How much money was awarded in case 5333303?

Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $44.99 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $319.57 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $2,500.00 awarded to landlord; Smoke Alarms: $92.49 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5333303?

The primary dispute was Property damage. Related themes: Smoke alarms.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5333303?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12715335-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

How much money was awarded in case 5333303?

Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $44.99 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $319.57 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $2,500.00 awarded to landlord; Smoke Alarms: $92.49 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5333303?

The primary dispute was Property damage. Related themes: Smoke alarms.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5333303?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12715335-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

42 Spencer Street, Leamington, Cambridge 3432 Tenancy Tribunal Case 5333303 — Property damage

Q: What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5333303 about?

The tribunal order states: [The tenant/s] tenant/s] must pay Accommodation Rental Solutions 2021 Limited C/[The tenant/s] landlord/s] $1,225.05 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.

Tenantcheck Insights

Order

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5333303 — net $1,225.05 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Lock/key replacement	$319.57	Lock/key replacement
Lock/key replacement: French door	$44.99	Lock/key replacement: French door
Replace smoke alarms	$92.49	Replace smoke alarms
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
AMI Insurance excess	$2,500.00	AMI Insurance excess
Net award	$1,225.05
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$1,225.05

[The tenant/s] tenant/s] must pay Accommodation Rental Solutions 2021 Limited C/[The tenant/s] landlord/s] $1,225.05 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.

The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $1,760.00 (6040842-007) to Accommodation Rental Solutions 2021 Limited C/[The tenant/s] landlord/s] immediately.

All other claims are dismissed.

Reasons

Both parties attended the hearing. Mr Sadler and a support person arrived 20 minutes into the hearing and were given time to read the evidence provided on the day by the landlord.

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

Did the tenant comply with their obligations at the end of the tenancy?

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. See section 40(1)(e)(ii)-(v) Residential Tenancies Act 1986.

The tenant did not return the keys. Two invoices were presented for keys as the french door key was not standard and has to be sourced separately.

The following chattels were missing at the end of the tenancy: a smoke alarm was removed from the hallway area.

The amounts ordered are proved.

Can the landlord claim decontamination costs?

The tenancy began on 1 January 2019 and the current landlord took over management of the premises on 12 July 2021.

A methamphetamine test was carried out on 28 December 2018 with no methamphetamine recorded. A test carried out during the tenancy on 30 July 2021 revealed very low levels of methamphetamine.

The tenancy ended on 6 June 2025 and a composite test was undertaken on 11 June 2025 recording 7.55 μg/100cm 2 for the presence of methamphetamine.

A detailed assessment report was conducted on 17 June 2025 by CPINZ confirming levels associated with high levels of meth related behaviour at the premises, reporting • 20.5 μg/100cm 2 in the Kitchen • 18.1 μg/100cm 2 in the Kitchen • 26 μg/100cm 2 in the Hallway • 29.6 μg/100cm 2 in the Hallway/entrance • 12.6 μg/100cm 2 in the lounge room • 17.1 μg/100cm 2 in the lounge room • 20.6 μg/100cm 2 in Bedroom 3 • 28.1 μg/100cm 2 in Bedroom 3

The tenant agreed that methamphetamine had been used at the premises by others living there.

The premises were decontaminated and retested on 16 July showing the decontamination was completed. The landlord used their insurance for the decontamination and sought reimbursement of the insurance excess.

There are currently two sources of guidance on the issue of a safe level of methamphetamine contamination in residential premises. In June 2017 Standards New Zealand published NZS 8510:2017. The standard recommended a maximum contamination level of 1.5μg/100cm 2 for high use areas where contamination has resulted from both consumption and manufacture. It recommended a higher level of 3.8μg/100cm 2 for limited use areas.

In May 2018 Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, the then Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor, released a report "Methamphetamine contamination in residential properties: Exposures, risk levels, and interpretation of standards”. The report noted that there is a lack of scientific evidence to prove that low-level third-hand methamphetamine exposure poses a health risk to humans. It stated that guidelines should be proportionate to risk and that exposure to a level below 15μg/100cm 2 was unlikely to have an adverse effect.

