There were some key takeouts of interest to many of our clients from the recently signed coalition agreements between National, ACT and New Zealand First and the formation of the new Government. In particular there are a number of policies which will likely benefit landlord clients who own residential rentals. I have summarised some of these below.

1. Return of Interest deductibility for residential rental properties

Interest deductibility for residential rental property owners will return. It will be phased back in over three tax years:

• 2023/24 tax year: 60% of interest cost will be deductible.

• 2024/25 tax year: 80% of interest cost will be deductible.

• 2025/26 tax year: 100% of interest cost will be deductible.

2. Reduction in bright-line period

National signalled in their pre-election campaign that the bright-line period for residential rental property sales would reduce from 10-years to 2-years. While the exact implementation of this policy is not yet known, it is good news on the horizon for residential property investors.

3. Reinstatement of 90-day no-cause termination notices 

The new government will reinstate 90-day no-cause tenancy termination notices. This will avoid many unnecessary disputes in the Tenancy Tribunal and gives landlords more confidence in letting to possibly “marginal tenants". 

Many landlords have avoided what they considered to be risky tenants because eviction for anti-social behaviour was so difficult. With this reinstatement, landlords might be more inclined to give a marginal tenant a chance because they know that if the tenant misbehaves, they won’t be stuck with them. 

If you would like more information on how these changes might affect your personal circumstances, please feel free to contact us to discuss further.