People living in the Western Bay of Plenty are coming are under increasing pressure to afford rent, says Scott Simpson.

According to the Coromandel MP, the latest data shows that the median rent for houses in the Western Bay of Plenty District was $350 in October 2017.

He says this has now risen to $520 in December 2021.

'This is a staggering increase of $170 per week under Labour, which means people are paying $8840 extra per year just for housing.

'We have a shortage of houses to rent or purchase in the Western Bay of Plenty.”

In a statement released this morning, Simpson says new rental laws introduced under Labour has seen landlords left with no option, but to pass on the costs to their tenants.

'Many Kiwis are already struggling to keep up with increasing costs at the supermarket and the petrol station, let alone the skyrocketing rents.

'The Western Bay of Plenty is a region with huge growth potential and increasingly people are seeing it as a great place to live.”

Coromandel MP Scott Simpson. Photo: Supplied.

Simpson's words come as the government unveils its proposals to regulate the residential property management sector in order to make things fairer for renters and landlords.

Measures including a new licensing regime requiring residential property managers to comply with a Code of Conduct, were released for consultation by Associate Housing Minister Poto Williams today.

'This Government is committed to improving the wellbeing of all New Zealanders and housing plays a fundamental role in that,” says Williams.

'We have heard the calls of the sector, which has said the lack of regulations mean renters feel reluctant to complain to, or about, their property manager for fear of losing their homes or jeopardising their ability to rent houses in the future.

'Property owners are also vulnerable to poor conduct by property managers, and we know of some instances were unregulated property managers have misused rental income and bonds and provided little or no property inspection and maintenance.”

Poto Williams. Photo: Dom Thomas/ RNZ.

Williams says today's proposals are part of a suite of initiatives designed to improve the operation of the residential tenancies market and ensure New Zealanders have access to secure, healthy, and affordable housing.

The measures supporting renters include:

-Introducing the Healthy Homes Standards which improves cover heating, insulation and ventilation.

-Strengthening the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act which means landlords are not able to end a tenancy without good reason.

-Prohibiting rental bids

-Making it so that rent increases can only be made once every 12 months.

Improving renters privacy if they have been successful in the Tenancy Tribunal

-Making it so that if a tenant requests to make a 'minor change” to their rental property, it is unreasonable and unlawful for a landlord to withhold consent for any change.

The discussion document and the submission form are now available on the Te Tūāpapa Kura - Ministry of Housing and Urban Development https://consult.hud.govt.nz/policy-and-legislation-design/property-managers-review

Consultation will run until April 19 and it's expected that the draft Bill is introduced to Parliament in 2023.