A landlord made a "direct threat" to her tenants, saying she would sue them after they gave her a trespass notice.

In 2018, a group of tenants were renting a property on Palliser Rd in Wellington suburb Roseneath. The landlords of the home are Tanya Lieven and Graeme Grieve.

In a recently released Tenancy Tribunal decision, the tenants claimed Lieven did not give proper notice of viewing times and dates after she told them she planned to sell the house.

This was not the first time some of the tenants and Lieven had appeared at the Tenancy Tribunal. Previously, there had been a dispute about the use of a garage.

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On July 26 last year, Lieven emailed the tenants to tell them she was selling the house and had been appointed as the real estate agent.

Lieven advised the renters she would be showing the house on Monday to Friday between 10am to 5pm, except on public holidays.

However, she did not provide specific times and dates for viewings.

A tenant replied to her email, seeking clarification over specific notice being given before any viewing.

GOOGLE MAPS/SUPPLIED In 2018, a group of tenants were renting a property on Palliser Rd in Wellington's Roseneath (file photo).

But on July 27, she said notice had been given by her initial email and potential buyers would be coming to look at the house on July 28.

Lieven told the tenant an international delegation would attend but did not say when, causing the tenant to repeat his concerns.

Lieven was "not prepared to be more specific" and on July 30, the tenant sent an email refusing access and issued a trespass notice.

Adjudicator Janet Robertshawe said "a general notice covering an extended period cannot be given to require tenants to accept unscheduled attendances during that period".

"In this case ... the tenants were acting reasonably to seek some basic conditions ... such as 24-hours' notice of an actual viewing."

After the trespass notice, Lieven told the renters: "Then I'll sue you for each and every loss. The purchase price is $8m [sic]."

Robertshawe said the email crossed the line and intended to trouble or worry the tenants.

It was "a direct threat to make them change their minds and accept a breach of their rights".

"Ms Lieven then failed to retract either her inadequate notice for viewings or her threat to sue for the value of the properties, leaving the tenants wondering what would happen next."

In other emails, Lieven would not approve of new people replacing the tenants on the agreement due to the court proceedings.

"You have current proceedings lodged in the courts. ALL existing tenants are part of such proceedings. All squatters may also become embroiled in your escapades," she wrote.

Robertshawe said "the language used to label the new flatmates as 'squatters' could only be seen as an attempt to unsettle the tenants about their tenure and reveals an agenda to use the refusal of assignment as leverage".

"Ms Lieven is a real estate agent and experienced landlord and ought to have had a better understanding of the tenants' rights, and how to act professionally when differences arise ... Ms Lieven's behaviour has caused significant ongoing upset and distress to the tenants."

The landlords were ordered to pay $1520.44 in compensation, exemplary damages and a filing fee.