This member's bill amends the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 to require the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to create and maintain a register of boarding houses and boarding house landlords, responding to long-standing gaps in data about the sector (the 2018 Census counted just under 250 boarding houses, which Statistics New Zealand considers likely an undercount). Landlords would have to renew their registration each year, could be disqualified on criteria including criminal history and past compliance, and would have to keep records of their premises and tenancy agreements, with tenant details kept off the public register. The bill is before Parliament, having passed its first reading on the voices on 29 April 2026 (recorded provisionally from the uncorrected transcript).
This bill amends the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 to require the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to create and maintain a register of boarding houses and boarding house landlords, responding to long-standing gaps in data about the sector. Landlords would renew their registration annually, could be disqualified on criteria including criminal history and past compliance, and would keep records of their premises and tenancy agreements, with tenant details kept off the public register.
Supporters argue that a register improves oversight of a sector housing vulnerable tenants and gives authorities better information to enforce standards. Others may weigh the compliance burden on landlords, the cost of running the register, and how disqualification criteria and privacy of tenant information are handled.
See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.