The Green Party wants to drive down commercial rents and get empty shops back into use, unveiling a new election policy aimed at revitalising city centres and supporting small businesses.
Green Party co-leader and Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick says the plan would change commercial leasing rules so market rent reviews could reduce rents as well as increase them. The change would apply to new and existing leases for businesses with turnover below $30 million.
The Greens are targeting so-called ratchet clauses, which can prevent commercial rents falling below their existing level even when market conditions weaken.
Under the policy, limits on rent reductions would also have to match limits on increases. That means if a lease restricted a rent reduction to five percent, any increase would also be capped at five percent. Landlord-only rent review triggers would also be banned.
The party also wants councils given new powers to deal with shops and commercial premises sitting empty for more than 12 months in central business districts.
Councils could give property owners eight weeks to find a tenant themselves. If the space remained vacant, the council could auction the lease, modelled on a system operating in England. Landlords would be able to appeal where redevelopment was planned or they intended to occupy the premises themselves.
A third part of the package would establish a low-cost dispute process for small commercial tenants, potentially through the Tenancy Tribunal, Disputes Tribunal or a dedicated body.
Swarbrick says Auckland’s city centre has endured years of construction and disruption and argues the opening of the City Rail Link provides an opportunity to bring more people, businesses and activity back into the central city.
The policy could also be significant for Māori entrepreneurs and small businesses facing high overheads when establishing retail, hospitality, creative and service businesses in urban centres.
The proposal now adds commercial rents, empty storefronts and city-centre regeneration to the growing list of economic issues being contested ahead of Election 2026.
#GreenParty #ChloeSwarbrick #SmallBusiness #MāoriBusiness #PakihiMāori #CommercialRent #AucklandCBD #CityCentre #EmptyShops #Business #LocalEconomy #CityRailLink #TāmakiMakaurau #Election2026 #NZPolitics #CostOfLiving #Aotearoa #WaateaNews #RadioWaatea
