What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5325719 about?

The tribunal order states: [The tenant/s] must pay [The landlord/s] $1,216.10 immediately, calculated as

How much money was awarded in case 5325719?

Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $1,416.67 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $1,371.43 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5325719?

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

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5325719?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13264128-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5325719 about?

The tribunal order states: [The tenant/s] must pay [The landlord/s] $1,216.10 immediately, calculated as

How much money was awarded in case 5325719?

Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $1,416.67 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $1,371.43 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5325719?

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

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5325719?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13264128-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

466 New Renwick Road, Fairhall, RD 2, Blenheim 7272 Tenancy Tribunal Case 5325719 — Property damage

Reasons

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5325719 — net $1,216.10 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Tenant	Reason
Rent arrears as at 20 June 2025	$1,371.43		Rent arrears as at 20 June 2025
Carpet replacement	$1,416.67		Carpet replacement
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00		Filing fee reimbursement
Bond received by landlord		$1,600.00	Bond received by landlord
Total award	$2,816.10	$1,600.00
Net award	$1,216.10
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$1,216.10

This application was scheduled to be heard by video conference. Mr Frost did not connect to the Teams link provided to him and nor did he ring in as directed in the Notice of Hearing. The hearing proceeded in his absence.

This Order ought to be read together with the Tribunal Order dated 27 January 2026.

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

How much is owed for rent?

The tenancy ended on 20 June 2025. I accept the evidence provided which shows that as at that date, the tenant owed $1,371.43 in rent arrears. This includes the last payment of rent of $800.00 on 12 June 2025.

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 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.

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.

At the last hearing I was satisfied, based on the evidence before me, that Mr Frost had a pet in the house which caused significant urine stains on the carpet throughout the tenancy apart from one bedroom.

I accept that this damage occurred during Mr Frost’s tenancy because the previous tenant did not have a pet at the premises.

In accordance with the reasoning set out in the previous Order, I am ordering Mr Frost to pay the depreciated cost of the replacement carpet - $1,416.67.

The landlord also made a claim for the cost of repairing holes in the wall and refacing the kitchen cupboards.

As explained at today’s hearing I am dismissing this part of the landlord’s claim. This is because there is no objective evidence, in the form of a pre-entry inspection report or photographs taken at the time the tenancy started, which evidences the condition of the premises at the start of the tenancy. Without this kind of evidence it is not possible to prove to the required standard that the damage claimed occurred during Mr Frost’s tenancy. Filing fee reimbursement

I am ordering Mr Frost to reimburse the landlord the cost of filing this application in the Tribunal. This is because the landlord was partly successful with this claim against him. C ter Haar 11 March 2026

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5325719 — net $1,216.10 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Tenant	Reason
Rent arrears as at 20 June 2025	$1,371.43		Rent arrears as at 20 June 2025
Carpet replacement	$1,416.67		Carpet replacement
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00		Filing fee reimbursement
Bond received by landlord		$1,600.00	Bond received by landlord
Total award	$2,816.10	$1,600.00
Net award	$1,216.10
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$1,216.10

Order

[The tenant/s] must pay [The landlord/s] $1,216.10 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.

Reasons

This application was scheduled to be heard by video conference. Mr Frost did not connect to the Teams link provided to him and nor did he ring in as directed in the Notice of Hearing. The hearing proceeded in his absence.
This Order ought to be read together with the Tribunal Order dated 27 January 2026.
The landlord has applied for rent arrears, compensation and reimbursement of the filing fee following the end of the tenancy.

How much is owed for rent?

The tenancy ended on 20 June 2025. I accept the evidence provided which shows that as at that date, the tenant owed $1,371.43 in rent arrears. This includes the last payment of rent of $800.00 on 12 June 2025.

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 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.
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.
At the last hearing I was satisfied, based on the evidence before me, that Mr Frost had a pet in the house which caused significant urine stains on the carpet throughout the tenancy apart from one bedroom.
I accept that this damage occurred during Mr Frost’s tenancy because the previous tenant did not have a pet at the premises.
In accordance with the reasoning set out in the previous Order, I am ordering Mr Frost to pay the depreciated cost of the replacement carpet - $1,416.67.
The landlord also made a claim for the cost of repairing holes in the wall and refacing the kitchen cupboards.
As explained at today’s hearing I am dismissing this part of the landlord’s claim. This is because there is no objective evidence, in the form of a pre-entry inspection report or photographs taken at the time the tenancy started, which evidences the condition of the premises at the start of the tenancy. Without this kind of evidence it is not possible to prove to the required standard that the damage claimed occurred during Mr Frost’s tenancy. Filing fee reimbursement
I am ordering Mr Frost to reimburse the landlord the cost of filing this application in the Tribunal. This is because the landlord was partly successful with this claim against him. C ter Haar 11 March 2026

Tenancy Tribunal case 5325719 — Property damage at 466 New Renwick Road, Fairhall, RD 2, Blenheim 7272

At a glance

Tenancy Tribunal case 5325719 — Property damage at 466 New Renwick Road, Fairhall, RD 2, Blenheim 7272

At a glance

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

How much is owed for rent?

Is the tenant responsible for the damage to the premises?

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Frequently asked questions

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

How much is owed for rent?

Is the tenant responsible for the damage to the premises?

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Frequently asked questions