UPDATED 4.41pm: A Wellington landlord who has been attacked online has defended himself, saying one of the main complainants owes him money. 

A raft of complaints have been posted online against Wellington landlord Neil Patel.

Hundreds of people have reacted to a post on a student-based Facebook page about the landlord, who's accused of unexpected rent rises, using tenants' power and not correctly logging bonds. The post has since been taken down from the forum.

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Mr Patel said the person who initially made the Facebook post owes him $2000.

Past and present tenants allege he's raised their rent out of the blue, used tenants' power and failed to lodge their bond properly.

Former tenant Jacob Peyton said the landlord charged extra rent without telling him, and was using the flat's power.

"There was a garage that was part of the property but we weren't allowed to use it. He had plugged extension cords into that and was running them out to other properties on the street, so he could use his power tools."

Peyton said his flat won a tribunal hearing after Patel raised the rent out of nowhere.

"He decided that he wanted to raise it because another group of tenants were offering a higher amount."

Tenancy Practice Service director Scotney Williams said landlords cannot simply use tenants' power.

"However innocuous it might seem, it is theft of the tenant's power. Tenants should not put up with landlords using their power".

Williams said landlords can only increase rent by giving 60-days notice in writing.

"Tenants who have not been served with an appropriate notice should refuse to pay the increase and immediately apply to the Tribunal”.  

Student advocates are calling for changes to the Tenancy Tribunal, in the wake of the claims.

Victoria University Students Association President Jonathan Gee said the way the Tenancy Tribunal operates creates a real power imbalance.

"There's six to eight week waiting times to get to the Tenancy Tribunal. By the time a student tenant might raise the concerns with our advocacy service, it allows the landlord to go scot-free."

"We've had a number of cases of students coming to our advocacy service, not getting bonds back, bonds not being sent to Tenancy Services, issues like that."

Williams said landlords are obliged by the Residential Tenancies Act to pay bonds into the Bond Centre within 23 working days.

"Tenants should always look out for their Bond receipt from the Bond Centre so they can be assured their bond has been paid in by the landlord."