Budget delivers for tenants – First National

Media Release
May 28, 2009

Budget delivers for tenants – First National

First National welcomed the Government’s Budget 09 decision to open up access to home energy efficiency grants for all comers.

The First National real estate network, New Zealand’s third largest, helps property owners sell over $1billion worth of property each year and manages around 6000 rentals.

First National Group chairperson Jill Quaid said enabling access to those not only on low incomes was excellent.

“It means landlords will be able to take advantage of it, who haven’t been able to in the past. That’s going to affect a large number of people.

“There are a lot of houses out there that aren’t up to scratch with heating and insulation. Most houses built prior to the 1960s didn’t have insulation in walls, many had little in the ceiling, and they had no double-glazing and often had open fires.

“It’s the tenants that suffer.

“This looks like a great opportunity for landlords who have old stock and haven’t been able to justify the cost of additional insulation to be able to change that for their tenants.

“We want thinking people to put insulation in their homes and enhance the protection of those who live there.”

Making houses ‘green’ was not cheap, Mrs Quaid said.

“At present, energy efficiency and affordability don’t go together so that’s something that will have to be worked out the future.

“The downstream benefit is that in the future homes that have energy efficiency packages installed will be more saleable and easier to tenant.”

ENDS

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