28 févr. 1991 - Auckland City Council houses sit empty

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Some Auckland City Council residential accommodation is lying vacant after its rental review last August.

The review aimed to standardise the rent being charged across the city, and most tenants saw an increase in their rents. Previously many rents had been held at 5 per cent below the market value.

**FULL_TEXT Yesterday the council property department reported to the property enterprise board that the market had softened and tenancy officers were having difficulty getting tenants at the rent levels set down.

The board voted to give the property development manager authority to adjust the rentals to suit market conditions.

The board chairman, Mr John Williams, said the management of the residential properties took up much of the board's time for a financial return of only 1 per cent.

He said that if the council next month voted to retain its interests in residential housing he would suggest the management was divorced from the rest of the board's responsibilities.

The board is charged with making the best financial return it can on the council's properties and Mr Williams said emotional and political issues interfered with that.

A board member, Mr Philip Yates, said because of the influence of those factors the board was "doing a pretty lousy job" of managing the properties.

"You have only to look at the figures".

Mr Yates added: "The sooner we can get out of this, the sooner the ratepayers of Auckland will see the return on their investment over the past 150 years."

The Auckland City Council is due to decide on its residential housing policy next month.

Source: AUCKLAND Houses left empty after rent review.
274 words
28 February 1991
New Zealand Herald

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