What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5323960 about?

The tribunal order states: [The tenant/s] must pay Otautahi Community Housing Trust $9,075.69

How much money was awarded in case 5323960?

Cleaning: $166.41 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Methamphetamine Decontamination: $4,174.50 awarded to landlord; New Carpet: $1,240.54 awarded to landlord; New Curtains: $202.19 awarded to landlord; Pigment Sealing: $2,389.20 awarded to landlord; Redecoration: $819.33 awarded to landlord; Wall And Ceiling Stopping: $371.52 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5323960?

The primary dispute was Cleanliness.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5323960?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12764904-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5323960 about?

The tribunal order states: [The tenant/s] must pay Otautahi Community Housing Trust $9,075.69

How much money was awarded in case 5323960?

Cleaning: $166.41 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Methamphetamine Decontamination: $4,174.50 awarded to landlord; New Carpet: $1,240.54 awarded to landlord; New Curtains: $202.19 awarded to landlord; Pigment Sealing: $2,389.20 awarded to landlord; Redecoration: $819.33 awarded to landlord; Wall And Ceiling Stopping: $371.52 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5323960?

The primary dispute was Cleanliness.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5323960?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12764904-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

21 Hoiho Lane, Sydenham, Christchurch 8023 Tenancy Tribunal Case 5323960 — Cleanliness

Reasons

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5323960 — net $9,075.69 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Methamphetamine decontamination	$4,174.50	Methamphetamine decontamination
Redecoration	$819.33	Redecoration
Wall and ceiling stopping	$371.52	Wall and ceiling stopping
New carpet	$1,240.54	New carpet
New curtains	$202.19	New curtains
Clean kitchen cupboards	$166.41	Clean kitchen cupboards
Pigment sealing	$2,389.20	Pigment sealing
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$9,075.69
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$9,075.69

Only the landlord’s representatives attended the hearing.

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

This tenancy began in June 2021 and ended in April 2025. The premises were new at the start of the tenancy.

It ended following a Tribunal order made on 28 March 2025 under application 5108728. The Tribunal found that the premises were contaminated by methamphetamine (meth) during the tenancy at levels above 15μg/100cm². It follows that the premises required decontamination.

The tenant vacated the premises and did not leave them reasonably clean and tidy (in addition from the meth contamination). Cupboards had to be emptied and cleaned.

The landlord employed specialist contractors to decontaminate the premises.

There was damage to walls and ceilings in the premises and the landlord employed contractors to stop walls and ceilings and to redecorate the premises throughout.

The landlord also replaced the carpet, underlay and curtains due to the meth contamination. Law

At the end of the tenancy the tenant must leave the premises reasonably clean and tidy.

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.

The Tribunal must consider betterment where appropriate. The landlord should be returned to the position they would have been in had the tenant not breached their obligations and should not be better or worse off. In calculating depreciation, the Tribunal considers the age and condition of the items at the start of the tenancy and their likely useful lifespan. Claims

The landlord produced a quotation and invoice for the meth contamination. I accept that the cost is reasonable.

The other costs were supported by the landlord’s “buyer created invoices” based on standard agreed prices for the relevant jobs.

The landlord reduced its claims for the cost of redecoration and new carpet and curtains to account for betterment given that the tenancy was for a period of approximately four years.

I accept that the reduction for the carpet and curtains is reasonable.

The reduction for redecoration would also have been reasonable if the evidence had proved that the entire premises needed redecoration due to tenant damage. Based on the photographic evidence provided, I assess that one third of the premises required redecoration and so one third of the cost is claimable. I have reduced that by half to account for betterment.

I have awarded the cost of meth contamination in full because it was the result of an imprisonable offence. The cost of pigment sealing, carpet and curtains is also part of the decontamination process. There are therefore no limits on the cost that can be awarded apart of course for reasonableness.

The stopping and redecoration I regard as intentional damage because it was the result of the tenant fixing things to the walls and ceilings. Filing Fee

The landlord has succeeded and so I have awarded the filing fee.

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5323960 — net $9,075.69 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Methamphetamine decontamination	$4,174.50	Methamphetamine decontamination
Redecoration	$819.33	Redecoration
Wall and ceiling stopping	$371.52	Wall and ceiling stopping
New carpet	$1,240.54	New carpet
New curtains	$202.19	New curtains
Clean kitchen cupboards	$166.41	Clean kitchen cupboards
Pigment sealing	$2,389.20	Pigment sealing
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$9,075.69
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$9,075.69

Order

[The tenant/s] must pay Otautahi Community Housing Trust $9,075.69 immediately, calculated as shown in the table below.
The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $316.00 (6417554-006) to Otautahi Community Housing Trust immediately.

Reasons

Only the landlord’s representatives attended the hearing.
The landlord has applied for compensation, payment of the bond and reimbursement of the filing fee following the end of the tenancy. Background
This tenancy began in June 2021 and ended in April 2025. The premises were new at the start of the tenancy.
It ended following a Tribunal order made on 28 March 2025 under application 5108728. The Tribunal found that the premises were contaminated by methamphetamine (meth) during the tenancy at levels above 15μg/100cm². It follows that the premises required decontamination.
The tenant vacated the premises and did not leave them reasonably clean and tidy (in addition from the meth contamination). Cupboards had to be emptied and cleaned.
The landlord employed specialist contractors to decontaminate the premises.
There was damage to walls and ceilings in the premises and the landlord employed contractors to stop walls and ceilings and to redecorate the premises throughout.
The landlord also replaced the carpet, underlay and curtains due to the meth contamination. Law
At the end of the tenancy the tenant must leave the premises reasonably clean and tidy.
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.
The Tribunal must consider betterment where appropriate. The landlord should be returned to the position they would have been in had the tenant not breached their obligations and should not be better or worse off. In calculating depreciation, the Tribunal considers the age and condition of the items at the start of the tenancy and their likely useful lifespan. Claims
The landlord produced a quotation and invoice for the meth contamination. I accept that the cost is reasonable.
The other costs were supported by the landlord’s “buyer created invoices” based on standard agreed prices for the relevant jobs.
The landlord reduced its claims for the cost of redecoration and new carpet and curtains to account for betterment given that the tenancy was for a period of approximately four years.
I accept that the reduction for the carpet and curtains is reasonable.
The reduction for redecoration would also have been reasonable if the evidence had proved that the entire premises needed redecoration due to tenant damage. Based on the photographic evidence provided, I assess that one third of the premises required redecoration and so one third of the cost is claimable. I have reduced that by half to account for betterment.
I have awarded the cost of meth contamination in full because it was the result of an imprisonable offence. The cost of pigment sealing, carpet and curtains is also part of the decontamination process. There are therefore no limits on the cost that can be awarded apart of course for reasonableness.
The stopping and redecoration I regard as intentional damage because it was the result of the tenant fixing things to the walls and ceilings. Filing Fee
The landlord has succeeded and so I have awarded the filing fee.

Tenancy Tribunal case 5323960 — Cleanliness at 21 Hoiho Lane, Sydenham, Christchurch 8023

At a glance

Tenancy Tribunal case 5323960 — Cleanliness at 21 Hoiho Lane, Sydenham, Christchurch 8023

At a glance

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Property management

Frequently asked questions

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Property management

Frequently asked questions