What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5301220 about?

The tribunal order states: [The tenant/s] tenant/s] must pay Dargaville Realty Limited t/[The tenant/s] landlord/s] $4,015.90 immediately, calculated as shown

How much money was awarded in case 5301220?

Cleaning: $483.00 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $480.00 awarded to landlord; Smoke Alarms: $1,000.00 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Lawns and Garden Work: $80.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $218.98 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $480.00 awarded to landlord; Replace Heat Pump Remote: $251.11 awarded to landlord; Rubbish Removal: $2,615.00 awarded to landlord; Water Rates: $219.81 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5301220?

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

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5301220?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12466398-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5301220 about?

The tribunal order states: [The tenant/s] tenant/s] must pay Dargaville Realty Limited t/[The tenant/s] landlord/s] $4,015.90 immediately, calculated as shown

How much money was awarded in case 5301220?

Cleaning: $483.00 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $480.00 awarded to landlord; Smoke Alarms: $1,000.00 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Lawns and Garden Work: $80.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $218.98 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $480.00 awarded to landlord; Replace Heat Pump Remote: $251.11 awarded to landlord; Rubbish Removal: $2,615.00 awarded to landlord; Water Rates: $219.81 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5301220?

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

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5301220?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12466398-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

260A Victoria Street, Dargaville 0310 Tenancy Tribunal Case 5301220 — Smoke alarms

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260A Victoria Street, Dargaville 0310 Tenancy Tribunal Case 5301220 — Smoke alarms | TenantCheck

Claims & awards

What this tenancy cost at tribunal — claim, category, amount, and party awarded, with reconciled net total.

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5301220 — net $4,015.90 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Rent arrears to 26 June 2025	$480.00	6. The landlord’s rent record establishes rent arrears of $480.00 to the end of the tenancy.
Replace heat pump remote	$251.11	Replace heat pump remote
Water rates	$219.81	The claim for water rates is proven. Cleaning, carpet cleaning, rubbish, locks, lawns
Rubbish removal	$2,615.00	Rubbish removal
Cleaning	$480.00	Cleaning
Carpet Cleaning	$483.00	Carpet Cleaning
Lock/key replacement	$218.98	Lock/key replacement
Lawns and Garden work	$80.00	Lawns and Garden work
Exemplary damages: Smoke alarm removed	$1,000.00	Smoke alarm removed
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	29. Having regard to these factors I will award exemplary damages of $1,000.00.
Net award	$4,015.90
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$4,015.90

Claims and awards for application 5301220 — net $4,015.90 NZD. Verify on MoJ.

Rent arrears to 26 June 2025

Amount: $480.00
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: 6. The landlord’s rent record establishes rent arrears of $480.00 to the end of the tenancy.

Replace heat pump remote

Amount: $251.11
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: Replace heat pump remote

Water rates

Amount: $219.81
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: The claim for water rates is proven. Cleaning, carpet cleaning, rubbish, locks, lawns

Rubbish removal

Amount: $2,615.00
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: Rubbish removal

Cleaning

Amount: $480.00
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason

Claim types — money lines allowed on this order

Carpet Cleaning Cleanliness Replace Smoke Alarms Filing Fee Lawns And Garden Work Property damage Rent arrears Rubbish Removal Water Rates

Order

[The tenant/s] tenant/s] must pay Dargaville Realty Limited t/[The tenant/s] landlord/s] $4,015.90 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.
The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $1,840.00 (5343401-005) to Dargaville Realty Limited immediately.

