Illegal garage conversion highlights housing crisis

The case of an Auckland landlord found to have illegally converted garages into flats is just the tip of the iceberg, says Labour’s housing spokesperson Phil Twyford.

The landlord, who had converted two properties into 12 smaller units without consent, has been fined $60,000 following a successful prosecution by Auckland Council. Two of the ‘units’ were garages.

“Families crammed into sleep-outs and garages are an all too common feature of the Auckland housing crisis. In parts of West Auckland and South Auckland it can be hard to find a garage that is used for housing a car.

“That some landlords are trying to take advantage of desperate tenants by illegally converting garages into flats is appalling, but hardly surprising given the shortage of decent rental properties.

“In this case the landlord was operating a substandard, non-consented dwelling. However there are thousands of families around the city who are living and sleeping in sub-standard accommodation.

“The solution for them is policies that deal to the causes of the housing crisis and that means the Government taking some really bold action instead of introducing planning measures that guarantee little in the way of affordable housing.

“The housing market in Auckland is broken.

“A Labour Government would fix it by building 10,000 new affordable homes for first home buyers every year for a decade, increasing the stock of state houses, and setting minimum standards for insulation and heating in private rentals.”

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