Upper Riccarton tenants win $2500 after repeated uninvited visits from landlord’s mother
A group of tenants in New Zealand was awarded $2500 after their landlord's mother repeatedly entered their home uninvited, including an incident where she walked into a bedroom while a tenant was undressed. The Tenancy Tribunal ruled that while the privacy breach was significant, the mother lacked malicious intent, leading to the dismissal of exemplary damages.
Why it matters
This case highlights the legal boundaries of landlord-tenant privacy rights and the challenges of managing property renovations when third parties are involved.
The property owner's mother entered one of the tenant's bedrooms as she was lying naked with her boyfriend. Photo / 123RF
A group of flatmates knew a garage renovation would be happening at the property they were renting when they moved in.
But what they didn’t know was that the property owner’s mother, Ying Sin, would repeatedly visit the home uninvited - in one instance, walking into the bedroom of a woman who was naked on the bed with her boyfriend.
Now the case has ended up in the Tenancy Tribunal , where the tenants claimed exemplary damages for breaches of quiet enjoyment.
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