Reasons

Background

The tenancy began on 9 June 2023 and ended on 26 June 2025.
Ms Williams was the sole named tenant.
The landlord filed this application on 9 July 2025. The application seeks rent arrears, water rates, rubbish removal, cleaning, change of locks, and other costs.
The hearing took place in Whangarei on 26 September 2025. Mr Paki and Ms van Coller represented the landlord at the hearing. There was no appearance by Ms Williams.
I am satisfied that notice of the hearing was served on Ms Williams, and the hearing proceeded in her absence. 1 Rent, water
The landlord’s rent record establishes rent arrears of $480.00 to the end of the tenancy.
Water rates are owed for the period ending 12 March 2025 (balance of the Kaipara District Council invoice) and for the period from 13 March to the end of the tenancy (meter reading at end of tenancy).
The claim for water rates is proven. Cleaning, carpet cleaning, rubbish, locks, lawns
At the end of the tenancy tenants must return all keys, remove all rubbish, and leave the premises reasonably clean and tidy. 2
Mr Paki provided a copy of the final inspection report.
The report shows that the premises were left in an extremely untidy condition.
The tenant left rubbish and abandoned belongings throughout the house and section.
The lawns and gardens were very overgrown.
The tenant did not return any keys.
The claims for cleaning, carpet cleaning, and lawns are proven. The amounts claimed for this work are very reasonable and conservative. The house and 1 Section 92 Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (“RTA”) 2 Section 40(1)(e)(iii) RTA carpet were in a very untidy state, and the lawns needed to be weed-trimmed because the grass was so high.
The cost of change of locks is proven (invoice from Window & Door Services Dargaville).
The rubbish removal and disposal was carried out by Trash Pirates in Dargaville. Their invoice includes the dumping cost of 17m3 of general waste, plus additional dumping costs for six electronic appliances (TVs, microwave, etc) and a tyre. The invoice includes 12 hours of labour, and the cost of the truck.
The cost claimed for rubbish removal is substantial but it is justified given the extent of rubbish shown in the final inspection report. Almost two-thirds of the invoice is dumping costs charged by the waste management facility in Dargaville. Heat pump remote
The heat pump remote could not be found at the end of the tenancy.
The cost of replacing the remote is proven. Smoke alarm
There was a smoke alarm in the property at the start of the tenancy.
In February 2025, Smoke Alarm Testing Services (NZ) Ltd visited the property and confirmed that the alarm was in place and functioning.
The alarm was missing at the end of the tenancy.
It is an unlawful act for a tenant to remove or interfere with smoke alarms in tenanted premises. 3 Exemplary damages of up to $4,000.00 can apply.
Mr Paki’s evidence shows that the smoke alarm was removed some time between 12 February 2025 and the end of the tenancy. In the absence of any other evidence, it is assumed that the tenant is responsible for the removal of the alarm. 4
The Tenancy Tribunal may make an award of exemplary damages if the Tribunal is satisfied that an unlawful act was committed intentionally. In considering an award of exemplary damages the Tribunal must have regard to: 5 a. The intention of the person who committed the unlawful act; and 3 Section 40(2)(ab) RTA 4 Section 49B(8)(b) RTA 5 Section 109(3) RTA b. The effect of the unlawful act; and c. The interests of the person against whom the act was committed.
The usual approach of the Tribunal with exemplary damages is to award one- third of the maximum unless there are aggravating or mitigating factors in play. 6
In this instance: a. The alarm could only have been removed intentionally. b. I have no information about how long the property was without an alarm. It may have been removed soon after the February inspection, or it may have been removed at the very end of the tenancy. c. There is a strong and legitimate public interest in appropriately penalising tenants who interfere with smoke alarms. The tenant’s actions put lives and property at risk.
Having regard to these factors I will award exemplary damages of $1,000.00. Filing fee, bond
The landlord has been successful in this application and I must also award the landlord the filing fee of $28.00. 7
The bond will be released to the landlord.

Claims & awards

What this tenancy cost at tribunal — claim, category, amount, and party awarded, with reconciled net total.

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5301220 — net $4,015.90 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Rent arrears to 26 June 2025	$480.00	6. The landlord’s rent record establishes rent arrears of $480.00 to the end of the tenancy.
Replace heat pump remote	$251.11	Replace heat pump remote
Water rates	$219.81	The claim for water rates is proven. Cleaning, carpet cleaning, rubbish, locks, lawns
Rubbish removal	$2,615.00	Rubbish removal
Cleaning	$480.00	Cleaning
Carpet Cleaning	$483.00	Carpet Cleaning
Lock/key replacement	$218.98	Lock/key replacement
Lawns and Garden work	$80.00	Lawns and Garden work
Exemplary damages: Smoke alarm removed	$1,000.00	Smoke alarm removed
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	29. Having regard to these factors I will award exemplary damages of $1,000.00.
Net award	$4,015.90
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$4,015.90

Claims and awards for application 5301220 — net $4,015.90 NZD. Verify on MoJ.

Rent arrears to 26 June 2025

Amount: $480.00
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: 6. The landlord’s rent record establishes rent arrears of $480.00 to the end of the tenancy.

Replace heat pump remote

Amount: $251.11
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: Replace heat pump remote

Water rates

Amount: $219.81
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: The claim for water rates is proven. Cleaning, carpet cleaning, rubbish, locks, lawns

Rubbish removal

Amount: $2,615.00
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: Rubbish removal

Cleaning

Amount: $480.00
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason

Claim types — money lines allowed on this order

Carpet Cleaning Cleanliness Replace Smoke Alarms Filing Fee Lawns And Garden Work Property damage Rent arrears Rubbish Removal Water Rates

Order

[The tenant/s] tenant/s] must pay Dargaville Realty Limited t/[The tenant/s] landlord/s] $4,015.90 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.
The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $1,840.00 (5343401-005) to Dargaville Realty Limited immediately.

