Monthly Landlord Newsletters

Welcome back to the Propertyscouts Monthly Landlord Newsletter, where we update you on all things New Zealand property market, investor insights, seasonal reminders, and more.

AI and the Tenancy Tribunal: helpful tool or risky shortcut?

AI can write emails, tidy up notes and explain complicated information in plain English. Handy? Absolutely. But when it comes to a Tenancy Tribunal case, it still needs a human keeping a close eye on it.

The Tribunal has released guidelines explaining how AI can be used, where it can go wrong and what landlords remain responsible for.

Where can AI give landlords a helping hand?

Think of AI as a helpful admin assistant, not a lawyer. It may help you identify the main issues in a dispute, organise your documents and evidence, understand Tribunal processes, or prepare questions for mediation or a hearing.

The catch? You still need to check everything it produces. AI can sound remarkably confident while inventing a legal case, misrepresenting a decision or referring to law that does not apply in New Zealand. Asking the same tool to check its own answer is not enough - facts and legal references need to be verified against a reliable source.

Where should landlords draw the line with AI?

There are a few firm boundaries:

• Do not treat AI-generated legal information as fact without checking it.

• Do not let AI put words into a witness’s mouth. Their statement must reflect what they actually saw, heard or experienced.

• Do not upload private information without understanding how the tool may store or use it. That includes tenancy agreements, photographs, financial information and correspondence.

• Do not use AI to record, transcribe, summarise or analyse Tribunal hearings or mediation discussions.

• Do not send pages of repetitive information just because AI can produce it quickly. Clear and relevant beats long and complicated.

• Do not blame the tool if something is wrong. You remain responsible for everything submitted under your name.

If the Tribunal asks whether you used AI, you must tell them.

Facing a lengthy AI-assisted claim?

First, do not let the page count do the talking. A long claim filled with legal language is not automatically a strong one.

Pull it apart one point at a time. Look at what is being alleged, what evidence supports it and what outcome the tenant is seeking. Then go back to your records:

• Create a simple timeline of events.

• Match each allegation with your tenancy records.

• Gather inspection reports, maintenance correspondence, the tenancy agreement, Healthy Homes documents, rent records, photographs and communications.

• Clearly identify any factual errors you can support with evidence.

• Keep your response focused on the facts rather than trying to match the other party page for page.

If the matter is particularly complex or the amount involved is significant, it may be time to seek professional or legal advice.

When a dispute arises, good records do the talking

This is where good property management earns its keep.

AI may be able to organise information into a polished document, but it cannot replace genuine records created throughout the tenancy. Inspection reports, maintenance records, photographs and documented communication help show what happened, when it happened and how it was handled.

When a dispute arises, those clear, well-kept records can do far more of the heavy lifting than pages of impressive-sounding wording.

The bottom line is simple: AI can help with the preparation, but you remain responsible for the final result. Read more here 

The Latest Ask An Expert from Within the NZ Property Investor Magazine

Propertyscouts is a designated property management expert in the popular magazine - NZ Property Investor. Propertyscouts, recently entered a response to their recent 'Expert Advice Q&A'. 

Now, before you read on, we should probably clarify that this question didn't come from a Propertyscouts owner! We'd like to think two LPG bottles wouldn't go walkabout under our watch. 

Read our latest entry below:

Question:  My rental property uses two leased 45kg LPG bottles, which have always been arranged by the property manager, with the annual lease fee deducted from my rental income.

A new property management company recently took over and, during a vacancy, both bottles disappeared. The gas company is now seeking $700 from me for their replacement but can’t provide a signed lease agreement or evidence showing who originally opened the account.

The property manager believed the bottles were there during viewings but can’t confirm when they disappeared.

Who is responsible for the replacement cost - the landlord, property manager or gas company? Can the gas company require me to pay without providing evidence of the original agreement?

Also, should LPG bottle rental generally be arranged by the landlord/property manager or can tenants lease bottles directly from their preferred supplier?

Answer: The first step is to check the exit inspection report and photographs to establish whether the LPG bottles were present when the tenancy legally ended.

If they were already missing, the matter should have been raised with the tenant at the time as potential tenant liability. If they disappeared after the tenants left, it would appear to be theft and should be reported to Police and considered as an insurance claim. 

If the property manager cannot confirm whether the bottles were present, the owner may have lost the opportunity to establish liability. Where the exit inspection was inadequate, it may be reasonable to discuss the property management company contributing towards the replacement cost, although whether this could be enforced is another matter.

It is also important to confirm how the gas account was originally established, as an agreement entered into by the property manager as the owner’s agent may still bind the owner. I would not accept a $700 charge without asking the gas company for records confirming the basis of the liability and how the charge was calculated.

For future tenancies, the supplier, account details and ownership of any leased bottles should be clearly recorded in the tenancy agreement, with the bottles included in both the ingoing and outgoing inspections. If bottles are not provided, the tenant can choose their preferred supplier and pass the bottle hire cost on to the landlord.

In this case, I’d start with the exit inspection. Establish whether those bottles were there when the previous tenant handed back the keys. Once you know that, you’re in a much better position to determine where the liability should sit.

Quote to Ponder

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein 

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Disclaimer

Given the opinions expressed in parts of the email, it’s important that we make it clear that the contents are opinions and observations and made in good faith.  

Propertyscouts 2025 Limited, trading as Propertyscouts, and its associated parties (including directors, agents, employees, officers or otherwise) have attempted to provide   this information to the best of their ability but do not make any representations or warranties of any nature (intended or implied) as to the accuracy of the information on this communication. All recipients of this communication should conduct and rely on their own enquiries in relation to the information on this communication.

The information available on the properties listed for sale, rent or otherwise, has been obtained from the vendor or landlord of the property and the appropriate professional service providers. We do not and cannot verify or guarantee the accuracy of the information obtained in relation to the properties.

The information and/or materials available in this communication are intended to be general information only and may be changed at any time, without notice to you. The information and/or materials in this communication should not be relied on under any circumstances as a substitute for legal, financial, real estate, or other professional and/or expert advice. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Propertyscouts and its associated parties disclaim all liability, responsibility, and negligence for any direct or indirect loss or damage suffered by any person arising from the information and/or materials presented in this communication or any information and/or materials that arise from it.