The crisis the Housing Minister created

A report yesterday of a woman, 86, moving because of a 73 percent rent hike illustrates the crisis created by Housing Minister Phil Twyford, Tenancies War spokesman Mike Butler said today.

This story of a property being sold with the new owner hiking rent from $150 a week to $260 provides evidence of the consequences of Mr Twyford’s agenda that he refused to accept – that owners would sell and rents would rise.

The new owner said that the property needed work to be brought into line with the “healthy homes” standards, which was something he “supported”.

The new owner phrased his comment as if he had a choice, Mr Butler said.

In fact, rental property owners have no choice. They either comply with the standards that were imposed by regulation and include penalties of up to $200,000 for non-compliance, or sell, he said.

The out-going tenant did not say whether or not her flat was cold and damp, as the Minister alleged all rental properties were. Her only objection was the rent hike, Mr Butler said.

The property looks like a 1970s construction which may already comply with the 1978 insulation standard which achieves the greatest heat-loss prevention, he said.

The main justification for Mr Twyford’s standards was to prevent the hospitalisation each year of 6000 children for housing-sensitive illnesses.

As a one-bedroom flat, the flat under discussion would be unsuitable for children; this illustrates the short-sightedness of setting requirements for 588,700 properties for the supposed benefit of 6000, Mr Butler said.

Mr Twyford has created a new housing crisis and now both owners and tenants are paying the price, Mr Butler said.

Stop the War on Tenancies is a group that since last October has been highlighting the evidence that successive governments have ignored while creating rental property policy.

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