What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5120680 about?

The tribunal order states: The tenant’s application is dismissed.

How much money was awarded in case 5120680?

Verified claim lines are listed on this page.

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5120680?

The dispute type was not classified.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5120680?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/11648431-Tribunal_Order.pdf.

What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5120680 about?

The tribunal order states: The tenant’s application is dismissed.

How much money was awarded in case 5120680?

Verified claim lines are listed on this page.

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5120680?

The dispute type was not classified.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5120680?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/11648431-Tribunal_Order.pdf.

16A Beldon Place, Pakuranga Heights, Auckland 2010 Tenancy Tribunal Case 5120680 — Tenancy dispute

Order

The tenant’s application is dismissed.

Reasons

Both parties attended the hearing on 26 March 2025. The tenant attended by telephone with the Tribunal’s permission. The tenant was given time to comment on documents handed up by the landlord at the hearing. No further comments have been received.
The tenancy started on 26 June 2019 and is periodic. The tenant complains of ongoing issues with her neighbour playing loud bass music. The tenant seeks compensation and the eviction of the neighbour, who is also a tenant of the landlord. Background
The landlord provided the Tribunal with a detailed timeline of events. The timeline records the first complaint from the tenant about noise having been received on 19 January 2022.
The tenant says the problems started in 2019. The file does not record any complaints to the landlord before 2022, however, there are several text messages which go back to September 2020 and earlier reports to Council noise control.
A summary of the background is set out below: • The tenant made complaints to the landlord about noise from the neighbour in January, February, and May 2022. • The landlord issued a section 40(2)(c) notice on 25 May 2022. The letter noted that the landlord had spoken to the neighbour that day about disturbing the tenant’s peace and comfort by playing music. • On 9 June 2022 the tenant was advised of the outcome of her complaint. The tenant was told that the landlord had spoken to the neighbour, who had apologised and advised he would keep music and noise to a minimum. • On 4 September 2022 the tenant complained about loud music. • In July 2023 the tenant complained about loud music. The landlord told her the complaint would be investigated and addressed with the neighbour. • In June 2024 the tenant made a complaint about noise. • The landlord issued a section 40(2)(c) notice on 14 June 2024. This referred to a meeting with the neighbour in the landlord’s office that day. • On 17 June 2024 the tenant was advised of the outcome of her complaint. The landlord had spoken to the neighbour, who had apologised and said he would keep music and noise to a minimum. • On 2 and 22 August 2024 the tenant made complaints about noise. She subsequently provided video evidence showing the neighbour’s son revving his dirt bike on the shared driveway. • The landlord issued a first section 55A notice on 30 August 2024. The letter itemised incidents of the neighbour’s son riding a dirt bike down the shared driveway on 8 August at 4.52pm, 9 August at 3.04pm, and 13 August at 2pm. • The landlord held a meeting with the neighbour at their office on 11 September 2024. According to the landlord, he was made aware that his tenancy was at risk. • On 11 September 2024 the tenant was advised of the outcome of her complaint. The landlord had spoken to the neighbour, who apologised for the loud music and advised that he would keep music and noise to a minimum. • On 24 December 2024 the tenant complained about loud music. • On 26 December 2024 the tenant advised that the neighbour had been playing loud music on 25 December when she got home. When she requested the bass be turned off the neighbour and his son yelled abuse and were intimidating. • The landlord issued a first section 55A notice on 30 December 2024 (the previous 55A notice having been issued more than 90 days previously). The letter referred to incidents on 26 December 2024 at 3am and 5.37am when the neighbour’s son was riding a dirt bike from his back yard onto the shared driveway and doing burnouts on the street. • The landlord issued a second section 55A notice on 6 January 2025. This referred to the neighbour’s son revving a dirt bike in the neighbour’s backyard at approximately 4am on 2 January 2025.
The landlord says there have been no noise complaints from other tenants. The 2-bedroom, 2-storey units are in a block of 5. The tenant’s unit is at the end of the block and only has a neighbour on one side.
Noise control attended on 29 August 2019 (no noise) 4 September 2019 (no noise) 12 September 2020 (excessive noise direction issued) 2 January 2021 (not excessive) 17 April 2021 (no noise) 15 January 2022 (not excessive) 30 January 2022 (not excessive) and 31 January 2022 (no noise). More recently noise control attended on 9 July 2024 and 14 September 2024 (3 times). They did not detect any noise. The tenant says she called noise control many more times than this. Sometimes they did not turn up. Relevant Law
The landlord has an obligation to take all reasonable steps to ensure that none of the landlord’s other tenants causes or permits any interference with the reasonable peace, comfort, or privacy of the tenant in the use of the premises (section 45(1)(e) of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (the Act)).
Equally, a tenant has an obligation not to cause or permit any interference with the reasonable peace, comfort, or privacy of any of the landlord’s other tenants in the use of the premises occupied by those other tenants, or with the reasonable peace, comfort or privacy of any other person residing in the neighbourhood (section 40(2)(c) of the Act).
Section 55A of the Act enables a landlord under a periodic tenancy to apply to the Tribunal for an order terminating the tenancy on grounds of anti-social behaviour if certain conditions are met. Primarily, there must be 3 separate occasions of anti-social behaviour in a 90-day period. The landlord must serve written notices containing prescribed information in respect of each occasion and apply to the Tribunal within 28 days of the third notice. Analysis
The landlord said that there was no evidence of excessive noise from noise control, and no other neighbours had made complaints of loud noise. The landlord submits that they have taken all reasonable steps available to address the disruptive behaviour.
The problems complained of have been recurring sporadically for a long time. A total of 5 breach notices have been served. If the landlord’s correspondence is correct, the neighbour has a pattern of apologising, promising to change their behaviour, and then not doing so. There is also no suggestion that the tenant has done anything wrong or retaliated with anti-social behaviour of her own. I am satisfied that there is an issue with anti-social behaviour by the tenant’s neighbour which requires resolution.
However, I am not satisfied that the landlord has failed to take all reasonable steps to protect the tenant’s quiet enjoyment. The landlord can only respond to the evidence of anti-social behaviour that is provided. Until about August 2024, the landlord was aware of and acted on complaints about noise but had no complaints from other people or noise control reports to justify an application to the Tribunal. The videos of the neighbour’s son on his dirt bike likely gave the landlord more scope to take effective measures to protect the tenant’s interests. The timeline also suggests that the issues with noise grew more frequent during 2024.
The situation has been extremely upsetting and vexing for the tenant, who has been deeply affected by these incidents. The landlord has taken the tenant’s complaints seriously, has investigated them, spoken formally to the neighbour, and issued breach notices where appropriate. The neighbour is one breach notice away from an application for termination pursuant to section 55A of the Act.
The landlord has a continuing duty to take steps to protect the tenant from interference with her use of the premises. Whether and when an application for termination of the neighbour’s tenancy should be made is a matter for the landlord, after carefully considering that ongoing duty. The landlord may breach section 45(1)(e) if anti-social behaviour is allowed to continue despite there being reasonable grounds for termination.

