A Wellington man has been pursued for two years over his flatmates' debts. That has prompted a law expert to warn renters to be vigilant when signing tenancy agreements.

A long-running tenancy dispute between a Lower Hutt man and his former landlord has prompted a warning to all renters that they are liable for their flatmates' debts.

Laurence Pridmore has been chased for almost two years for $740 in rent arrears by Wellington company Poppy Properties, and is now facing a warrant to seize property, after the tenants fell behind on rent repayments at their Aro Valley property in 2014.

Pridmore was one of four renters on the tenancy agreement, which stated all were jointly liable for rent payments, but only he is bearing the brunt for the shortfall.

ROBERT KITCHIN/ FAIRFAX NZ Chief censor Andrew Jack is a director of the property company pursuing Laurence Pridmore for rent arrears of $740.

He is being pursued for the outstanding amount by Poppy Properties co-director Andrew Jack, who is also New Zealand's chief censor.

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Pridmore cannot understand how Jack is able to go after him alone to recoup the money, and says he does not know where his former flatmates are now.

At least one of the other flatmates was behind on rent payments, while a replacement for an original tenant had also missed payments.

But Mark Bennett, senior lecturer at Victoria University's faculty of law, said Jack's actions were perfectly legal.

"It's definitely common practice for a landlord to make a claim against one tenant if they're the only one they can find.

"If all the tenants were contactable, you would make the claim against everybody."

He accepted many people might see that as unfair, but said it was useful to look at the law from the landlord's point of view.

"The landlord doesn't want the expense of having to enforce against different people. If you know where one person is, you go after them.

"From the landlord's perspective, they want their money."

However, he thought it would be fairer to renters if they understood a landlord could pursue any of the occupants, even if the tenancy agreement was a joint one.

"The landlords know. They put as many people on the agreement as possible.

"It can sometimes be better if one person agrees to take on that obligation [of making rent payments]. Then they would choose their flatmates very carefully because they know they're on the hook."

"HE WAS REALLY BLASE"

Pridmore said he moved out of the Devon St property in August 2014, about halfway through the tenancy agreement, after one of the original renters recruited a convicted criminal to replace her.

He attempted to contact Jack to vet the new flatmate, as well as the person he found to replace him, but said the landlord did not return his calls.

He believed Jack was negligent for not checking on the new tenants. "He never came down to facilitate a changeover of tenant. He was really blase about it."

Pridmore offered Jack a "settlement" of $100 when he became too fed up to deal with it, but did not hear back, he said.

The matter first went to the tenancy tribunal in November 2014. It then went to the Wellington District Court, and back to the tribunal.

Pridmore still hopes to take the matter further.

Jack said on Monday: "That's a matter that's been sorted through the courts. That's the appropriate forum to deal with it.

"It's in the hands of the bailiffs, they're doing their job. That's the end of the matter, as far as I'm concerned."