How to handle neighbour complaints about your rental property

Neighbour complaints are a landlord issue

When neighbours have problems with your rental property, you're often the first person they contact — even when the issue is caused by the tenant. And while it can feel unfair to be held responsible for someone else's behaviour, the reality is that landlords in New Zealand do have obligations when it comes to how their property affects the neighbourhood.

Handling complaints well protects your relationship with neighbours, keeps your tenant accountable, and can prevent small issues from escalating into formal disputes or council involvement.

Common types of complaints

Noise

Noise is by far the most common neighbourly complaint. Loud music, parties, barking dogs, arguments, and early-morning or late-night activity can all trigger complaints.

Under the Resource Management Act 1991, every person is entitled to a reasonable level of peace and quiet. Local council bylaws typically set specific noise limits, especially during nighttime hours (usually 10pm to 7am).

Your role as landlord:

• You are not responsible for policing your tenant's day-to-day noise levels
• However, if a tenant is consistently causing excessive noise, this may constitute a breach of their obligations under section 48(1)(c) of the Residential Tenancies Act — which requires tenants not to cause or permit interference with the neighbours' reasonable peace, comfort, or privacy
• Persistent noise issues give you grounds to issue a 14-day notice to remedy the breach

Parking

Parking disputes are especially common in denser suburbs and around apartment blocks. Issues include tenants parking across driveways, on berms, in neighbours' spaces, or storing unregistered vehicles on the street.

Key points:

• Street parking is generally managed by the local council, not the landlord
• If the tenancy agreement specifies parking arrangements (e.g., "two off-street parks provided"), the tenant is expected to comply
• Unregistered or abandoned vehicles on the street can be reported to the council
• If the property doesn't have adequate parking for the number of occupants, this may be something to address in your advertising and tenant selection

Property condition

Neighbours may complain about overgrown lawns, overflowing rubbish, dumped furniture, or general untidiness visible from the street.

Your obligations:

• The tenancy agreement typically assigns garden maintenance to the tenant (or landlord, if specified)
• Under section 48, the tenant is responsible for keeping the property reasonably clean and tidy
• Council bylaws in most areas require properties to be maintained to a minimum standard, and the council can issue notices to the property owner
• If a tenant's neglect of the property is affecting neighbours, you have grounds to raise it as a breach

Antisocial behaviour

In more serious cases, neighbours may report harassment, threatening behaviour, illegal activity, or repeated disturbances. These situations require a more urgent response.

Your legal obligations as a landlord

Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, landlords have certain obligations that are relevant to neighbour complaints:

1. Section 45(1)(d) — the landlord must not cause or permit interference with the reasonable peace, comfort, or privacy of neighbours. This means if you're aware of a problem and do nothing, you may be held partially responsible.
2. Section 48(1)(c) — the tenant must not cause or permit such interference. If they breach this, you have grounds for action.
3. Body corporate rules — if the property is a unit title, the body corporate rules may impose additional obligations around noise, parking, rubbish, and common area use. As the owner, you're responsible for ensuring your tenant complies.

The key principle is that awareness creates obligation. Once you know about a legitimate complaint, you're expected to take reasonable steps to address it.

How to respond to a complaint

Step 1 — Listen and acknowledge

When a neighbour contacts you, listen carefully and take their complaint seriously. Thank them for letting you know and ask for specific details:

• What exactly is happening?
• When does it occur (time of day, frequency)?
• How long has it been going on?
• Have they spoken to the tenant directly?

Even if you think the complaint is minor, acknowledging it builds goodwill and prevents escalation.

Step 2 — Assess the situation

Before contacting your tenant, consider:

• Is this a one-off or a pattern?
• Is it a legitimate breach of the tenancy agreement or the RTA?
• Does the neighbour have unreasonable expectations (e.g., complaining about children playing during the day)?
• Is this something you need to act on, or is it best handled between the neighbour and tenant directly?

Step 3 — Talk to your tenant

Contact your tenant to discuss the complaint. Be factual and non-confrontational:

• Explain that you've received a complaint
• Describe the specific issue without naming the complainant (unless they're happy to be identified)
• Ask for the tenant's perspective
• Remind them of their obligations under the tenancy agreement and the RTA
• Agree on steps to resolve the issue

Most tenants will respond positively to a calm, respectful conversation. They may not even be aware their behaviour is causing a problem.

Step 4 — Follow up in writing

After the conversation, send a brief email or letter summarising what was discussed and any agreed actions. This creates a written record in case the issue continues.

Step 5 — Escalate if necessary

If the problem persists after your initial conversation, you may need to take formal steps:

1. Issue a 14-day notice to remedy — if the behaviour constitutes a breach of the tenancy agreement, you can issue a formal notice requiring the tenant to stop the behaviour within 14 days.
2. Apply to the Tenancy Tribunal — if the tenant doesn't comply with the notice, you can apply to the Tribunal for orders. The Tribunal can issue work orders, require the tenant to stop the behaviour, or in serious cases, terminate the tenancy.
3. Contact the council — for issues like noise, rubbish, or property condition, the council has its own enforcement powers. This can be useful if the tenant is unresponsive to your requests.

When the council gets involved

Local councils in New Zealand have the power to issue abatement notices for excessive noise under the Resource Management Act, and infringement notices for breaches of local bylaws (such as rubbish or property condition standards).

If a noise control officer visits the property and confirms the noise is excessive, they can issue a direction to reduce noise, seize noise-making equipment, and issue fines.

Important: Council notices and fines are typically directed at the occupier (the tenant), not the landlord. However, if the issue relates to property condition (e.g., a broken fence, overgrown vegetation, or building disrepair), the notice may be directed at the owner.

Preventing problems

The best way to handle neighbour complaints is to reduce the chance of them happening in the first place.

• Set clear expectations in the tenancy agreement. Specify rules about noise, parking, garden maintenance, rubbish, and pets.
• Introduce your tenant to the neighbours. A brief introduction at the start of the tenancy can establish a positive relationship.
• Conduct regular inspections. Quarterly inspections help you spot issues (like deteriorating property condition) before neighbours complain.
• Respond promptly to complaints. The faster you act, the less likely the situation is to escalate.
• Choose tenants carefully. Thorough reference checks — including contacting previous landlords and neighbours — can help identify potential issues before they start.

Keeping track of it all

Neighbour complaints, tenant communications, inspection notes, and formal notices all need to be documented and easy to find. Tools like keel can help you centralise these records so you have a clear history if a dispute ever reaches the Tribunal.

The bottom line is straightforward: take complaints seriously, communicate clearly, and act promptly. Most issues can be resolved with a simple conversation — but only if you have it early enough.