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108: Enforcement of work orders
or “ Rules for making sure work orders are followed and what happens if they're not ”
You could also call this:

“People can ask for money if someone breaks the tenancy rules on purpose”

If someone does something that breaks the rules of the Residential Tenancies Act, you can ask for money as a punishment. This is called an “unlawful act”. You, your landlord, or the government can ask for this money.

You have to ask for this money within 12 months after your tenancy ends or after the unlawful act happened. The government has 12 months from when they first found out about it.

The Tribunal (a special court) will decide if the person did the unlawful act on purpose. They’ll look at why the person did it, what happened because of it, how it affected you or your landlord, and what’s best for everyone. If they think it’s fair, they’ll make the person pay extra money as a punishment.

There’s a limit to how much money the Tribunal can make someone pay. This limit is different for different types of unlawful acts. You can find these limits in Schedule 1A.

The Tribunal can still punish someone for an unlawful act even if they’ve been charged with or found guilty of a crime for the same thing.

If you or your landlord get this extra money, it’s on top of any other money you might get to make up for what happened. If the government asked for the money, they keep it.

The Tribunal can make someone pay this extra money even if they’ve already been in trouble for the same act in a different court.

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Next up: 109A: Tribunal may restrain further commissions of unlawful acts

or “The court can stop someone from doing bad things again for up to 6 years if they break the rules.”
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Part 3 The Tenancy Tribunal
Enforcement and offences

109Unlawful acts

  1. Any of the following persons (A) may apply to the Tribunal for an order requiring any other person (B) to pay to A an amount in the nature of exemplary damages on the ground that B has committed an unlawful act:

  2. a landlord:
    1. a tenant:
      1. the chief executive acting as the person responsible for the general administration of this Act or in the place of a landlord or a tenant under section 124A.

        1. A landlord or a tenant may not apply under subsection (1) later than—

        2. 12 months after the termination of the tenancy in the case of—
          1. an unlawful act to which section 19(2) refers; or
            1. a failure to keep records in respect of bonds that is an unlawful act to which section 30(2) refers; or
            2. 12 months after the date of commission of the unlawful act in the case of any other unlawful act.

              1. The chief executive may not apply under subsection (1) (whether acting as the person responsible for the general administration of this Act or in the place of a landlord or a tenant) later than 12 months after the date on which the chief executive first became aware of the unlawful act.

              2. If, on an application under subsection (1) (other than one referred to in subsection (3A)), the Tribunal is satisfied that the person against whom the order is sought committed the unlawful act intentionally, and that, having regard to—

              3. the intent of that person in committing the unlawful act; and
                1. the effect of the unlawful act; and
                  1. the interests of the landlord or the tenant against whom the unlawful act was committed; and
                    1. the public interest,—
                        1. it would be just to require the person against whom the order is sought to pay a sum in the nature of exemplary damages, the Tribunal may make an order accordingly.

                      1. In the case of an application in respect of an unlawful act under section 54(3), the Tribunal may order the landlord to pay a sum in the nature of exemplary damages if the Tribunal is satisfied that it is just to do so having regard to the matters referred to in subsection (3)(b) to (d).

                      2. The maximum amount that a person may be ordered to pay under this section for any unlawful act referred to in any section shown in column 1 of Schedule 1A is the amount shown opposite that section in column 3 of that schedule.

                      3. The Tribunal may make an order against a person on the ground that the person committed an unlawful act even though the conduct that formed part of that act also formed part of an offence or an alleged offence against section 109A(4) in respect of which the person has been charged, convicted, or acquitted.

                      4. Any amount ordered by the Tribunal to be paid under this section on the application of a landlord or a tenant, or on the application of the chief executive acting in place of a landlord or a tenant, shall be paid to that landlord or that tenant, and shall be in addition to any sum payable to that landlord or that tenant by way of compensation in respect of the unlawful act.

                      5. Any amount ordered by the Tribunal to be paid under this section on the application of the chief executive acting as the person responsible for the general administration of this Act shall be paid to the Crown.

                      6. Repealed
                      Notes
                      • Section 109(1): replaced, on , by section 57(1) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 59).
                      • Section 109(2): replaced, on , by section 43(1) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 7).
                      • Section 109(2): amended, on , by section 57(2) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 59).
                      • Section 109(2A): inserted, on , by section 57(3) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 59).
                      • Section 109(3): amended, on , by section 57(4) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 59).
                      • Section 109(3): amended, on , by section 36(1) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2016 (2016 No 26).
                      • Section 109(3A): inserted, on , by section 36(2) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2016 (2016 No 26).
                      • Section 109(4): replaced, on , by section 71 of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 95).
                      • Section 109(4): amended, on , by section 57(5)(a) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 59).
                      • Section 109(4): amended, on , by section 57(5)(b) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 59).
                      • Section 109(4A): inserted, on , by section 71 of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 95).
                      • Section 109(5): amended, on , by section 57(6) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 59).
                      • Section 109(5): amended, on , by section 10(2) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 1992 (1992 No 79).
                      • Section 109(6): replaced, on , by section 10(3) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 1992 (1992 No 79).
                      • Section 109(7): inserted, on , by section 43(3) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 7).
                      • Section 109(7): repealed, on , by section 57(7) of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 59).