Tenantcheck Insights · Case study
Tenancy Tribunal case 5395825 — Tenancy dispute at Unit/Flat 1, 123 Church Street, West End, Palmerston North
Published 29 January 2026 · Application 5395825
At a glance
Key facts from the published tribunal order.
Outcome
Mixed / unclear
From published order
Location
Palmerston North
Tribunal region
Adjudicator
M Allan
Claims & awards
What this tenancy cost at tribunal — claim, category, amount, and party awarded, with reconciled net total.
No individual claim amounts were reconciled for this order. View the official Ministry of Justice PDF for full detail.
Order
- The tenant must not keep a pet at the premises without the consent of the landlord.
Reasons
- Only the landlord attended the hearing which has held by video conference.
- The tenant did not join the video conference and so the Tribunal placed two calls to the tenant on the number provided. The first call went to voicemail. The second call was answered by an associate of the tenant who said that he was having a medical procedure and could not come to the phone.
- I am satisfied that the tenant has been served with the landlord’s application in accordance with the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (RTA).
- Notices of hearing were sent out on 3 December 2025 advising of the date and time of the hearing. The tenant has not sought to have the hearing adjourned and rescheduled.
- In the circumstances the hearing proceeded in the tenant’s absence. The landlord’s claim
- This claim relates to a social housing tenancy that began on 8 April 2022. The tenant’s apartment is one of 12 apartments in one block. There are four blocks in the complex (48 apartments in total).
- The landlord seeks termination of the tenancy under section 56 of the RTA of as the tenant is in breach of the Tenancy Agreement by keeping pets.
- The landlord said that the tenant appears to be keeping pets at the apartment in breach of clause 10.3 of the Tenancy Agreement which provides:
- 3 Pets and Animals: Neither the Tenant nor any occupant is permitted to keep pets or other animals at the Premises or the Common Areas.
- The landlord said that the tenant has been keeping pets in the tenancy as follows: a. 30 October 2025 – landlord attended to deliver a letter and observed two large dogs in the unit, one white and one brown (breach notice sent on 31 October 2025); and b. 17 November 2025 – landlord attended to verify that dogs had been removed and to fix a broken window and found a full container of cat biscuits on the kitchen table and an adult grey tabby cat in the bedroom (breach notice sent on 19 November 2025).
- The landlord said that they have had difficulty engaging with the tenant to discuss. The landlord explained that the tenant’s apartment is small and is not suitable for pets. The landlord also had concerns about two large dogs being in the apartment as the tenant’s apartment is on the ground floor in the front block, and so all other residents have to walk past the tenant’s unit.
- The landlord explained that they do not seek termination of the tenant’s tenancy today but do need the tenant to engage with them to ensure that he is not in breach of his tenancy agreement.
- As discussed at the hearing the law in relation to pets has now changed. If the tenant wishes to apply to keep a pet at the property he must seek the consent of the landlord to do so. General information and forms for seeking consent are available on the Tenancy Services website.
- The tenant should be aware that if he continues to keep pets at the property, without the consent of the landlord, he is in breach of his tenancy agreement.
Topics & place
Topics are dispute themes across the order (not the same as claim-type money lines).
Residential Tenancies Act sections
s56
Property management
- HOME IN PLACE (NEW ZEALAND) LIMITED (applicant)
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this Tenancy Tribunal case.
What was the outcome of Tenancy Tribunal case 5395825?
The tribunal order states: The tenant must not keep a pet at the premises without the consent of the
How much money was awarded in case 5395825?
Verified claim lines are listed on this page.
What type of tenancy dispute was case 5395825?
The dispute type was not classified.
Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5395825?
The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13045172-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.