Unpaid rents up 300%

Stuff reports:

The total amount owed in rent arrears by Kāinga Ora tenants has increased from $2 million to nearly $17m in three years.

The average rent arrears owed to Kāinga Ora by its tenants had increased from $483 in November 2019, to $1901 in November 2022, Housing Minister Megan Wood said in a reply to a written Parliamentary question from ACT housing spokesperson Brooke van Velden.

The total amount owed in rent arrears has increased from $2.32m in September 2019 to $17m in September 2022.

The largest sum owed by an individual was $41,371 as at November 30, 2022.

How can you let someone get that far behind with the rent?

And these are rents that are massively subsidised so they are never more than 25% of a tenant’s income. If the income drops, the rent drops.

Once again there seem to be few consequences if Kainga Ora is your landlord.