Tenants' advocates want law clarified after quake

8:57 pm on 17 March 2011

The Christchurch earthquake has sparked calls for clearer tenancy laws.

Some renters are having disagreements with their landlords about whether their homes are sufficiently badly damaged to justify getting out of tenancy agreements without losing out financially.

The Tenants Protection Association says it is getting lots of calls from people who cannot come to an agreement with their landlord.

Under the Residential Tenancies Act, a person can end a tenancy quickly if the place is uninhabitable.

However, Kevin Campbell from Community Law Canterbury says people have different views on what makes a property uninhabitable, so clarification of the term is needed.