A Northland landlord has been ordered to pay his tenants more than $18,000 after allegedly turning up to the property drunk late at night.
Marcus Zanetich was taken to the Tenancy Tribunal by his tenants Rhona and Richard Parangi for harassment, exemplary damages, power reimbursement and taking their belongings.
The Parangis occupied the property on Spains Rd in Awanui for six months, right next to where Zanetich lived.
The tribunal's decision noted how Zanetich would sometimes frequent the property multiple times per day without notice and on many of those occasions he was drunk.
Richard Parangi told the tribunal, one time Zanetich arrived drunk at the property around midnight and was loud, somewhat hostile and not compliant when asked to leave.
The decision also detailed how the Parangis' daughters were scared of Zanetich and they caught the landlord peering through the windows.
Zanetich didn't stop at just turning up to the property intoxicated and without notice, the tribunal decision stated.
Once Zanetich had ended the family's tenancy, the couple were allegedly confronted when trying to pack up their belongings.
According to the couple, on one occasion Zanetich told them they were not allowed back.
The landlord left for a small amount of time before the Parangis say they caught him carrying an air rifle.
The couple claim Zanetich also attempted to ram their vehicle with his own.
Zanetich flatly denied all the allegations.
The Parangis decided not to return to the property and left around $20,000 worth in possessions.
According to the decision, Zanetich told the tribunal the couple left the property prior to the end of the notice period and deserted their personal belongings.
The tribunal found the list of belongings the couple provided stating what could not be removed from the property to be highly detailed and eclectic and included possessions of a personal significance with no monetary value.
Tribunal adjudicator Nicholas Blake stated he found Zanetich's evidence to be less credible than the Parangis' and it was extremely unlikely the family would abandon items of such personal value.
Blake stated the landlord's actions were "outrageous and unacceptable".
"It is appropriate to make an award of exemplary damages for harassment," the order said.
