How to take your landlord to the Tenancy Tribunal in New Zealand

Last updated 23 June 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

When a landlord will not return your bond, refuses to fix a serious problem, or breaks the rules, the Tenancy Tribunal is how you make them answer for it. It is a specialist tribunal built for ordinary tenants, it costs almost nothing to use, and you do not need a lawyer. This guide walks through the whole process, from trying to resolve things first, to applying, to the hearing, to enforcing the order you win. Everything here ties back to the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 and guidance from Tenancy Services.

What the Tenancy Tribunal is

The Tenancy Tribunal is a specialist tribunal, run within the Ministry of Justice, that deals only with disputes about residential tenancies. An adjudicator hears both sides and makes a legally binding order. It is deliberately informal and low cost, so that tenants and landlords can use it themselves without paying for lawyers. It is not the same as the Disputes Tribunal, which handles general consumer and debt claims, so use the Tenancy Tribunal for anything to do with a rental.

It can hear claims worth up to $100,000, which covers the overwhelming majority of tenancy disputes. Both tenants and landlords can apply, and the Tribunal can make orders against either side.

What you can take to the Tribunal

The Tribunal handles almost any dispute arising under a residential tenancy, including the common ones tenants bring.

• A bond the landlord will not refund, or is wrongly trying to keep.
• Repairs and maintenance the landlord has failed to do, including a work order to force them to do it.
• Breaches of the landlord’s obligations, such as entering without proper notice or failing to meet the healthy homes standards.
• Compensation for loss you have suffered because of the landlord’s breach.
• Exemplary damages for an unlawful act, such as an unlawful eviction, unlawful entry or a failure to lodge your bond, which carry set maximum amounts under the Act, ranging from around $1,000 up to about $7,200 depending on the breach.
• Challenging a notice or seeking to keep or end a tenancy.

If your dispute is about your bond specifically, you can apply for a bond refund directly, which is the most common type of application.

Try to sort it first

The Tribunal is not always the fastest route, and the system expects you to try to resolve things first. Start by raising the problem with your landlord in writing, clearly stating what is wrong and what you want done, with a reasonable deadline. A calm, documented request often gets a result, and it becomes useful evidence if it does not.

If that does not work, Tenancy Services offers free mediation and a service called FastTrack Resolution. Mediation brings both sides together with a neutral mediator to reach an agreement. FastTrack lets you propose an agreement that a mediator confirms with the other party. Either way, once the agreement is confirmed by a mediator and sealed by the Tribunal, it becomes a legally binding order, exactly as enforceable as one made after a hearing, but quicker and less stressful to reach.

How to apply and the fee

You apply through the Tenancy Services website, either online or on a printed form. The online application takes about 10 minutes. You set out who the dispute is with, what happened, and exactly what orders you are asking the Tribunal to make.

Two things make or break an application. Name the right respondent, the legal landlord or their agent, exactly as they appear on the tenancy agreement, because a wrongly named respondent can get your application thrown out. And mind the deadline. You can apply during the tenancy, and for up to 12 months after it has ended, but not later.

The application fee is $28. The person who applies pays it, but, and this is important, you should ask in your application for the fee to be awarded against the other party. If you win, the Tribunal can order the landlord to repay your $28. Be specific in your application about the amounts and the orders you want, because the adjudicator works from what you have asked for.

After you apply, you will be offered mediation or FastTrack, or given a hearing date. The hearing may be in person at a court, by phone, or by video.

Getting your evidence ready

Tribunal cases are won and lost on evidence, not on who speaks best. The adjudicator decides on what they can see and read, so put your case together carefully.

• The tenancy agreement and the bond lodgement details.
• Dated photos and videos of the problem, before and after where you can.
• Every written communication, emails, texts and letters between you and the landlord.
• The entry and exit inspection reports.
• Receipts, invoices and quotes for anything you are claiming.
• A short, dated timeline of what happened, which makes your case easy to follow.

Send your evidence in by the deadline the Tribunal gives you, and bring copies to the hearing. Organised, dated evidence is the single biggest advantage you can give yourself.

What happens at the hearing

A Tribunal hearing is much less formal than a normal court case, but it still follows a process. The adjudicator will explain how it works, then each side gets to put their case and respond to the other. The adjudicator asks questions, looks at the evidence, and applies the Residential Tenancies Act to the facts.