Reasons

Both parties attended the hearing on 26 March 2025. The tenant attended by telephone with the Tribunal’s permission. The tenant was given time to comment on documents handed up by the landlord at the hearing. No further comments have been received.

The tenancy started on 26 June 2019 and is periodic. The tenant complains of ongoing issues with her neighbour playing loud bass music. The tenant seeks compensation and the eviction of the neighbour, who is also a tenant of the landlord. Background

The landlord provided the Tribunal with a detailed timeline of events. The timeline records the first complaint from the tenant about noise having been received on 19 January 2022.

The tenant says the problems started in 2019. The file does not record any complaints to the landlord before 2022, however, there are several text messages which go back to September 2020 and earlier reports to Council noise control.

A summary of the background is set out below: • The tenant made complaints to the landlord about noise from the neighbour in January, February, and May 2022. • The landlord issued a section 40(2)(c) notice on 25 May 2022. The letter noted that the landlord had spoken to the neighbour that day about disturbing the tenant’s peace and comfort by playing music. • On 9 June 2022 the tenant was advised of the outcome of her complaint. The tenant was told that the landlord had spoken to the neighbour, who had apologised and advised he would keep music and noise to a minimum. • On 4 September 2022 the tenant complained about loud music. • In July 2023 the tenant complained about loud music. The landlord told her the complaint would be investigated and addressed with the neighbour. • In June 2024 the tenant made a complaint about noise. • The landlord issued a section 40(2)(c) notice on 14 June 2024. This referred to a meeting with the neighbour in the landlord’s office that day. • On 17 June 2024 the tenant was advised of the outcome of her complaint. The landlord had spoken to the neighbour, who had apologised and said he would keep music and noise to a minimum. • On 2 and 22 August 2024 the tenant made complaints about noise. She subsequently provided video evidence showing the neighbour’s son revving his dirt bike on the shared driveway. • The landlord issued a first section 55A notice on 30 August 2024. The letter itemised incidents of the neighbour’s son riding a dirt bike down the shared driveway on 8 August at 4.52pm, 9 August at 3.04pm, and 13 August at 2pm. • The landlord held a meeting with the neighbour at their office on 11 September 2024. According to the landlord, he was made aware that his tenancy was at risk. • On 11 September 2024 the tenant was advised of the outcome of her complaint. The landlord had spoken to the neighbour, who apologised for the loud music and advised that he would keep music and noise to a minimum. • On 24 December 2024 the tenant complained about loud music. • On 26 December 2024 the tenant advised that the neighbour had been playing loud music on 25 December when she got home. When she requested the bass be turned off the neighbour and his son yelled abuse and were intimidating. • The landlord issued a first section 55A notice on 30 December 2024 (the previous 55A notice having been issued more than 90 days previously). The letter referred to incidents on 26 December 2024 at 3am and 5.37am when the neighbour’s son was riding a dirt bike from his back yard onto the shared driveway and doing burnouts on the street. • The landlord issued a second section 55A notice on 6 January 2025. This referred to the neighbour’s son revving a dirt bike in the neighbour’s backyard at approximately 4am on 2 January 2025.

