3. Question No. 3—Housing (Public Housing)CHLÖE SWARBRICK (Green—Auckland Central) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing)Question No. 3—Housing (Public Housing)3. CHLÖE SWARBRICK (Green—Auckland Central) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): Is she aware that nearly all commercial lease agreements include transparent criteria for rent reviews; if so will she consider requiring residential tenancy agreements to include agreed criteria for rent increases? Hon POTO WILLIAMS (Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing)): Noa'ia e Mauri Mr Speaker. While I have no responsibility for commercial leases which sit under the justice portfolio I am advised that there is nothing in law requiring the rent increase criteria in commercial leases the member has asked about. Rather these are often negotiated as part of a commercial rent agreement that typically covers a much longer period than a residential rent agreement—usually five to 10 years. This Government has already made changes to encourage longer-term residential rent agreements including removing no-cause terminations and limiting rent increases to once a year. We know that if rental agreements can be agreed over a longer term it is more likely that these types of agreements would be made between landlords and tenants if they so wished. Chlöe Swarbrick: Do any of the things that the Minister has just listed actually limit the amount that landlords can raise rents by or give renters any certainty about what their rent will be next year? Hon POTO WILLIAMS: What I can say is that we have made multiple changes to improve the security and rights of renters including limiting rent increases to once a year and banning rental bidding. We are monitoring what happens with rent rises and will take action if necessary. Chlöe Swarbrick: Would she prefer a system like in Ireland and Scotland where an independent Government agency sets maximum rent increases each year or a system where renters and landlords negotiate maximum annual rent increases collectively like in Sweden? Hon POTO WILLIAMS: I can't speak to what happens in other jurisdictions. All I can speak to is our aspiration for renters in New Zealand to be in homes that are warm dry and affordable and what I can speak to also is our programme to support renters to have much more ability to deal with the issues that confront them and to be able to deal with them in a way that gives them certainty and power. If a tenant thinks that their rent is too expensive and not in line with the market they have the opportunity of going to the Tenancy Tribunal. Chlöe Swarbrick: Does the Government's current practice of collecting rent data when bonds are lodged for new tenancies but not when landlords increase rents during the course of a tenancy provide an accurate picture of whether rent increases are fair and affordable? Hon POTO WILLIAMS: My view is that the information that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development uses which is Stats New Zealand's rental price index is a much more accurate and complete view of rent changes and prices. Chlöe Swarbrick: Will the Government consider restricting rent increases to match the restrictions on wage increases for nurses teachers and social workers? Hon POTO WILLIAMS: What the Government will consider is continuing the work we are doing to ensure that we improve the security and rights of renters and tenants by limiting rent increases to once a year and banning rental bidding.