TENANCY ACT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 108, 20 February 1950, Page 4

TENANCY ACT

PROVISIONS TO BE RELAXED OWNERS’ RIGHT OF POSSESSION (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 188. Legislation to relax tenancy control will be passed early in the next session, said the Prime Minister (Mr S. G: Holland) to-day. “The Government’s election policy provided that where the rent'for new tenancies had been approved by the Labour Department, such new tenancies would be .free from the restrictive provisions of the Tenancy Act, 1948, as to the owners’ right to obtain possession,” Mr Holland said. “This can only be implemented by legislation, but to get the earliest benefit of this provision in helping to relieve the housing shortage, the Government has decided to make this legislation, which will be passed early in the next session, retrospective to March 1, 1950. “This will mean that any person letting premises on or after that date and obtaining approval of the rent from the Labour Department will, upon the passing of the legislation, be able to obtain possession of his premises without being prevented from doing so by the restrictions of the Tenancy Act. “It is hoped,” said Mr Holland, “that this undertaking will induce people who have vacant houses or fiats or rooms which could be let, or who can subdivide large houses, to do so at once upon the assurance of the Government that they will be protected.”

HIGHER RENTS “iNEVITABLE”

GOVERNMENT POLICY CRITICISED

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. IS. The Government’s lifting of land sales controls would mean an inevitable increase in rents for the mass of the workers’ families, said the Leader of the Opposition (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) commenting on the. Prime Minister’s announcement.

In addition to other increases in the cost of living initiated since the resent Government took office, he said, there now was a proposal for unlimited speculation in house property at a time when * houses were scarce. Of course prices would vise rapidly. “This, however, is the policy for which electors voted by a majority of 50,000,” said Mr Fraser. Obviously the Government was out to undo much of the beneficial legislation and administration for which the Labour Government was responsible in the interests of the mass of the people.