About Tenant Support Group
Built by a tenant. Driven by experience. Dedicated to helping tenants.
Tenant Support Group (TSG) is an independent, New Zealand-based tenant support community and advocacy service, founded and led by Bruce Gordon.
What began as a determination to help tenants understand their rights has grown into a nationwide community, a practical information resource and a personalised tenancy advocacy service.
At the heart of TSG is a simple belief: tenants deserve to be heard, treated fairly and given the knowledge and support they need to stand up for themselves.
We combine free community support with professional, individually tailored advocacy for tenants who need more substantial assistance.
Bruce Gordon — Founder & Principal Tenancy Advocate
I've been a tenant for much of my life. I've experienced the frustration of unresolved repairs, unhealthy homes, difficult property managers and the uncertainty that comes when you don't know where you stand.
Those experiences helped shape my commitment to supporting other tenants.
Over the years, I've spent countless hours studying tenancy legislation, examining Tribunal decisions, working through evidence, preparing documents and helping people navigate disputes with landlords and property managers.
But tenancy advocacy isn't simply about knowing the Residential Tenancies Act. It's about understanding people, recognising what matters, separating evidence from allegations and finding practical ways forward.
I've worked with tenants facing rent disputes, threatened evictions, maintenance failures, unlawful conduct, Tribunal proceedings and other difficult situations. Every case is different, and every tenant deserves to have their circumstances properly understood.
Today, I lead TSG's advocacy work personally, drawing on my experience, practical judgement and commitment to fair, realistic outcomes.
I am an independent tenancy advocate, not a practising lawyer. I believe in giving tenants straightforward advice, explaining the strengths and weaknesses of their position and being clear about what can realistically be achieved.
My approach is simple: listen carefully, establish the facts, understand the evidence, develop a practical plan and stand alongside the tenant as that plan is put into action.
— Bruce Gordon
Founder & Principal Tenancy Advocate
Our Tenant Support Community
The Tenant Support Group Facebook community remains a central part of who we are.
It gives tenants throughout Aotearoa a place to ask questions, share experiences, learn about their rights and support one another.
Our volunteer administrators play an important role in keeping that community welcoming, informed and respectful.
They bring their own experiences, knowledge and commitment to helping tenants. Their contributions strengthen the community and allow many people to receive helpful guidance without paying for individual advocacy.
Our administrators are valued members of TSG, but volunteer community administration and individual paid advocacy are different responsibilities.
Personalised TSG Tenant Advocacy
Some tenancy problems can be resolved with information and a little guidance. Others require careful evidence review, extensive correspondence, document preparation, dispute management or assistance with Tribunal proceedings.
For those situations, TSG offers personalised advocacy through an individual TSG Advocacy Plan.
Rather than asking tenants to select a standard package, we invite them to explain what is happening, what they want to achieve and what assistance they need.
We assess the circumstances, identify important issues and deadlines, consider the evidence and determine whether TSG can realistically help.
Where we can assist, we propose an Advocacy Plan explaining the agreed work, anticipated stages, limitations and cost.
The tenant decides whether to proceed. There is no obligation to purchase advocacy simply because someone has asked for help.
Our Mission
We exist to help New Zealand tenants:
- Understand their rights and responsibilities.
- Recognise when something may be unlawful or unfair.
- Organise evidence and prepare for tenancy disputes.
- Make informed decisions rather than act out of fear or frustration.
- Obtain practical advocacy when their circumstances require more substantial support.
- Approach landlords, property managers and the Tenancy Tribunal with greater confidence and preparation.
We believe good advocacy should be compassionate, evidence-based, realistic and accountable.
Meet Our Volunteer Administrators
Our administrators bring different strengths and lived experiences to the Tenant Support Group community.
Jessica — Group Administrator
I'm Jessica, and I joined the Tenants Support admin team because I genuinely love helping people and learning new things. I spend a lot of time
studying the Residential Tenancies Act and digging through the Tenancy Services website so I can give tenants clear, accurate information when they need it most.
I've been renting for around ten years, and like many tenants, my experiences have had their ups and downs — with most of the challenges coming from negligent property managers rather than landlords themselves. Those experiences are a big part of why I'm here. I want to make renting less stressful for others by sharing what I've learned and supporting tenants to stand up for their rights.
Amy — Group Administrator
My name is Amy, and I have been a renter for almost 20 years. Throughout this time, I have had a lot of negative and intimidating experiences with property managers and noticed a big power and knowledge imbalance.
I have applied to the Tenancy Tribunal multiple times and found there was often too little support available to tenants. I've studied the Residential Tenancies Act and kept up with changes so I can help people who need support.
My aim is to help tenants gain the knowledge and confidence to assert their rights and avoid being taken advantage of.
Anya Smith — Group Administrator
I am Anya, and I've been a tenant for more than 20 years. I've experienced firsthand how confusing and unfair the rental system can feel when tenants don't know their rights.
I've made mistakes, learned from them and gained a practical understanding of how tenancy law works in real life. I now use that experience to support tenants, help them stand their ground and hold landlords and property managers accountable.
Knowledge is power, and tenants deserve access to it.
Catherine — Group Administrator
I joined this group following a recommendation from another member. At the time, we shared a property manager whose conduct raised serious concerns.
Those experiences prompted me to learn more about tenants' rights and the Residential Tenancies Act. I've been involved ever since.
As an administrator, I aim to help tenants understand their rights, encourage them to stand up for themselves and help maintain a supportive, tenant-focused community.
Why We Built This Website
Facebook is valuable for community support, but important information can quickly disappear beneath new discussions.
TenantSupport.org.nz provides a more permanent home for our resources.
Here, tenants can find practical guidance, templates, information about tenancy processes and a direct pathway to request personalised advocacy.
The website and our community complement one another: one provides organised information, while the other provides connection and support.
Our Commitment
We will always strive to:
- Treat tenants with dignity, empathy and respect.
- Give practical, understandable and evidence-based guidance.
- Be candid about weaknesses, risks and uncertainties.
- Avoid promising outcomes we cannot control.
- Keep free community support available alongside paid advocacy.
- Explain the work and cost of paid assistance before engagement.
- Respect client privacy and confidentiality.
- Continue improving our knowledge, resources and services.
Our purpose is not to create conflict. It is to help tenants resolve problems fairly, protect their interests and make informed decisions.
Support Our Work
Tenant Support Group operates independently, without relying on government funding for its day-to-day advocacy work.
Our free community resources and volunteer-supported activities remain an important part of our mission.
Donations help support those resources and the continued development of TSG.
If you value the work we do, you can make a voluntary contribution through our Ko-fi page.
Donations are voluntary and separate from fees for an agreed Advocacy Plan.
Tenant Support Group — Independent. Tenant-focused. Practical.