Whether you're the landlord or tenant of a residential rental property, you'll find this article on the Tenancy Tribunal useful, should you ever find yourself in a dispute arising out of your Tenancy Agreement. That's because the Tenancy Tribunal is a court, part of the Ministry of Justice, which has been set up to deal with unresolved problems between landlords and tenants. The person who makes a decision on a case is called an adjudicator and his or her decision is binding on all parties. Parties normally represent themselves and it is unusual for parties to be represented by lawyers.

A tenancy adjudicator listens to what each person has to say, hears any witnesses and evidence that either side wants considered, and then makes a decision, guided by the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986. Under the Act, all tenancies entered into after 1 December 1996 must have a written agreement setting out the particular terms that have been agreed to. This agreement should be signed, with a copy being retained by each party. The Tribunal will seek to enforce the terms of the agreement and will seek guidance from the agreement when making a decision.