A number of Tenancy Tribunal and District Court decisions have confirmed the insurance companies’ position that methamphetamine levels below 15μg/100cm 2 do not require decontamination.

In two recent decisions, the District Court has confirmed the Tribunal’s approach in adopting the Gluckman recommendations as correct and observed that the NZ standards do not have the force of law.

In Acme Realty Ltd v Alexander James Hogg, Tuitui Grace Polotu, Leigh Sharyn Coughlin [2021] NZDC 3231 Judge Harrison confirmed Judge de Ridder’s approach in the earlier decision of Full Circle Real Estate Limited v Danielle Piper [2019] NZDC 4947. Both decisions held that the Tribunal was correct to adopt and apply the levels set out in the Gluckman report, with the result that only if levels are above 15μg/100cm 2 is decontamination required to ensure the premises are safe and not injurious to the health of future occupants.

I must apply the reasoning of the District Court and following Tenancy Tribunal orders and find that the maximum contamination level to be applied is that stated by the Gluckman report. Seven areas were reported as having levels above 15μg/100cm 2. .I find that the premises were contaminated by methamphetamine during the tenancy and the insurance excess is awarded as claimed.

Because Accommodation Rental Solutions 2021 Limited C/[The tenant/s] landlord/s] has wholly succeeded with the claim I must reimburse the filing fee.

Order

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5333303 — net $1,225.05 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Lock/key replacement	$319.57	Lock/key replacement
Lock/key replacement: French door	$44.99	Lock/key replacement: French door
Replace smoke alarms	$92.49	Replace smoke alarms
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
AMI Insurance excess	$2,500.00	AMI Insurance excess
Net award	$1,225.05
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$1,225.05

[The tenant/s] tenant/s] must pay Accommodation Rental Solutions 2021 Limited C/[The tenant/s] landlord/s] $1,225.05 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.

The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $1,760.00 (6040842-007) to Accommodation Rental Solutions 2021 Limited C/[The tenant/s] landlord/s] immediately.

All other claims are dismissed.

Reasons

Both parties attended the hearing. Mr Sadler and a support person arrived 20 minutes into the hearing and were given time to read the evidence provided on the day by the landlord.

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

Did the tenant comply with their obligations at the end of the tenancy?

The tenant did not return the keys. Two invoices were presented for keys as the french door key was not standard and has to be sourced separately.

The following chattels were missing at the end of the tenancy: a smoke alarm was removed from the hallway area.

The amounts ordered are proved.

Can the landlord claim decontamination costs?

The tenancy began on 1 January 2019 and the current landlord took over management of the premises on 12 July 2021.

A methamphetamine test was carried out on 28 December 2018 with no methamphetamine recorded. A test carried out during the tenancy on 30 July 2021 revealed very low levels of methamphetamine.

The tenancy ended on 6 June 2025 and a composite test was undertaken on 11 June 2025 recording 7.55 μg/100cm 2 for the presence of methamphetamine.

The tenant agreed that methamphetamine had been used at the premises by others living there.

A number of Tenancy Tribunal and District Court decisions have confirmed the insurance companies’ position that methamphetamine levels below 15μg/100cm 2 do not require decontamination.

Because Accommodation Rental Solutions 2021 Limited C/[The tenant/s] landlord/s] has wholly succeeded with the claim I must reimburse the filing fee.

Tenancy Tribunal case 5333303 — Property damage at 42 Spencer Street, Leamington, Cambridge 3432

At a glance

Tenancy Tribunal case 5333303 — Property damage at 42 Spencer Street, Leamington, Cambridge 3432

At a glance

Award balance

Claims & awards

Dismissed claims

Order

Reasons

Did the tenant comply with their obligations at the end of the tenancy?

Can the landlord claim decontamination costs?

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

Dismissed claims

Order

Reasons

Did the tenant comply with their obligations at the end of the tenancy?

Can the landlord claim decontamination costs?

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Property management

Frequently asked questions

Reduce avoidable tribunal risk with proper tenant checks.