How much money was awarded in case 5134349?

Cleaning: $110.00 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $150.00 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $27.00 awarded to landlord; Pest Control: $230.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $150.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $500.00 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5134349?

The primary dispute was Property damage. Related themes: Cleanliness.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5134349?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12137260-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

How much money was awarded in case 5134349?

Cleaning: $110.00 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $150.00 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $27.00 awarded to landlord; Pest Control: $230.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $150.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $500.00 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5134349?

The primary dispute was Property damage. Related themes: Cleanliness.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5134349?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12137260-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

New Zealand Tenancy Tribunal Case 5134349 — Property damage

Q: What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5134349 about?

The tribunal order states: An application for suppression has been made in this case, and the Tribunal

Tenantcheck Insights

Order

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5134349 — net $1,167.00 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Cleaning	$150.00	Cleaning
Carpet Cleaning	$110.00	Carpet Cleaning
Pest control	$230.00	Pest control
Repairs: Carpet insurance excess	$500.00	___ 51343494 caused carelessly during her tenancy. The tenant is ordered to pay $500.00 in compensation to the landlord.
Window repairs	$150.00	Window repairs
Filing fee reimbursement	$27.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$1,167.00
Bond	$1,857.00
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$1,167.00

An application for suppression has been made in this case, and the Tribunal orders suppression of the Landlord’s name and identifying details.

Matamoana Tupou to pay [The landlord/s] $1,167.00 from the bond, calculated as shown in table below.

The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $1,857.00 ([Bond number suppressed]) immediately apportioned as follows: [The landlord/s]: $1,167.00 Matamoana Tupou: $690.00

Reasons

Both parties attended the remote hearings on 9 June 2025 and 18 July 2025.

The landlord has applied for compensation, refund of the bond, and reimbursement of the filing fee following the end of the tenancy.

The balance of the bond remaining following a mediators order is $1,857.00.

The tenancy commenced on 24 July 2022 and ended on 15 November 2024.

Did the tenant comply with their obligations at the end of the tenancy?

At the end of the tenancy the tenant must leave the premises reasonably clean and tidy, remove all rubbish. See section 40(1)(e)(ii)-(v) Residential Tenancies Act 1986.

The landlord seeks compensation for cleaning, carpet cleaning, lawns and gardens and rubbish removal.

Lawns and gardens - the landlord provided photos of the lawns and gardens taken four days after the end of the tenancy on 19 November 2025. The tenant said in evidence that the lawns had been mown in the days leading up to their ending the tenancy. November is a late spring month, where lawns are prone to grow very quickly. In the circumstances, I consider that the lawns have been left reasonably clean and tidy by the tenants. The application is dismissed.

The landlord seeks compensation for general interior cleaning of $250.00. An invoice and photos were provided. The tenant said that she had been pregnant at the time of the end of the tenancy. Her siblings had come to the house to assist with cleaning. She said that her siblings had spent many hours cleaning. I have reviewed the photos provided in evidence. I consider that some cleaning would have been required to bring the premises to a reasonably clean and tidy state. The tenant is ordered to pay $150.00 in compensation to the landlord.

The landlord seeks compensation of $110.00 for carpet cleaning. The tenant does not dispute this and the tenant is ordered to pay $110.00 in compensation.

The landlord seeks $180.00 for rubbish removal. The landlord has provided photos and an invoice. The tenant says that the rubbish remaining at the premises did not belong to the tenant and that it had been there since the commencement of the tenancy. No photos were provided of the premises at the commencement of the tenancy by the landlord, nor was a pre tenancy property report provided. The burden of proving the claim is on the landlord. I am not persuaded that the landlord has proven that it is more likely than not that the remaining rubbish was the tenant’s rubbish. The application is dismissed.

The landlord seeks compensation of $230.00 for pest control. Photos provided show cockroaches in the kitchen. The tenant said that cockroaches were present when they moved into the premises, but they appreciated having somewhere to live and didn't wish to complain. The tenant said that she purchased spray to kill the cockroaches and most of them had been killed. It is clear from the photographic evidence that cockroaches remained at the premises. The tenant is ordered to pay compensation of $230.00 to the landlord.

The amounts ordered are proven.

Is the tenant responsible for the damage to the premises?

A landlord must prove that damage to the premises occurred during the tenancy and is more than fair wear and tear. If this is established, to avoid liability, the tenant must prove they did not carelessly or intentionally cause or permit the damage. Tenants are liable for the actions of people at the premises with their permission. See sections 40(2)(a), 41 and 49B RTA.

Where the damage is careless, and occurs after 27 August 2019, section 49B RTA applies. If the landlord becomes aware of the damage after 27 August, the damage is presumed to have occurred after that date unless the tenant proves otherwise.

Where the damage is caused carelessly, and is covered by the landlord's insurance, the tenant's liability is limited to the lesser of the insurance excess or four weeks' rent (or four weeks' market rent in the case of a tenant paying income-related rent). See section 49B(3)(a) RTA. The landlord is insured. The landlord’s policy of insurance carries an excess of $500.00 on each and every claim.

Where the damage is careless and is not covered by the landlord's insurance, the tenant's liability is limited to four weeks' rent (or market rent). See section 49B(3)(b) RTA. Where insurance money is irrecoverable because of the tenant's conduct, the property is treated as if it is not insured against the damage. See section 49B(3A)(a) RTA.

Tenants are liable for the cost of repairing damage that is intentional or which results from any activity at the premises that is an imprisonable offence. This applies to anything the tenant does and anything done by a person they are responsible for. See section 49B(1) RTA.

Damage is intentional where a person intends to cause damage and takes the necessary steps to achieve that purpose. Damage is also intentional where a person does something, or allows a situation to continue, knowing that damage is a certainty. See Guo v Korck [2019] NZHC 1541.

The lounge carpet was damaged during the tenancy. The landlord provided a photo of the mark which has been caused by an iron. The landlord seeks $1,030.00 for carpet replacement. The tenant accepted that the damage was caused carelessly during her tenancy. The tenant is ordered to pay $500.00 in compensation to the landlord. That sum being the insurance excess.

Window stays and an interior window latch were damaged during the tenancy. Photos and an invoice for repairs of $150.00 were provided, The tenant did not recall the damage occurring. The damage is more than fear wear and tear and the tenant has not disproved liability for the damage. The tenant is ordered to pay $150.00 to the landlord in compensation.

As [The applicant/s] has substantially succeeded with the claim I have ordered the tenant to reimburse the filing fee.

Both parties applied for name suppression. The landlord has been substantially successful in this hearing and suppression of the landlord’s name and details is ordered. The tenant has not been wholly or substantially successful in this hearing. The tenant’s application for name suppression is dismissed.

Order

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5134349 — net $1,167.00 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Cleaning	$150.00	Cleaning
Carpet Cleaning	$110.00	Carpet Cleaning
Pest control	$230.00	Pest control
Repairs: Carpet insurance excess	$500.00	___ 51343494 caused carelessly during her tenancy. The tenant is ordered to pay $500.00 in compensation to the landlord.
Window repairs	$150.00	Window repairs
Filing fee reimbursement	$27.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$1,167.00
Bond	$1,857.00
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$1,167.00