Residential property managers will soon need to be registered, trained, and licensed under new rules unveiled this morning.
Landlords will now have another year to get their rentals up to healthy home standards - including Kainga Ora and community housing providers.
Housing Minister Megan Woods said Covid-19 supply chain issues had stunted compliance.
The public would also be consulted on new rules on methamphetamine residue levels and how tenancies can be terminated if the property was unsafe.
"Nearly 600,000 households rent in New Zealand and these measures will result in regulated oversight of residential property managers, science-based rules on meth residue testing and a reprieve for landlords in meeting a compliance deadline," Woods said in a statement.
"The government aims to ensure every New Zealander has a warm, dry, and safe place to call home, regardless of whether they own or rent. These initiatives build on the important work we've already done in the rental sector which all ultimately serve to improve the lives and outcomes of renting New Zealanders and their whanau."
Housing Minister Megan Woods. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Woods said complaints about property managers would be dealt with through a new regulatory framework.
Given 42 percent of rentals were looked after by property managers, it was important to have regulations in place given the access they have to homes.
"Sometimes tenants are vulnerable to poor behaviour from residential property managers, especially in a tight rental market. Following our moves to give tenants more protection through the Residential Tenancies Act, we made a manifesto commitment in 2020 to regulate residential property managers."
"This means that like many other professions such as real estate agents, builders and lawyers, they will have conduct and competency standards to abide by and if they don't, they can be held to account."
Woods said Cabinet had agreed that the Real Estate Authority would be the regulator. The Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal would have a role expanded to include property management-related issues.
With regard to new meth testing rules, Woods said the public would be consulted on what an acceptable level of meth residue was, at what levels homes needed to be decontaminated, and when tenancies can be ended due to high levels.
"Currently there are two levels used - neither of which are legally binding - which create uncertainty for landlords and tenants," Woods said.
"We have proposals that are informed by science, on screening, testing, and decontamination, with clear obligations for landlords."
Woods said the government recognised Covid-19 had caused global supply issues, meaning some private landlords hadn't managed to get their homes up to the healthy homes standard.
"It makes sense to be pragmatic as most landlords are genuinely trying to comply with their obligations but are at risk of breaching them because of issues outside of their control."
"The change means private landlords have one more year to comply, so all private rentals must comply by 1 July 2025, instead of 1 July 2024.
"For Kainga Ora and community housing providers, the timeframe for compliance shifts from 1 July 2023 to a new date of 1 July 2024."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/479237/property-managers-to-be-regulated-meth-testing-changes-and-healthy-homes-extension-announced