Tenantcheck Insights · Case study
Tenancy Tribunal case 5347641 — Rent arrears at 37 Tobollie Drive, Rolleston, Rolleston 7615
Decided 13 Nov 2025 · Published 13 Nov 2025 · Application 5347641
- Rent arrears
- Property damage
- Cleanliness
At a glance
Key facts from the published tribunal order.
Location
Rolleston
Tribunal region
Adjudicator
J Greene
Dispute themes
Award balance
Gross awards, any bond applied per the order, and the remaining balance payable.
- Gross award
- $3,446.33
- Total balance for Tenant to pay Landlord
- $3,446.33
Claims & awards
What this tenancy cost at tribunal — claim, category, amount, and party awarded, with reconciled net total.
| Claim | Landlord | Tenant | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent arrears to 13 August 2025 | $2,182.14 | Rent arrears to 13 August 2025 | |
| Water rates | $96.80 | Water rates | |
| Break lease costs | $558.64 | Break lease costs | |
| Cleaning | $92.00 | Cleaning | |
| Lawns and garden work |
Order
- [The tenant/s] tenant/s] must pay A1 Property Managers Limited as agent for Tnjac Investments Ltd and [The tenant/s] landlord/s] $3,446.33 immediately, calculated as shown in table below:
- The application for the cost of methamphetamine testing is dismissed.
Reasons
- Ms Edwards represented the landlord. The tenant did not attend the hearing.
- The landlord has applied for rent arrears, compensation, refund of the bond, and reimbursement of the filing fee following the end of the tenancy.
How much is owed for rent and for water rates?
- The tenancy ended on 13 August 2025. The landlord provided rent records and water rates invoices which prove the amount of rent owing at the end of the tenancy and the amount of outstanding water rates.
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 1 .
- The tenant left most of the premises reasonably clean, but some additional cleaning was reasonably required. The lawns and gardens required work to ensure they were reasonably tidy.
- The landlord incurred costs finding a new tenant (referred to as break lease costs) which the tenant agreed to pay when she asked to be released from the fixed term tenancy early.
- The tenant was provided with 3 garage door remote controls at the start of the tenancy but only returned 2 of them. The landlord had to replace the other one.
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 2 . 1 See section 40(1)(e)(ii)-(v) Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (RTA) 2 See sections 40(2)(a), 41 and 49B RTA
- There was a hole in a` wall in the kitchen that had to be plastered and repainted. The damage is more than fair wear and tear, and the tenant has not disproved liability for the damage.
- The amounts ordered are proved by invoices, photos, an inspection report from the start of the tenancy, and by the evidence Ms Edwards gave at the hearing.
- I have dismissed the claim for the cost of methamphetamine testing at the end of this tenancy. Prudent landlords undertake methamphetamine testing at the end of each tenancy. The landlord has incurred no additional cost as the test would have been done had the tenancy ran its full term. Furthermore, the test was negative, so the tenant has not breached her statutory responsibilities under the RTA. Without a breach there is no basis for the Tribunal to award the landlord the cost of testing.
- I have reimbursed the filing fee the landlord paid as the application is successful.
Topics & place
Topics are dispute themes across the order (not the same as claim-type money lines).
Residential Tenancies Act sections
s1, s40(1), s40(2)
Key findings
- Dispute theme: rent arrears
- Dispute theme: cleaning
- Dispute theme: property damage
Property management
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this Tenancy Tribunal case.
What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5347641 about?
The tribunal order states: [The tenant/s] tenant/s] must pay A1 Property Managers Limited as agent for Tnjac
How much money was awarded in case 5347641?
Break Lease Costs: $558.64 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $92.00 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Lawns and Garden Work: $115.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $230.00 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $2,182.14 awarded to landlord; Replace Garage Door Remote: $143.75 awarded to landlord; Water Rates: $96.80 awarded to landlord
What type of tenancy dispute was case 5347641?
The primary dispute was Rent arrears. Related themes: Property damage, Cleanliness.
Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5347641?
The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12711552-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.
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