Housing Corp to check rent rises

Press, 29 June 1983, Page 1

Housing Corp to check rent rises

PA Wellington The Minister of Housing, Mr Friedlander, yesterday instructed the Housing Corporation to help tenants gather evidence when they complain about breaches of the rent freeze. Previously it had been up to tenants to give the Housing Corporation enough evidence to support a claim that the regulation had been breached. Mr Friedlander’s action comes after reports in Wellington’s “Dominion” newspaper yesterday that illegal rent rises were occurring in the capital. Many tenants had complained that the corporation, which is charged with administering the rent freeze regulations, was unable to protect them. No staff were assigned to make investigations and several tenants said their complaints to the corporation had been dismissed because, they were unable to get proof of what they knew.

Mr Friedlander said that he had advised the corporation that “where a tenant is willing to submit a complaint in writing, the corporation is to take steps to investigate the situation and assist the tenant in obtaining proof to enable a case to be referred to the Crown Solicitor.” The “Dominion,” quoting an earlier interview with the Minister, reported Mr Friedlander as placing the responsibility of proving breaches on tenants.