FIJI’S private rental sector is failing low-income families, with renters being forced to pay large portions of their earnings for poor-condition housing, says the Consumer Council.
Council chief executive officer Seema Shandil said the lack of affordable housing was also forcing people into longer-term rental arrangements without legal agreements.
“The situation is especially dire for students and young families, who are more vulnerable to exploitation, including price gouging and discrimination,” she said.
She said while the rent freeze had helped to protect many tenants from sudden rent increases and kept housing costs stable for those in existing leases, it had failed to address critical issues such housing shortages, poor rental quality, or illegal rent hikes by some landlords.
“While the freeze offers short-term relief, it has also led to market distortions and enforcement challenges.”
The council has called for a review of the Rent Freeze Framework, including its scope and limitations as landlords often exploited loopholes by evicting tenants on the pretext of renovations then renting it out at a higher price.
Ms Shandil said the rent freeze alone could not ensure fair treatment or affordability for tenants.
The council has called for the implementation of tenancy laws and rent regulations; better investment in affordable housing projects; consumer education on tenancy rights and obligations; a dedicated tenancy dispute resolution body or housing ombudsman; and mandating written tenancy agreements to improve legal protection for tenants.
In the past five years, Ms Shandil says they’ve received 5180 complaints about landlord and tenant issues including bond money not being returned or unfairly deducted, unfair rent increases, absence of tenancy agreements or receipts, poor property conditions and landlords refusing to fix problems, and harassment or eviction threats by landlords.
“The Consumer Council of Fiji believes everyone has the right to safe, secure, and affordable rental housing. However, our work and recent surveys show that the private rental market in Fiji is mostly unregulated and unfair to tenants.”
