When there’s a disagreement between a landlord and their tenants, things can get serious and end up in front of the Tenancy Tribunal. At this stage, a property manager well versed in case law can be worth their weight in gold to the landlord.
What role do property managers play at the Tenancy Tribunal?
The representation landlords receive when it all goes pear-shaped is what separates good property managers from great property managers. When going before the Tenancy Tribunal, excellent knowledge of the Residential Tenancies Act and experience in presenting a case is pivotal in providing good representation for landlords.
The property manager needs to be knowledgeable of what information needs to be gathered to present at a Tribunal hearing, what questions to expect at the hearing, and to have the experience to know the prescribed formats that the adjudicators require.
How much does Tribunal representation cost?
While we can’t speak for the wider property management industry, here at Irelands we advocate for our landlord clients at no additional cost — it’s all part of property management service offering.
This is because we feel representing landlords during Tribunal hearings is part of our duty to protect their chosen form of income: their rental property.
How do Irelands property managers stay up to date with rental tenancy case law?
Our property managers receive frequent case law training sessions from industry professionals. This, in addition to our own hearing experiences, helps expose us to a variety of different hearing circumstances and potential outcomes, preparing us for anything that comes our way.
This training helps us do everything in our power to reliably represent our landlords’ rights when their case is before the Tenancy Tribunal
What happens after a Tenancy Tribunal hearing?
When the Tribunal orders in favour of the landlord’s claims, we then work hard to get the funds repaid to the landlord as best we can, with assistance from the Ministry of Justice, where necessary.
In the case that the Tribunal doesn’t rule in favour of the landlord, we communicate the findings with our client. We do this to help them avoid getting into the same dispute again (if at all within their control).
Making the best of a bad situation
It’s our mission to find the right tenants for your rental property, so a dispute that makes it to the Tenancy Tribunal is the last place we want to end up. Where possible, our team work hard to come to an agreement with tenants to avoid us having to apply to the Tenancy Tribunal on your behalf.
That said, we make it one of our highest priorities to be fully prepared to step up to the plate and represent our landlords before the Tribunal, if and when required. It’s about making the best of a bad situation and achieving positive outcomes for our landlords.
Contact us to learn more about how we serve the interests of our landlord and property investor clients.
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