Brad Olsen: Economist on survey finding government policy changes help drive rents to record highs

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge · Mar 2, 2023 · 4m

Changes to rental laws to make properties warm and dry have driven up rents, which are now at record highs, according to a survey commissioned by the Government.

The survey, commissioned by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, found that a quarter of landlords put up rents in the six months before May 2022, and one of the most popular reasons for this was increased costs lumped on by the Government.

Housing Minister Megan Woods said the survey reflected “the advice I have that there is not enough evidence to suggest regulatory changes are the main cause for rent increases”.

But…