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Chris The Lawyer, Expert
Hi
I am a New Zealand lawyer based in Wellington and will help you with your question today. Please give me a minute to read the question
Chris The Lawyer, Expert
If you have not paid a bond, and there is no tenancy agreement, and the contract for payment of this money which is owed to you, is clear and agreed, then you can stop paying rent until the debt has been cleared. Your landlord could possibly be trouble for not having either a bond or a written tenancy agreement, so they are not in a strong position
Chris The Lawyer, Expert
If you wanted to buy the house, you would need to have an agreement in writing. A contract such as an option to buy a house must be in writing to be enforceable. But if they owe you that much money, you might need to bring a claim in the Disputes Tribunal for the balance of the money after you stop paying rent.
Chris The Lawyer, Expert
If they try to evict you before the 42 day notice has come to an end, they would need to make an application in the Tenancy Tribunal, and then need to explain to the tribunal why they don't have either a bond or a written tenancy agreement, and face the real possibility of a fine and penalty
Chris The Lawyer, Expert
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