Good Girls Property Management, run by Prudence Morrall, has been ordered to pay $5,877 by the Tenancy Tribunal following widespread tenancy law breaches across 20 rental properties in Christchurch.
Tenancy Tribunal Penalizes Good Girls Property Management Over 20 Rentals
A Christchurch property management firm headed by a former television personality faced financial penalties after admitting to multiple violations of New Zealand housing legislation. The Tenancy Tribunal ordered Good Girls Property Management, operated by Prudence Morrall—who previously appeared on TVNZ’s Renters, a programme following property managers and tenants around New Zealand—to pay $5877 in exemplary damages and compensation for maintenance and repair breaches.
Prudence Morrall is the sole director of Good Girls Property Management Limited. An inquiry conducted by the Tenancy Compliance and Investigations Team of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment preceded the Tenancy Tribunal directive. The case involved tenancy arrangements across 20 separate rental properties managed by Good Girls Property Management. The company accepted that it breached the Residential Tenancies Act across 20 properties under its management.
The firm acknowledged that several rental contracts omitted mandatory details concerning insulation, insurance, and adherence to the Healthy Homes Standards. Rather than serving as mere paperwork, these disclosures are designed to guarantee that renters are fully informed about a home’s physical condition, relevant insurance provisions, and compliance with baseline health standards.
Maintenance Delays, Unlawful Increases, and Omitted Compliance Statements
The tribunal’s findings detailed a pattern of regulatory infractions spanning multiple properties. Inspectors identified that tenancy agreements lacked mandatory legal notices, alongside issues involving deferred maintenance, invalid contract terms, an illegal rent hike, and the wrongful cancellation of a room-by-room rental arrangement. Visual evidence from two separate rental sites revealed deteriorating weatherboards alongside a front entrance featuring a significant gap that let in cold air.
Alongside upkeep failures, the business incurred additional violations by imposing an illegal rent adjustment on a single tenancy, inserting invalid clauses into agreements across eight tenancies, and improperly ending a room-by-room rental agreement without legal justification. The tribunal also awarded compensation relating to maintenance work that was delayed.
The Landlord Defense Rejected by Regulators
While the tribunal accepted evidence the company raised maintenance and repair issues with property owners, who delayed or refused repairs because of the cost, adjudicators ruled that property managers cannot hide behind uncooperative clients. Adjudicating officials noted that agents might not always be shielded from liability for their clients’ actions or omissions when those behaviors lead to legal breaches or tenant harm. The adjudicator said property managers shouldn’t prioritise client relationships over statutory compliance.
Brett Wilson, who manages the tenancy compliance and investigations team for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, stated that Good Girls Property Management was legally required to keep its managed properties compliant with the Residential Tenancies Act and to resolve any violations promptly. This is an experienced property management company who should be aware of their obligations under the Act.
If a property owner refuses to address clear breaches of the Act, property managers should keep clear records and, if necessary, end the relationship with that client.
According to Wilson, the tribunal delivered a decisive ruling establishing that property management personnel cannot utilize landlord clients as a shield when laws are broken or renters experience harm.
Unlawful Termination of a Room-by-Room Tenancy
Among the most serious findings was the improper termination of a room-by-room tenancy. Wilson noted that despite lacking certainty regarding the proper legal status of the rental, the firm categorized it as a boarding house tenancy to utilize different rules for ending the agreement. The adjudicator said Ms Morrall ‘clearly had doubts’ about whether she was correct in taking the action she did and knew she should not terminate the tenancy.
This order reinforces that property managers have a clear professional obligation to act when they become aware of breaches. Turning a blind eye is not an option,
he said. Agents are obligated to respond swiftly and appropriately to illegal behavior to protect renters from bearing the adverse effects.