The Tenancy Tribunal has published new guidelines on how AI tools can be used in tenancy disputes. The guidelines apply to landlords and tenants equally, and they do not ban AI. They set out what proper use looks like, and what can go wrong when AI-generated material is submitted without checking it. This guide explains what changed, why it matters if you own a rental property, and what to do if you receive a Tribunal claim that appears to have been prepared with AI assistance.
Quick Answers
Can landlords use AI for a Tenancy Tribunal case?
Yes. The Tribunal's guidance allows AI to help identify legal issues, organise documents and evidence, and understand Tribunal procedure. You remain responsible for checking that everything you submit is accurate.
Can a tenant use AI in a Tenancy Tribunal case?
Yes. The guidance applies equally to landlords and tenants. Neither party is prevented from using AI, and neither party is excused from checking what it produces.
Do you have to disclose using AI at the Tenancy Tribunal?
Only if asked. The guidance says that if the Tribunal asks whether you used AI to prepare your material, you must say so. If you are unsure whether your use of AI is proportionate, the guidance recommends telling the Tribunal anyway and explaining why you are unsure.
Can AI record or summarise a Tenancy Tribunal hearing?
No. The guidance is direct on this point. AI tools must not be used to record, transcribe, summarise or analyse a Tribunal hearing or a mediation discussion.
Can you rely on legal cases found by ChatGPT?
Not without checking them first. AI tools can invent cases that do not exist, misstate what a real case decided, or rely on overseas law that does not apply in New Zealand. Any legal reference should be checked against a reliable source before it goes anywhere near a Tribunal document.
Why has the Tenancy Tribunal issued AI guidance?
The Tribunal issued the guidance because AI use has become common enough in tenancy disputes to cause practical problems, particularly oversized submissions and inaccurate material. The guidance is not a response to AI use itself.
The guidelines were published on 7 August 2026 by the Principal Tenancy Adjudicator, under section 115 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986. They sit alongside the broader 2023 Guidelines for Use of Generative AI in Courts and Tribunals, which cover all New Zealand courts and tribunals rather than tenancy matters specifically.
The Tribunal also recognises that AI can improve access to justice. Used carefully, it may help people without legal representation understand procedures, organise information and communicate their case more clearly. The concern the guidance addresses is not AI use itself, but inaccurate, misleading or excessive material that makes disputes harder to resolve.
The Tribunal's own guidance describes AI contributing to unnecessarily large volumes of material, including repetitive arguments and the same information repeated in different formats, for example a chronology, a timeline and a set of submissions all covering the same ground. Media reporting has also highlighted unusually lengthy tenancy claims prepared with AI assistance, adding to concerns about excessive material and unrealistic expectations about potential outcomes.
According to the Crockers Property Management team, the overall number of Tribunal applications involving properties it manages has not noticeably increased. What has changed is the nature of some tenant-initiated claims. The team has seen some claims become considerably longer and more complex, sometimes accompanied by compensation figures well above what might ordinarily be expected for the underlying issue.
The guidelines do not create a penalty simply for using AI. They do warn, however, that inaccurate or excessive AI-generated material can have procedural consequences. In some circumstances, costs may be awarded where proceedings are considered frivolous or vexatious.
How much Tenancy Tribunal activity involves private landlords?
Tenancy Tribunal data shows that companies and individuals account for a substantial number of landlord respondents in tenant-initiated Tribunal applications. However, the categories used do not allow us to determine exactly how many of these involve private rental owners.
Data obtained under the Official Information Act, covering July 2024 to June 2026, shows 10,550 tenant-initiated applications by landlord respondent type:
Landlord respondent type | Applications | Approx. share |
Agent acting for the owner | 4,723 | 44.80% |
Company | 3,808 | 36.10% |
Property Management Company | 826 | 7.80% |
Individual(s) | 614 | 5.80% |
Trust | 327 | 3.10% |
Social housing provider | 252 | 2.40% |
Total | 10,550 | 100% |
The Tenancy Tribunal separately records Company and Property Management Company as respondent types. Across the period shown, a company was named as the respondent in 3,808 applications, compared with 826 applications naming a property management company. Individuals were named in 614 applications and trusts in 327.
The largest respondent category is agent acting for the owner, with 4,723 applications. Because the data does not identify the ownership type behind those agents, it is not possible to calculate an exact proportion of tenant applications involving private landlords from this table alone.
Separate data for the same period records 51,132 landlord-initiated applications, measured on the same basis and covering the same months. Property management companies account for 23,073 of these and agents acting for the owner a further 6,716, so landlords and those acting on their behalf together account for a substantial volume of Tribunal applications, roughly five times the number of tenant-initiated applications over the same period.
