An Auckland landlord has applied for a court bailiff to remove illegal occupants from her $2 million St Heliers rental property - but has been told it could be weeks before someone is available.

A tenant at Auckland landlord Nina Zhao's property unlawfully sublet her four-bedroom property to four different families - each occupying a different room.

Zhao, 34, took the tenant to the tribunal for rent arrears and damages to the house and the tenant was served a termination notice, which ended his tenancy on July 14.

While the tenant vacated the house as required, he did nothing about the occupants left in the property.

The tribunal ruled that the remaining occupants were not lawfully entitled to occupy after the tenancy ended.

But they are refusing to move on - and are instead inviting friends to move in.

The New Zealand Property Investors Federation says the long waiting times for a court bailiff is unacceptable - and is calling for an overhaul of the Tenancy Tribunal.

The federation's executive officer Andrew King said it now took about two weeks for landlords to engage a court bailiff.

"While this used to be free for landlords and take just a few days to organise, it now costs $200 and takes about two weeks," King said.

Source NZ Herald

October 01, 2018, 8:54 PM by Admin