What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5163616 about?

The tribunal order states: [The tenant/s] must pay [The landlord/s] and [The landlord/s] $8,618.99

How much money was awarded in case 5163616?

Cleaning: $750.00 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $27.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $980.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $148.35 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $4,017.14 awarded to landlord; Second Bedroom Floor And Other Costs: $2,656.50 awarded to landlord; Wood Burner: $1,000.00 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5163616?

The primary dispute was Rent arrears. Related themes: Property damage, Cleanliness.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5163616?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/11603602-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5163616 about?

The tribunal order states: [The tenant/s] must pay [The landlord/s] and [The landlord/s] $8,618.99

How much money was awarded in case 5163616?

Cleaning: $750.00 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $27.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $980.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $148.35 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $4,017.14 awarded to landlord; Second Bedroom Floor And Other Costs: $2,656.50 awarded to landlord; Wood Burner: $1,000.00 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5163616?

The primary dispute was Rent arrears. Related themes: Property damage, Cleanliness.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5163616?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/11603602-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

51 Wallace Street, Featherston 5710 Tenancy Tribunal Case 5163616 — Rent arrears

Reasons

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5163616 — net $8,618.99 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Rent arrears to 22 February 2025	$4,017.14	Rent arrears to 22 February 2025
Window repairs	$980.00	Window repairs
Wood burner	$1,000.00	Wood burner
Second bedroom floor and other costs	$2,656.50	Second bedroom floor and other costs
Cleaning	$750.00	Cleaning
Lock/key replacement	$148.35	Lock/key replacement
Filing fee reimbursement	$27.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$8,618.99
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$8,618.99

The hearing was conducted by telephone. Only the landlords attended. Calls to the tenant at the time of the hearing went straight to voicemail.

The landlords’ application was originally for termination and rent arrears. The tenant vacated the premises on 22 February 2025 and the landlord now claims end of tenancy costs.

The landlords’ application was not formally amended but they filed invoices and quotations which have been sent to the tenant. I am satisfied that the tenant has received reasonable notice of the claims.

The tenancy ended on 22 February and the landlord provided rent records to prove the amount of rent arrears owing to that date. I have therefore awarded that amount. Other Claims Law

At the end of the tenancy the tenant must leave the premises reasonably clean and tidy, remove all rubbish, return all keys and security devices, and leave all chattels provided for their benefit.

The tenant must not carelessly or intentionally damage 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.

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).

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).

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.

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. Window Damage

Six windows were damaged during the tenancy and the landlords produced an estimate for repairing them in the sum of $980. I have therefore awarded that sum. Second Bedroom Floor and Other Claims

The landlords found after they took possession that the second bedroom had been used as a “grow room”. Plants had been grown in grow bags on the floor. The carpet in the room was damaged beyond repair and so was the wooden flooring. The landlords make no claim for replacing the carpet, but they claim the cost of replacing the wooded flooring. A quotation puts that at $1,280 which I award.

The same quotation includes other costs that the landlord will incur as follows – a. Repair damage to hot water cupboard doors - $350. b. Rubbish removal - $300. c. Moving tenant’s good to the garage - $160. d. Carpet removal - $200. e. Dispose of oven - $20 f. GST on the above - $346.50.

I am satisfied that the tenant is liable for all the costs in the quotation and so I have made an award in the sum of $2,656.50 for them. Wood burner

The wood burner in the living area was damaged beyond repair during the tenancy. It seems that the tenant was smelting metal on or in it. It was in good condition at the start of the tenancy seven years ago and cost $1,600 at that time. The landlords claim $1,000 which I regard as reasonable after depreciation and so I have awarded it. Insurance is not a consideration because it is obvious that the damage was caused intentionally. Cleaning

The premises were not left reasonably clean and tidy. The landlord produced an invoice for cleaning the premises in the sum of $750 which I regard as reasonable based on the landlords’ photographs and so I have awarded it. Locks

The tenant had changed the lock on the premises and not given the landlords a key. They therefore had to change the lock to gain entry. The cost was $148.35 and so I have awarded that. Filing Fee

The landlords have succeeded and so I have awarded them the filing fee. Note

There are other claims that the landlords could have made against the tenant in this case, but they have chosen not to make them after taking a realistic view of the tenant’s ability to pay.

