RECOVERY OF HOMES

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 250, 23 October 1942, Page 2

RECOVERY OF HOMES

EX-SERVICEMEN'S RIGHTS. FAIR RENTS BILL AMENDED.

P.A.

WELLINGTON, Oct. 23.

An important amendment to the Fair Rents Amendment Bill "deaiing with the rights of landlords and tenants who are servicemen was approved by the House of Representatives last night. The amendment originated in the Legislative Council, and the secret session of the House was interrupted for a few minutes after the tea adjcurnment to enable the clause to be adopted. The new provision, which is of lriuch wider scope, replaces the ciause enabling an ex-serviceman to regain possessibn of his own home. This ciause was added to the Bill on Wednesday night by the Minister for Justice, Mr Mason. The amendment provides that a landlord who is not a serviceman cannot obtain possessicn of a dwell-ing-house from a tenant who is a serviceman or from his wife or widow so long as the tenant pays the rent, takes reasonable care of the premises, and is not a nuisance to the neighbours. In cases where both landlord and tenant are servicemen the Court may refuse to maka an order for possession after considering the relative hardship of the parties, and it will not be necessary for the landlord to find alternative accommodation for the tenant, or to prove affirmatively that his hardship is greater than the tenant's. The same protection will be extended to a tenant who is the wife, widow, or dependant of a serviceman. Where a serviceman wants possession of his own house to resume living in it and the tenant is not a serviceman, the landlord will have an absolute right to an order for possession. After an explanation of the amendment by Mr Mason, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Holland, said the new provisions were an improvement. y