From Chorus:

Changes to the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act come into effect from today, and include provisions for tenants to more easily have fibre broadband installed.

Landlords are now unable to refuse renter requests for fibre so long as the installation is free, which, Chorus says, it is for the majority of installations, and the property doesn’t fall under specific exemptions.

Chorus, the telecommunications infrastructure provider responsible for the lion’s share of the fibre roll out, welcomes these changes to enable more Kiwis access to world class broadband technology.

“We live in an increasingly digital world and we want to make fibre broadband, the fastest and most reliable broadband, available to as many Kiwis as possible so we can all participate on a level digital playing-field,” says Nick Miskelly, Chorus’ manager for stakeholder, consenting and acquisition.

“Previously, landlords could simply decline renter requests for fibre without justifying why,” he says.

“This meant professionals, students and kids in rental scenarios were potentially missing out on having the best technology to work and learn from home, increasingly common practices in the Covid era.

“Having fibre at a property doesn’t just benefit the occupant, but the landlord too with good connectivity adding value to premises,” adds Mr Miskelly.

Chorus says 76 percent of installations are now completed in a convenient single visit, and it looks forward to more households joining the more than 800,000 already taking advantage of its fibre network.