Auckland landlord tries and fails to raise rent by $400

A landlord who tried to raise his property's rent by $400 has been blocked from doing so by the Tenancy Tribunal.

Tenants Andrew Gair and Janine Milne had been paying $1225 per week for their four bedroom rental in Herne Bay.

Their landlord upped the rent to $1625 for the $3 million property but this decision has been shot down as it is above the market rate.

Despite it's multi-million dollar price tag Gair said the house was "tired" and said the median rent for the area sat around $1325 per week.

He referenced a similar property nearby listed at $1150 per week and showed the Tribunal an article from July 2019 which said Auckland rent increases had slowed.

He said the house was listed at $1400 per week in May 2019 but he and Milne negotiated lower rent with the landlord.

The Tribunal ruled the amount being asked of the tenants was unfair and reimbursed the pair wholly for their filing fees.

Their landlord has been banned from raising the rent for another six months, and any rent paid at a higher amount must be refunded to Gair and Milne.