Reasons

Background

The tenancy began on 9 June 2023 and ended on 26 June 2025.
Ms Williams was the sole named tenant.
The landlord filed this application on 9 July 2025. The application seeks rent arrears, water rates, rubbish removal, cleaning, change of locks, and other costs.
The hearing took place in Whangarei on 26 September 2025. Mr Paki and Ms van Coller represented the landlord at the hearing. There was no appearance by Ms Williams.
I am satisfied that notice of the hearing was served on Ms Williams, and the hearing proceeded in her absence. 1 Rent, water
The landlord’s rent record establishes rent arrears of $480.00 to the end of the tenancy.
Water rates are owed for the period ending 12 March 2025 (balance of the Kaipara District Council invoice) and for the period from 13 March to the end of the tenancy (meter reading at end of tenancy).
The claim for water rates is proven. Cleaning, carpet cleaning, rubbish, locks, lawns
At the end of the tenancy tenants must return all keys, remove all rubbish, and leave the premises reasonably clean and tidy. 2
Mr Paki provided a copy of the final inspection report.
The report shows that the premises were left in an extremely untidy condition.
The tenant left rubbish and abandoned belongings throughout the house and section.
The lawns and gardens were very overgrown.
The tenant did not return any keys.
The claims for cleaning, carpet cleaning, and lawns are proven. The amounts claimed for this work are very reasonable and conservative. The house and 1 Section 92 Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (“RTA”) 2 Section 40(1)(e)(iii) RTA carpet were in a very untidy state, and the lawns needed to be weed-trimmed because the grass was so high.
The cost of change of locks is proven (invoice from Window & Door Services Dargaville).
The rubbish removal and disposal was carried out by Trash Pirates in Dargaville. Their invoice includes the dumping cost of 17m3 of general waste, plus additional dumping costs for six electronic appliances (TVs, microwave, etc) and a tyre. The invoice includes 12 hours of labour, and the cost of the truck.
The cost claimed for rubbish removal is substantial but it is justified given the extent of rubbish shown in the final inspection report. Almost two-thirds of the invoice is dumping costs charged by the waste management facility in Dargaville. Heat pump remote
The heat pump remote could not be found at the end of the tenancy.
The cost of replacing the remote is proven. Smoke alarm
There was a smoke alarm in the property at the start of the tenancy.
In February 2025, Smoke Alarm Testing Services (NZ) Ltd visited the property and confirmed that the alarm was in place and functioning.
The alarm was missing at the end of the tenancy.
It is an unlawful act for a tenant to remove or interfere with smoke alarms in tenanted premises. 3 Exemplary damages of up to $4,000.00 can apply.
Mr Paki’s evidence shows that the smoke alarm was removed some time between 12 February 2025 and the end of the tenancy. In the absence of any other evidence, it is assumed that the tenant is responsible for the removal of the alarm. 4
The Tenancy Tribunal may make an award of exemplary damages if the Tribunal is satisfied that an unlawful act was committed intentionally. In considering an award of exemplary damages the Tribunal must have regard to: 5 a. The intention of the person who committed the unlawful act; and 3 Section 40(2)(ab) RTA 4 Section 49B(8)(b) RTA 5 Section 109(3) RTA b. The effect of the unlawful act; and c. The interests of the person against whom the act was committed.
The usual approach of the Tribunal with exemplary damages is to award one- third of the maximum unless there are aggravating or mitigating factors in play. 6
In this instance: a. The alarm could only have been removed intentionally. b. I have no information about how long the property was without an alarm. It may have been removed soon after the February inspection, or it may have been removed at the very end of the tenancy. c. There is a strong and legitimate public interest in appropriately penalising tenants who interfere with smoke alarms. The tenant’s actions put lives and property at risk.
Having regard to these factors I will award exemplary damages of $1,000.00. Filing fee, bond
The landlord has been successful in this application and I must also award the landlord the filing fee of $28.00. 7
The bond will be released to the landlord.

Tenancy Tribunal case 5301220 — Smoke alarms at 260A Victoria Street, Dargaville 0310

At a glance

Tenancy Tribunal case 5301220 — Smoke alarms at 260A Victoria Street, Dargaville 0310

At a glance

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Property management

Frequently asked questions

Reduce avoidable tribunal risk with proper tenant checks.

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Property management

Frequently asked questions

Reduce avoidable tribunal risk with proper tenant checks.