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    The New Zealand rental sector
    (BRANZ, 2017-08-04) Witten KL; Wall M; Carroll P; Telfar Barnard L; Asiasiga L; Graydon-Guy T; Huckle T; Scott K
    This report contains the results of a three-phase study of the New Zealand private rental housing sector in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Phase one analysed relevant Census data; phase two (July-December 2015) surveyed 1099 tenants and 406 landlords using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI); phase three (January-June 2016) involved follow-up in-depth interviews with 86 tenants and 38 landlords. The results are summarised in the Executive Summary in three sections: analyses of Census data (Section One); CATI and follow-up interviews with tenants (Section Two); CATI and follow-up interviews with landlords (Section Three). These are followed by key points from the Discussion.
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    "Under someone else's roof" : tenants' knowledge and experience of tenancy rights in the Manawatu : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Policy at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1997) Bridgland, Caroline
    This thesis examines Manawatu tenants' awareness and knowledge of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, as well as tenants' attitudes and experiences of renting within the private residential market. It is based upon the responses of five tenants, four housing workers and two government housing officials to questions asked in semi-structured interviews. The Residential Tenancies Act 1986 has been in force for ten years, but are tenants any the wiser? This is a particularly important question, given changes in housing policies and the state's withdrawal from the direct provision of housing assistance as it looks to the private rental market to pick up the slack. The findings reported in this study indicate: that tenants, in the main, conducted their rental affairs from a position of ignorance; and that those tenants who were uncertain about their rights and obligations were reluctant to seek advice on tenancy matters, or to pursue any formal line of complaint in case they faced eviction. If tenants expect to receive fair and non-discriminatory treatment in their relationship with private landlords, they need at the very least to be aware not only of tenancy law, but their rights and obligations therein. Therefore, the dynamics and tensions that exist between tenants' knowledge of the law and their relationship with private landlords, fee-paying letting agencies and state functionaries, form a central part of this thesis.
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    Shifting ground: the position of women parenting alone in Auckland and their access to housing in a restructured environment : a thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Massey University Albany, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 1998) Milne, Sharon; Milne, Sharon
    This thesis describes and analyses the housing issues identified and experienced by a group of women parenting alone. It is a qualitative study consisting of a series of interviews carried out over 18 months in order to construct the housing journeys of the women and analyse each woman's experience of housing. The main issues addressed by the thesis are an exploration of the meaning of home, the opportunities and barriers to accessing housing and the failure of housing policies, and the processes involved in developing and implementing those policies, to meet the needs of this group of women. The key research question has two parts. Firstly, it asks how the restructuring of housing after 1990 has impacted on women parenting alone and subsequently explores the housing market from their perspective. Secondly it reflects on policy processes and how they meet the needs of women as single parents. It is argued that the market approach to housing, with its highly targeted assistance, has done little to improve equity in housing for these women. This direction has in fact increased the gap, trapping a growing number of women in the rental market. The contrast between home ownership and renting, including Housing New Zealand rentals, is emphasised. A significant level of hidden homelessness is identified and the research indicates that the higher level of mobility experienced by women in rental homes is a result of those women's efforts to avoid homelessness. Women's lower levels of income, fewer numbers owning their own home in a housing arena dominated by ownership, limited access to housing finance and their exclusion from the development of policies which directly affect them, is seriously undermining the extent to which the housing issues they identify can be resolved. This thesis supports the notion that the basis on which current housing policy is developed, as well as the policy process, is significantly hindering access to adequate housing for women parenting alone. A model of housing policy development and implementation drawing on a feminist postmodernist perspective and feminist community development processes is proposed which accounts for issues of power and diversity and includes the marginalised experiences of those usually excluded from the policy process. The thesis argues for housing policy which expands the choices and opportunities for women and which also enables them to participate more fully as citizens in economic, social and political life so they are better able to determine the direction of their lives and to access the housing of their choice. These processes and theoretical understandings are critical to both the long term well-being and productivity of these women and to addressing the gaps between government's perspective, the uncertain housing policy environment and women's experience of accessing housing.