A Queenstown landlord who operated four boarding houses illegally has been fined $81,050.

The Tenancy Tribunal ordered Conrad Joseph Lawrence Goodger, and his companies Rent Ezi Limited and Nice View Limited, to pay the fines on behalf of 117 affected tenants.

A statement from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) this morning said MBIE’s Tenancy Compliance and Investigations Team (TCIT) began looking into the matter after complaints from tenants and a fire at one of Mr Goodger’s properties.

The statement said Mr Goodger claimed the investigation was a ‘‘fishing expedition’’ aimed at putting him out of business, but the adjudicator had not agreed.

Mr Goodger operated eight boarding houses, four of them unlawfully, and was ordered to pay $53,600 for breaches of building, health, and safety requirements; $15,250 for unlawful tenancy agreement clauses; and $12,200 for failing to include mandatory information in tenancy agreements under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (the Act).

TCIT established that all the properties were overcrowded and operating as boarding houses, the statement said.

Many tenants were unsure of the number of occupants in their dwellings and several of the rooms were ‘‘notably cramped’’, it said.

Despite ongoing efforts to engage with Mr Goodger, including site visits, interviews and ultimately a formal warning, continued non-compliance led to TCIT filing proceedings with the Tenancy Tribunal in 2024.

The Tribunal’s order was made in July.

‘‘The Tribunal found that tenants were housed in partitioned rooms, garages, caravans, and even a bus, often without proper fire safety, ventilation, or sanitation,’’ the statement said. ‘‘Numerous tenancy agreements were missing required information, and some included unlawful clauses that undermined tenants’ rights.’’

TCIT National Manager Brett Wilson said the team worked with landlords where possible, but would not hesitate ‘‘to take action to ensure that tenants are living in warm, dry and safe properties’’.

‘‘Boarding house compliance is a priority for TCIT and the team has ongoing proactive monitoring and reactive work to address issues with rental properties, including boarding houses.  

‘‘TCIT also works closely with local councils and other regulators in areas where non-compliance with the Act may be occurring,’’ Mr Wilson said.

The adjudicator said Mr Goodger also downplayed his actions with respect to tenancy agreements and his defence that the issues were minor because he had never had any real tenant complaint was unsustainable.

A lack of complaints did not weaken a breach of the Act, the adjudicator said.

Mr Wilson said landlords were responsible for treating their tenants fairly and should be proactively managing their properties to ensure that tenancy agreements meet the required standards, and maintenance issues are dealt with promptly.

‘‘A landlord runs a business and is expected to do so lawfully, whether tenants are complaining or not,’’ he said.

Mr Goodger, Rent Ezi Limited and Nice View Limited have also been issued with a restraining order by the Tenancy Tribunal prohibiting further breaches of these obligations for a period of three years, the MBIE statement said.