What can landlords use AI for?
AI may help landlords identify issues in a dispute, organise documents and evidence, understand relevant law and procedure, and prepare questions for mediation or a hearing. This is the same use the Tribunal describes as beneficial, particularly for people without a lawyer.
The condition attached to every one of these uses is the same: check the output yourself before relying on it. Asking an AI tool to check its own work is not sufficient. You need to verify facts, figures and legal references against a source you trust.
What should landlords not use AI for?
Do not rely on legal cases, legislation or legal principles produced by AI without checking them against a reliable source. AI tools can invent cases or misstate what a real case decided.
Do not use AI to rewrite a witness statement in a way that changes the witness's own words, experience or recollection. Witness statements should reflect the witness's own knowledge rather than an AI-generated version of events.
Do not enter sensitive information into an AI tool without first understanding how that information will be stored, retained or used. Tenancy agreements, financial details, photographs and personal correspondence can all raise privacy and confidentiality issues.
Do not use AI to record, transcribe, summarise or analyse a Tribunal hearing or mediation discussion. The guidance rules this out directly.
Do not submit large volumes of AI-generated material simply because the tool can produce it quickly. Repetitive arguments and unnecessary length can attract cost consequences and slow your own case down.
Do not submit AI output without checking it first. Responsibility for what you submit stays with you, not the tool.
What if a tenant sends you a large AI-assisted Tribunal claim?
Do not assume a claim is stronger simply because it is long or uses legal-sounding language. Deal with the actual allegations, the evidence behind them, and the remedy being sought.
A long submission is not automatically a strong one. In practice, a helpful approach is to work through the claim methodically:
Read the orders or remedies actually being sought, separately from the surrounding narrative.
List each factual allegation on its own, in plain language.
Build a simple chronology of what happened and when.
Match each allegation against your own tenancy records.
Gather the relevant inspection records, maintenance correspondence, the tenancy agreement, Healthy Homes documentation, rent records, photographs and communications.
Note any factual inaccuracies you can point to directly.
Keep your response focused on the allegations and evidence, rather than matching the length of the original claim.
Get professional or legal advice if the claim is complex or the amount at stake is significant.
Why good property management matters when AI is involved
Accurate records made during the tenancy can be far more useful than a polished argument created after a dispute arises. They help establish what happened, when it happened, what communication took place and what action was taken.
AI cannot replace inspection records, maintenance records, documented communication with a tenant, Healthy Homes compliance records, tenancy agreements, rent records, photographs, or a clear record of decisions made along the way. Crockers Property Management maintains these types of records as part of day-to-day rental management, giving landlords a clear evidence trail if a dispute later reaches the Tribunal.
The practical point for landlords is straightforward. Good records protect you whether the other side has used AI or not. Trying to out-produce an AI-assisted claim with a longer response of your own is rarely the answer. Clear, well-documented facts are.
Should landlords use ChatGPT to prepare their own Tribunal case?
AI tools such as ChatGPT can assist with some parts of Tribunal preparation, but they should not be your sole source of legal information. You remain responsible for checking the accuracy of anything you rely on or submit.
One point worth understanding before you start: AI tools tend to produce an answer that matches the way a question is framed. If you ask an AI tool to build the strongest possible case for your side, it will generally try to do exactly that, and the result can end up one-sided. A more useful approach is to also ask the tool questions such as what are the weaknesses in my position, or what arguments might the other party raise. Any response should still be checked against the facts, your tenancy records and reliable New Zealand sources.
Keep privacy in mind as well. Think before uploading a tenancy agreement, financial information or personal correspondence to any AI tool, and check what that tool does with the information you enter.
Key Takeaways
The Tenancy Tribunal's new AI guidelines, issued 7 August 2026, do not ban AI use. They set expectations for how it should be used.
You must disclose AI use if the Tribunal asks, and you remain responsible for everything you submit, whether AI helped prepare it or not.
AI must not be used to record, transcribe, summarise or analyse Tribunal hearings or mediation discussions.
A long or polished AI-assisted claim is not automatically a strong one. Focus on the allegations, the evidence and the remedy sought.
Accurate, contemporaneous property management records remain the most reliable protection for landlords, regardless of how a dispute is prepared.
Get Help With Your Rental Property
If you want support managing your rental property, maintaining clear tenancy records or dealing with the practical steps around a tenancy dispute, speak with the Crockers Property Management team.
Article written by Shanon Aitken, Crockers Property Management
This article was prepared by the Crockers Property Management team, drawing on their experience managing rental properties across Auckland.