Landlords stung by tenants

Last year, the Tenancy Tribunal received 45,093 complaints, more than 41,000 landlord-initiated. Photo / Thinkstock

Landlords say they're being left thousands of dollars out of pocket by errant tenants, forcing up rents for law-abiding Kiwis.

Last year, the Tenancy Tribunal received 45,093 complaints, more than 41,000 landlord-initiated. The most common was for unpaid rent and the majority of tenant applications involved bond refunds.

On average, half the applications were resolved by adjudication. The rest were mediated or withdrawn.

But Andrew King, president of the New Zealand Property Investors Federation, said many landlords were frustrated. They were often left out of pocket because of the time lag in getting a case heard and the expense put them off seeking legal redress. Some landlords didn't lodge an action because recovering the money from a tenant could be another lengthy battle.

Auckland landlord Peter Lewis has sought assistance from the Tenancy Tribunal about 30 times in 24 years. It could take about three weeks to schedule a mediation, he said. Then, if the tenant did not take part or the parties couldn't agree on a settlement, it might take several more weeks for a full hearing.

He had been left thousands of dollars out of pocket by tenants, he said. Recent cases had forced him to increase rents on his properties to recoup money he had lost.

The Minstry of Business, Innovation and Employment last year introduced the FastTrack Resolution programme aimed at reaching speedier settlements. The landlord and the tenant have to agree to take part, in the hope it will encourage them to avoid a tribunal hearing.