Making an application
Applications to the Tenancy Tribunal can be made online on the Tenancy Services website or by completing a printed form. Forms can be picked up from or ordered from a Tenancy Services office or copies may be available from the nearest CAB or Community Law Centre. Specialist tenant advocacy services also generally keep a stock on hand.
The same application form is used to apply for FastTrack Resolution, mediation or a Tenancy Tribunal hearing.
There is an application fee of $28 (as of 1 July 2025). The person making the application pays the fee. If the tenant is on a benefit, Work and Income may be able to help with the cost.
As part of their application to the Tenancy Tribunal, the tenant can ask for the cost of the application to be awarded to them if their claim is successful. The Tenancy Tribunal can then order the other party to pay the tenant the application fee, but the tenant must have requested this in their application.
Apply to the Tenancy Tribunal online
Quick tip
The tenant can apply for the filing fee to be refunded if their application is successful. Don’t forget to include this in the application.
There are a number of sections to a Tenancy Tribunal application. Some tenants will need support to fill in the application and to make sure it is complete and accurate.
The application is the place to explain what the issue is, what has happened so far, and what the tenant would like the Tribunal to do to resolve things.
There is also a range of basic information that has to be provided, as follows.
- Name of person/people making the application.
- Address that applicant can be contacted (not necessarily address of current tenancy).
- Name of landlord / property manager
- make sure that the legal landlord is named. The property manager may just be a point of contact not the legal landlord
- if it is a company, include the company name exactly as it appears on the Companies Register.
- Contact details of landlord / property manager.
- Address of tenancy that the application is about.
- How many tenants and their names.
- make sure that the tenants' names are exactly the same as they appear on the tenancy agreement.
- Whether there is the need for an interpreter.
Most of the information can be collected directly from the tenancy agreement. A copy of the tenancy agreement should also be supplied with the application, or if there isn’t a written agreement this should be noted.
Tips on how to complete the application form to reduce delays can be found here.
Documentation will be shared
Be aware that any documents included with a Tenancy Tribunal application will be shared with the other party. The only exception to this is if the tenant needs to supply medical or other confidential information to support a request to delay the hearing.
The tenant can remove any information that is not relevant to the case from supporting documents. Before submitting, they should check that they have deleted any personal details that are not relevant to the case, such as addresses, date of birth, bank account numbers etc.
For how to handle confidential information that is relevant to the case, see the Submitting evidence section below.
Name suppression
If the tenant wants to have their details hidden from the public record, they will need to request that their details not be published at the time they make their application. If certain criteria are met, their name and identifying details will be suppressed.
Quick tip
It is a good idea to apply for name suppression as a matter of course as there are landlord and property management services that monitor Tenancy Tribunal decisions and may blacklist tenants just for going to the Tribunal.
Name suppression will not be granted automatically. It will normally only happen if the tenant has applied for name suppression and is “wholly or substantially successful” in the proceedings (s 95A(1) RTA). If these requirements are met, the Tribunal must grant suppression except in limited circumstances.
If the tenant’s claim is unsuccessful, the Tribunal may sometimes also decide to suppress their details under section s 95A(4) RTA after considering the interests of the parties and the public interest.
If a tenant is withdrawing from a tenancy following family violence then their details will be automatically suppressed, they do not need to apply for this (s 56B RTA).
Submitting evidence
The Tenancy Tribunal makes decisions on the ‘balance of probabilities’. This means it works out what is most likely to be true based on the evidence supplied and from listening to what both parties say.
To improve the chances of success, all of the tenant’s claims should be backed up by evidence. As much evidence as possible should be submitted.
Remember that any supporting documents submitted will be shared with the other party. If there is confidential information or personal details that are relevant to the case, these should be included. However, if the tenant does not want this information made public when the findings of the Tenancy Tribunal case are published, they can apply for a suppression order when making the application. The tenant must explain why the suppression is needed.
It is better to include all available evidence when making the application but, if necessary, further evidence can be submitted after the application.
The tenant cannot change any evidence that they have already submitted.
For more information about submitting evidence and the types of evidence that can be submitted see Evidence.
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