REINZ's Submissions on the Covid-19 Response (Management Measures) Legislation

On 5 October 2021, REINZ filed submissions on the proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (RTA) and the Property Law Act 2007 (PLA) under the abovementioned omnibus Bill presented to Parliament to manage more effectively the recovery and impacts of Covid-19. REINZ supported the general need for an insertion of an implied covenant in the nature of sections 245F to 245I in the PLA regarding rent relief for commercial tenants and an updated Schedule 5 of the RTA to provide certainty of residency for residential tenants during lockdowns where personal movement is restricted. However, REINZ argued that the rent relief clause and proposed schedule 5 for the RTA as drafted in the proposed Bill will need to be improved to clear up various drafting ambiguities.