Landlords renting sub-standard houses may face hefty penalties in future.
Housing Minister Mark Gosche said concern over the appalling conditions some New Zealanders were living in could prompt a toughening of the Residential Tenancies Act.
He said the introduction of deterrent penalties for landlords if they fail to comply with the act was one of a range of options being considered to give the complaints system "more teeth."
Landlords can already be prosecuted by local authorities, as the Waitakere City Council did recently resulting in a $40,000 fine for the landlord.
"But this is the exception rather than the rule. The reality is that local authority prosecutions are rare and when they are taken they are slow and expensive," Mr Gosche said.
He said housing agencies were developing a voluntary code of practice for landlords, and looking at providing more education so landlords and tenants know their rights.
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