The landlord says there have been no noise complaints from other tenants. The 2-bedroom, 2-storey units are in a block of 5. The tenant’s unit is at the end of the block and only has a neighbour on one side.

Noise control attended on 29 August 2019 (no noise) 4 September 2019 (no noise) 12 September 2020 (excessive noise direction issued) 2 January 2021 (not excessive) 17 April 2021 (no noise) 15 January 2022 (not excessive) 30 January 2022 (not excessive) and 31 January 2022 (no noise). More recently noise control attended on 9 July 2024 and 14 September 2024 (3 times). They did not detect any noise. The tenant says she called noise control many more times than this. Sometimes they did not turn up. Relevant Law

The landlord has an obligation to take all reasonable steps to ensure that none of the landlord’s other tenants causes or permits any interference with the reasonable peace, comfort, or privacy of the tenant in the use of the premises (section 45(1)(e) of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (the Act)).

Equally, a tenant has an obligation not to cause or permit any interference with the reasonable peace, comfort, or privacy of any of the landlord’s other tenants in the use of the premises occupied by those other tenants, or with the reasonable peace, comfort or privacy of any other person residing in the neighbourhood (section 40(2)(c) of the Act).

Section 55A of the Act enables a landlord under a periodic tenancy to apply to the Tribunal for an order terminating the tenancy on grounds of anti-social behaviour if certain conditions are met. Primarily, there must be 3 separate occasions of anti-social behaviour in a 90-day period. The landlord must serve written notices containing prescribed information in respect of each occasion and apply to the Tribunal within 28 days of the third notice. Analysis

The landlord said that there was no evidence of excessive noise from noise control, and no other neighbours had made complaints of loud noise. The landlord submits that they have taken all reasonable steps available to address the disruptive behaviour.

The problems complained of have been recurring sporadically for a long time. A total of 5 breach notices have been served. If the landlord’s correspondence is correct, the neighbour has a pattern of apologising, promising to change their behaviour, and then not doing so. There is also no suggestion that the tenant has done anything wrong or retaliated with anti-social behaviour of her own. I am satisfied that there is an issue with anti-social behaviour by the tenant’s neighbour which requires resolution.

However, I am not satisfied that the landlord has failed to take all reasonable steps to protect the tenant’s quiet enjoyment. The landlord can only respond to the evidence of anti-social behaviour that is provided. Until about August 2024, the landlord was aware of and acted on complaints about noise but had no complaints from other people or noise control reports to justify an application to the Tribunal. The videos of the neighbour’s son on his dirt bike likely gave the landlord more scope to take effective measures to protect the tenant’s interests. The timeline also suggests that the issues with noise grew more frequent during 2024.

The situation has been extremely upsetting and vexing for the tenant, who has been deeply affected by these incidents. The landlord has taken the tenant’s complaints seriously, has investigated them, spoken formally to the neighbour, and issued breach notices where appropriate. The neighbour is one breach notice away from an application for termination pursuant to section 55A of the Act.

The landlord has a continuing duty to take steps to protect the tenant from interference with her use of the premises. Whether and when an application for termination of the neighbour’s tenancy should be made is a matter for the landlord, after carefully considering that ongoing duty. The landlord may breach section 45(1)(e) if anti-social behaviour is allowed to continue despite there being reasonable grounds for termination.

Tenancy Tribunal case 5120680 — Tenancy dispute at 16A Beldon Place, Pakuranga Heights, Auckland 2010

At a glance

Claims & awards

Tenancy Tribunal case 5120680 — Tenancy dispute at 16A Beldon Place, Pakuranga Heights, Auckland 2010

At a glance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Property management

Frequently asked questions

Order

Reasons

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Property management

Frequently asked questions