Monetary orders
Question from Mike updated on 3rd October 2018:
We have a tenant that stopped paying rent when the tenancy was terminated (which occurred when she was two weeks in arrears). She is now eight weeks behind with four weeks bond paid. Having been through the Tenancy Services website they refer to a Monetary Order but I can find no description of what exactly it is. Can you help please?
Our expert Steve Watson responded:
A Monetary Order is an order that allows the applicant permission to recover a debt owed (such as rent arrears and water charges) from the other party. If you have asked for an ‘order for payment of rent arrears’ as part of your Tenancy Tribunal application, then this will effectively become a Monetary Order if both parties agree to it at mediation, or if it is ordered by an Adjudicator at the Tenancy Tribunal.
This means you do not have to ask for it separately on your application. Information about enforcement of sealed Mediators Orders and Tenancy Tribunal Orders, which may include a monetary order component, is available on our website: https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Tenancy/Enforcing-a-sealed-mediators-order-or-a-Tenancy-Tribunal-order.pdf. For more on the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants, go to www.tenancy.govt.nz or subscribe to our e-newsletter Tenancy Matters here.
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