Most people represent themselves. You generally need the Tribunal’s permission to be represented by a lawyer or a paid agent, unless the amount in dispute is more than $6,000, in which case you can be represented as of right. A support person to help you is always fine. Be polite, stick to the facts, and answer the question you are asked. If the landlord does not turn up, the Tribunal can still go ahead and make an order in their absence, so it is worth attending even if you expect the other side not to. The adjudicator usually gives the decision, called an order, in writing shortly after the hearing.

The order and how to enforce it

A Tribunal order is legally binding, and most are complied with. If the landlord is ordered to pay you money or to do work and they do not, the order can be enforced. A money order can be enforced through the Ministry of Justice Collections Unit, the same process used for any court judgment debt, which can include attachment of earnings or seizure of property.

If a work order is ignored, you can go back to the Tribunal. Enforcement is a separate step, so keep the sealed order safe, and act on it if the other side does not do what they were told.

If you disagree with the decision

If the decision goes against you, you have two possible routes. The first is to apply to the Tribunal for a rehearing, which is for situations where something went wrong with the hearing itself, such as a party not getting a fair chance to be heard. You have just 5 working days to apply for a rehearing, so act immediately.

The second is to appeal to the District Court. You have 10 working days from the date of the order to file an appeal. An appeal is not available for every decision. You cannot appeal a money order or work order where the amount in dispute is under $1,000, but you can appeal larger claims and decisions about whether a tenancy exists. Because the rules are technical, this is the point where free legal advice is most worth getting.

The practical playbook

One. Put it in writing first. Tell the landlord the problem and what you want, with a deadline. This is step one and it is also evidence.

Two. Try mediation or FastTrack. Free, quicker, and just as binding. Many disputes end here.

Three. Apply, and ask for your fee back. Spend the $28, set out exactly what you want, and request the fee be awarded against the landlord.

Four. Build your evidence pack. Agreement, photos, messages, inspection reports, receipts, and a dated timeline.

Five. Present calmly at the hearing. Stick to the facts, answer the question, let your evidence do the work.

Six. Enforce the order if you must. If the landlord ignores it, use the District Court collections process or go back to the Tribunal.

Free help when you need it

• Tenancy Services on 0800 836 262 for the application, mediation, and how the Tribunal works.
• Community Law Centres for free legal advice and a detailed tenancy manual.
• Citizens Advice Bureau on 0800 367 222 for free, confidential guidance.
• Renters United for tenant advocacy and plain-language guides.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to take a landlord to the Tenancy Tribunal

The application fee is $28. The person who applies pays it, but if you ask in your application and you win, the Tribunal can order the landlord to repay your fee. You do not need a lawyer, so for most tenants the $28 is the only cost.

How long does the Tenancy Tribunal take

It varies with how busy your local Tribunal is, but many disputes resolve faster through free mediation or FastTrack Resolution before a hearing is even needed. A mediated agreement, once sealed by the Tribunal, is just as binding as a hearing decision, and usually much quicker to reach.

Do I need a lawyer for the Tenancy Tribunal

No. The Tenancy Tribunal is designed to be used without a lawyer, and most people represent themselves. You generally need the Tribunal’s permission to be represented by a lawyer or paid agent, though you can usually bring a support person. Free advice is available from Community Law and Tenancy Services.

What can the Tenancy Tribunal order

The Tribunal can order a bond to be refunded, money to be paid in compensation, work to be done through a work order, exemplary damages for an unlawful act, and a tenancy to be ended or continued. It can make orders against either the tenant or the landlord, up to a value of $100,000.

Can I appeal a Tenancy Tribunal decision

Yes, in some cases. You can apply to the Tribunal for a rehearing if something went wrong with the hearing, or you can appeal to the District Court within 10 working days of the order. Appeals are not available for every decision. You cannot appeal a money or work order where the amount in dispute is under $1,000, but you can appeal larger claims and decisions about whether a tenancy exists, so get advice quickly if you want to appeal.

Can I claim compensation from my landlord

Yes, if you have suffered a real, provable loss because the landlord breached their obligations, the Tribunal can order compensation. You generally cannot claim for stress on its own, but specific unlawful acts, such as unlawful entry or failing to lodge your bond, carry exemplary damages with set amounts. The Tribunal does not usually award general costs, except where a party behaves badly or fails to attend.

What happens if my landlord does not turn up

The Tribunal can still hold the hearing and make an order in the landlord’s absence, so it is worth attending even if you expect them not to. If an order is made against a party who missed the hearing for a genuine reason, that party can apply for a rehearing within 5 working days.

Have you taken a landlord to the Tenancy Tribunal? Tell us how it went in the comments below.