NEW CLAUSE IN BILL

Southland Times, Issue 24882, 23 October 1942, Page 4

NEW CLAUSE IN BILL

Servicemen’s Homes Protected

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 22. An important amendment to the Fair Rents Amendment Bill dealing with the rights of landlords and tenants who are servicemen was approved by the House of Representatives tonight. The amendment originated in the Legislative Council and the secret session of the House was interrupted for a few

minutes after the tea adjournment to adopt the clause.

The new provision replaces a clause enabling an ex-serviceman to regain possession of his own home. This clause was added to the Bill last night by the Minister of Justice, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, after the suggestion had been made by Mr J. Acland (Nat., Temuka) and the president of the New Zealand Returned Services Association, the Hon. W. Perry, M.L.C. The new amendment provides that a landlord who is not a serviceman cannot obtain possession of a dwelling 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 the landlord and the tenant are servicemen the Court may refuse to make an order for possession after considering the relative hardship of the parties, but it will not be necessary for 1 a landlord to find alternative accommodation for a 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 the absolute right to an order for possession. After an explanation of the amendment by Mr Mason, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr S. G. Holland, said the new provisions were an improvement. The procedure, however, indicated the need for fuller consideration of the legislation.