home for simply renting from the state?” she said. “Kāinga Ora tenants are not second-class renters. They should enjoy the same benefits and opportunities as their private market counterparts.”
While Sutherland said she accepted that there are barriers to compliance in the post-COVID environment, she remains unimpressed by the government’s approach.
“Extending the deadline is a cop-out when the government should have a problem-solving mindset,” she said. “It can do many things to mitigate or even overcome supply and labour challenges, such as tax incentives, job programmes, procurement contracts, and immigration rules. It should explore these avenues instead of just taking the easy way out when the going gets hard.”
