An update on 218-1 The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill: the deadline for the Social Services and Community Select Committee to report back to Parliament has been pushed out from late June to 13th July.
We look at what this means for landlords and where to from here in terms of our collective lobbying efforts.
Background
On the first week of the lockdown, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development issued a statement of assurance that all non-essential parliamentary business including select committee affairs would be suspended.
Despite this, and much to many landlords’ chagrin, the Social Services and Community Select Committee went ahead with the scheduled hearings for 218-1
by Zoom. Many became concerned that this controversial piece of legislation would be inconspicuously pushed through in the shadow of a nationwide preoccupation
with COVID-19.
But just as the Select Committee quietly went about with the hearings during the lockdown, Parliament pushed out its deadline for the SC report without
much fanfare. As things stand, the report is now due on the 13th of July. While this certainly grant landlords some much needed breathing
space, it is certainly no cause for celebration.
What’s going to happen from the 13th of July?
The usual legislation process follows: An updated bill incorporating any recommendations from the SC will be presented to House for a second hearing. No
substantial changes will be made from this point. The bill will be read a third time before receiving Royal Assent. As things stand, commencement date
will be 6 months from RA.
In terms of how quickly things will unfold from 13th of July, we expect the Bill to get to...