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5163616 — net $8,618.99 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Rent arrears to 22 February 2025	$4,017.14	Rent arrears to 22 February 2025
Window repairs	$980.00	Window repairs
Wood burner	$1,000.00	Wood burner
Second bedroom floor and other costs	$2,656.50	Second bedroom floor and other costs
Cleaning	$750.00	Cleaning
Lock/key replacement	$148.35	Lock/key replacement
Filing fee reimbursement	$27.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$8,618.99
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$8,618.99

Order

[The tenant/s] must pay [The landlord/s] and [The landlord/s] $8,618.99 immediately, calculated as shown in the table below.
The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $960.00 (6186071-001) to [The landlord/s] and [The landlord/s] immediately.

Reasons

The hearing was conducted by telephone. Only the landlords attended. Calls to the tenant at the time of the hearing went straight to voicemail.
The landlords’ application was originally for termination and rent arrears. The tenant vacated the premises on 22 February 2025 and the landlord now claims end of tenancy costs.
The landlords’ application was not formally amended but they filed invoices and quotations which have been sent to the tenant. I am satisfied that the tenant has received reasonable notice of the claims.
The tenancy ended on 22 February and the landlord provided rent records to prove the amount of rent arrears owing to that date. I have therefore awarded that amount. Other Claims Law
At the end of the tenancy the tenant must leave the premises reasonably clean and tidy, remove all rubbish, return all keys and security devices, and leave all chattels provided for their benefit.
The tenant must not carelessly or intentionally damage 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.
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).
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).
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.
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. Window Damage
Six windows were damaged during the tenancy and the landlords produced an estimate for repairing them in the sum of $980. I have therefore awarded that sum. Second Bedroom Floor and Other Claims
The landlords found after they took possession that the second bedroom had been used as a “grow room”. Plants had been grown in grow bags on the floor. The carpet in the room was damaged beyond repair and so was the wooden flooring. The landlords make no claim for replacing the carpet, but they claim the cost of replacing the wooded flooring. A quotation puts that at $1,280 which I award.
The same quotation includes other costs that the landlord will incur as follows – a. Repair damage to hot water cupboard doors - $350. b. Rubbish removal - $300. c. Moving tenant’s good to the garage - $160. d. Carpet removal - $200. e. Dispose of oven - $20 f. GST on the above - $346.50.
I am satisfied that the tenant is liable for all the costs in the quotation and so I have made an award in the sum of $2,656.50 for them. Wood burner
The wood burner in the living area was damaged beyond repair during the tenancy. It seems that the tenant was smelting metal on or in it. It was in good condition at the start of the tenancy seven years ago and cost $1,600 at that time. The landlords claim $1,000 which I regard as reasonable after depreciation and so I have awarded it. Insurance is not a consideration because it is obvious that the damage was caused intentionally. Cleaning
The premises were not left reasonably clean and tidy. The landlord produced an invoice for cleaning the premises in the sum of $750 which I regard as reasonable based on the landlords’ photographs and so I have awarded it. Locks
The tenant had changed the lock on the premises and not given the landlords a key. They therefore had to change the lock to gain entry. The cost was $148.35 and so I have awarded that. Filing Fee
The landlords have succeeded and so I have awarded them the filing fee. Note
There are other claims that the landlords could have made against the tenant in this case, but they have chosen not to make them after taking a realistic view of the tenant’s ability to pay.

Tenancy Tribunal case 5163616 — Rent arrears at 51 Wallace Street, Featherston 5710

At a glance

Tenancy Tribunal case 5163616 — Rent arrears at 51 Wallace Street, Featherston 5710

At a glance

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Frequently asked questions

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Frequently asked questions