Tenantcheck Insights · Case study
Tenancy Tribunal case 5299119 — Property damage
Decided 29 Oct 2025 · Published 29 Oct 2025 · Application 5299119
- Property damage
- Mould & damp
- Cleanliness
Party names are redacted in the official published order. This page summarises the dispute only — not individual identities.
At a glance
Key facts from the published tribunal order.
Location
New Zealand
Tribunal region
Adjudicator
N Maplesden
Dispute themes
Award balance
Gross awards, any bond applied per the order, and the remaining balance payable.
- Gross award
- $2,406.23
- Total balance for Tenant to pay Landlord
- $2,406.23
Claims & awards
What this tenancy cost at tribunal — claim, category, amount, and party awarded, with reconciled net total.
| Claim | Landlord | Tenant | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawns and Garden work | $235.00 | Lawns and Garden work | |
| Light bulbs | $218.48 | Light bulbs | |
| Mould treatment and painting windowsills 33.3 | $603.75 | Mould treatment and painting windowsills 33.3 | |
| Cleaning: few missed areas | $199.00 | claim for $1,122.00 to make new linings for the living room and one bedroom. f. | |
| Repairs: replace curtain linings | $1,122.00 | Repairs: replace curtain linings | |
| Filing fee reimbursement | $28.00 | Filing fee reimbursement | |
| Net award | $2,406.23 | ||
| Bond | $3,180.00 | ||
| Total payable by Tenant to Landlord | $2,406.23 |
Claims and awards for application 5299119 — net $2,406.23 NZD. Verify on MoJ.
Lawns and Garden work
- Amount
- $235.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Lawns and Garden work
Light bulbs
- Amount
- $218.48
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Light bulbs
Mould treatment and painting windowsills 33.3
- Amount
- $603.75
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Mould treatment and painting windowsills 33.3
Cleaning: few missed areas
- Amount
- $199.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- claim for $1,122.00 to make new linings for the living room and one bedroom. f.
Repairs: replace curtain linings
- Amount
- $1,122.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Repairs: replace curtain linings
Claim types — money lines allowed on this order
Order
- An application for suppression has been made in this case, and the Tribunal orders suppression of the Landlord and Tenant names and identifying details.
- [The tenant/s] to pay [The landlord/s] $2,406.23 from the bond, calculated as shown in table below.
- The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $3,180.00 ([Bond number suppressed]) immediately apportioned as follows: [The landlord/s]: $2,406.23 [The tenant/s]: $773.77
Reasons
- The landlord (VW) and a representative from the agent company attended the hearing held by video conference. I telephoned the tenants however could only reach voicemail. I continued the hearing as all tenants have been emailed and texted details of the claims and notice of the hearing date and time
- The landlord has applied for compensation for costs following the end of the tenancy.
- The tenancy started on 6 May 2022 and ended on 21 February 2025. Rent was always paid up to date.
- I address the claims below:- a. The tenants agreed to pay the cost for a contractor to mow the lawns and maintain the gardens during the tenancy. The landlord’s ledger shows there is an amount left to pay of $235.00 (two missed invoices late in 2023 and the final two mows of the tenancy). b. The landlord claims the cost to replace several lightbulbs from throughout the house including an ‘Oyster LED 18w” ($72.80+gst), 11 LED light bulbs and 3 heat lamp bulbs. The total invoiced cost is $520.68 including the labour of two electrical tradespeople. Light bulbs are not necessarily a tenant cost. This depends usually on the length of the tenancy and the type of bulb. It is reasonable for tenants to replace standard light bulbs that have an expected lifespan similar to the duration of the tenancy (because the bulb has been ‘used up’ during their tenancy). The details provided in evidence show a wide variety of lighting at this property. An internet search reveals that an ‘Oyster LED bulb’ reportedly lasts 30,000 to 50,000 hours which is 10 to 17 years (at 8 hours per day). LED bulbs should last at least 15,000 hours (8 years at 5 hours per day) and heat lamps about 5000 hours (4.5 years at 3 hours per day). My assessment is that it is not reasonable to require these tenants to pay for the Oyster LED bulb as this should last for several tenancies. I award a contribution of 50% of all other bulbs and the labour. It is fair that the landlord pays half of these costs as part of standard maintenance costs. I award $218.48 ($520.68 - $83.72 (oyster bulb) = $436.96 x 50%). c. Cleaning: the final inspection photos satisfy me that the premises were left reasonably clean and tidy. The owner supplied close-up photos, and I accept these show a few minor missed areas (inside of some kitchen drawers, one shower, two bits of gum on the deck). I accept the landlord’s oral evidence that the top of the rangehood needed extra cleaning. I award the cost for washing the curtains and cleaning the top of the rangehood, ($187). I award one-third of the cost of cleaning the rest of the house to cover the few missed areas ($120). In my assessment, the cost to clean and polish the windows and the rest of the cleaning relates to preparing the house for the next tenants and so is at the landlord’s cost. 1 Total award is $199.00. d. The landlord claims costs for mould treatment and repainting of windowsills he says were damaged during this tenancy. The total invoice is $1,811.25 and does not specify how many windowsills and walls were painted. For a tenant to be liable, the landlord must show any damage is more than wear and tear from normal use. 2 Photos in the exit inspection report do not show or mention a concern. Close-up photographs from the owner satisfy me that some windowsills were damaged by mould beyond what could be expected, and repainting of those was reasonable. 3 However, most of the close-up photos show mould in the corners that could have been cleaned. I award one-third of the total invoice as my best assessment of a fair division of cost. This equates to the tenants paying the cost to clean the mould and a contribution towards the cost of repainting the few mould- damaged sills. The cost to repaint other windowsills is part of the landlord’s upkeep of the property. The award is $603.75. e. Photographs prove that the linings on the living room curtains were damaged. The linings appear to have torn where wet surfaces have touched (perhaps after being washed by the tenants). The curtains in one bedroom were also affected by mould. Evidence from a contractor supports a claim for $1,122.00 to make new linings for the living room and one bedroom. f. I award the filing fee.
- I suppress the landlords’ name as the claims have been partly successful. I also suppress the tenants’ names as the proven claims do not show significant cause for concern and publication may affect their future tenancy prospects.
Topics & place
Topics are dispute themes across the order (not the same as claim-type money lines).
Residential Tenancies Act sections
s10, s30, s33, s49B
Key findings
- Dispute theme: property damage
- Dispute theme: mould
- Dispute theme: cleaning
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this Tenancy Tribunal case.
What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5299119 about?
The tribunal order states: An application for suppression has been made in this case, and the Tribunal
How much money was awarded in case 5299119?
Cleaning: $199.00 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Lawns and Garden Work: $235.00 awarded to landlord; Lightbulbs: $218.48 awarded to landlord; Mould Treatment And Painting Windows…: $603.75 awarded to landlord; Replace Curtain Linings: $1,122.00 awarded to landlord
What type of tenancy dispute was case 5299119?
The primary dispute was Property damage. Related themes: Mould & damp, Cleanliness.
Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5299119?
The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12589750-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.
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