What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5361548 about?

The tribunal order states: An application for suppression has been made in this case, and the Tribunal

How much money was awarded in case 5361548?

Balance Owed For Purchase Of Landlor…: $300.14 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $2,739.49 awarded to landlord; Smoke Alarms: $40.00 awarded to landlord; Water Rates: $571.02 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5361548?

The primary dispute was Rent arrears. Related themes: Smoke alarms.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5361548?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12817949-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5361548 about?

The tribunal order states: An application for suppression has been made in this case, and the Tribunal

How much money was awarded in case 5361548?

Balance Owed For Purchase Of Landlor…: $300.14 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $2,739.49 awarded to landlord; Smoke Alarms: $40.00 awarded to landlord; Water Rates: $571.02 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5361548?

The primary dispute was Rent arrears. Related themes: Smoke alarms.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5361548?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12817949-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

New Zealand Tenancy Tribunal Case 5361548 — Rent arrears

Reasons

Background

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5361548 — net $3,678.65 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Rent arrears to 3 December 2025	$2,739.49	claim for rent arrears, water rates, balance owing for purchase of furniture, and replacement of smoke alarms is proven.
Balance owed for purchase of landlord's furniture	$300.14	Balance owed for purchase of landlord's furniture
Water rates	$571.02	Water rates
Replace smoke alarms	$40.00	Replace smoke alarms
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$3,678.65
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$3,678.65

The tenancy began in January 2024.

The landlord’s application sought termination of the tenancy, rent arrears, water rate and significant repair costs.

The tenant’s application raised issues about the landlord’s calculation of arrears, and about the harassment that she received from neighbours during the tenancy.

The hearing took place in [Event location suppressed] on 3 December 2025. Both parties participated in the hearing. Ms Clarijs represented the landlord.

At the hearing [The tenant/s] advised that she has found another tenancy and she will move out of this property by 15 December at the latest. Ms Clarijs accepted this as notice of termination of the tenancy. Rent arrears

[The tenant/s] accepted the claim for rent arrears.

[The tenant/s] said that she had sought assistance from WINZ with the arrears, but assistance was declined on the grounds that the landlord had allocated rent payments to costs other than rent.

Ms Clarijs said that only $50 was allocated incorrectly, and she has spoken to [The tenant/s]’s WINZ Case Manager explaining this. [The tenant/s] said that WINZ’s decision to decline assistance is currently under review and she is hopeful that the arrears can be cleared before the end of her tenancy. Water rates

The claim seeks water rates of $391.02 for the period 15 April 2024 to 29 October 2024 and $180.00 for the period 29 October 2024 to 14 April 2025.

The latter figure is an estimate because there were leaks at the property. Ms Clarijs said that in fact the estimate should be for the previous period, because that’s when the leaks happened. She is not aware of any leaks over the October 2024 – April 2025 period.

[The tenant/s] said that there were multiple leaks at the property. She has no issue with paying for water that she used, but she is unsure whether the leaks have been properly factored into the landlord’s claim for water use.

I have no information about the nature, extent, and duration of the leaks.

The landlord’s claim seems reasonable on the face of it, given that the landlord has not charged for the actual metered water use, which includes water lost through leaks, but an estimated figure based on a period at the start of the tenancy when there were no (known) leaks at the property.

I also note that [The tenant/s] did not strongly dispute the claim.

Having regard to those factors I will award the amount of water rates claimed by the landlord.

I note that water rates for the final period of the tenancy (April – December 2025) have not yet been calculated and are likely to form part of the landlord’s next application for repairs and other costs (as discussed below). This will provide a further opportunity to present evidence and argument about water use and leaks. Balance owed for purchase of landlord’s furniture

[The tenant/s] agreed to purchase some of the landlord’s furniture for $750.00. There is a balance owed of $300.14.

[The tenant/s] did not dispute this part of the claim. Replacement of smoke alarms

[The tenant/s] did not dispute this part of the claim. Damage

Photographs from Ms Clarijs’ most recent inspection (September 2025) show damage to the exterior (mostly graffiti) and interior (holes in walls, mostly repaired or partially repaired).

The landlord’s application estimated the cost of various internal and external repairs, replacement of the carpet, and re-seeding the lawn.

At the hearing today Ms Clarijs also added re-glazing of a living room window that was recently broken.

Because the tenancy is ending soon, these costs can be dealt with by way of a new application that can be filed once the landlord re-takes possession, assesses the remaining damage, and obtains accurate quotes or estimates for repair or replacement.

That application can also include any other costs that may arise at the end of the tenancy (water, cleaning, rubbish removal, etc).

[The tenant/s] spoke about the extreme harassment and invasion of privacy that she suffered at the hands of her neighbours during the tenancy. She wants the opportunity to dispute the claims for damage on the grounds that it was caused by her neighbours. Those neighbours were not tenants of this landlord, so there is no suggestion that the landlord failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the harassment. Outcome, filing fee, name suppression

The landlord’s claim for rent arrears, water rates, balance owing for purchase of furniture, and replacement of smoke alarms is proven.

The landlord’s claim for damage will be dealt with in a separate application that the landlord will file after the tenancy ends. Once that application is filed, the parties will be notified of the date and time of the next hearing.

Because the landlord was successful in this application, I will also award the landlord the filing fee of $28.00. 1

The parties may agree to the release of the bond by consent once the tenancy ends. Otherwise, the bond can be dealt with the next application.

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5361548 — net $3,678.65 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Rent arrears to 3 December 2025	$2,739.49	claim for rent arrears, water rates, balance owing for purchase of furniture, and replacement of smoke alarms is proven.
Balance owed for purchase of landlord's furniture	$300.14	Balance owed for purchase of landlord's furniture
Water rates	$571.02	Water rates
Replace smoke alarms	$40.00	Replace smoke alarms
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$3,678.65
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$3,678.65

Order

An application for suppression has been made in this case, and the Tribunal orders suppression of the Tenant name and identifying details. 2.

Reasons

Background

The tenancy began in January 2024.
The landlord’s application sought termination of the tenancy, rent arrears, water rate and significant repair costs.
The tenant’s application raised issues about the landlord’s calculation of arrears, and about the harassment that she received from neighbours during the tenancy.
The hearing took place in [Event location suppressed] on 3 December 2025. Both parties participated in the hearing. Ms Clarijs represented the landlord.
At the hearing [The tenant/s] advised that she has found another tenancy and she will move out of this property by 15 December at the latest. Ms Clarijs accepted this as notice of termination of the tenancy. Rent arrears
[The tenant/s] accepted the claim for rent arrears.
[The tenant/s] said that she had sought assistance from WINZ with the arrears, but assistance was declined on the grounds that the landlord had allocated rent payments to costs other than rent.
Ms Clarijs said that only $50 was allocated incorrectly, and she has spoken to [The tenant/s]’s WINZ Case Manager explaining this. [The tenant/s] said that WINZ’s decision to decline assistance is currently under review and she is hopeful that the arrears can be cleared before the end of her tenancy. Water rates
The claim seeks water rates of $391.02 for the period 15 April 2024 to 29 October 2024 and $180.00 for the period 29 October 2024 to 14 April 2025.
The latter figure is an estimate because there were leaks at the property. Ms Clarijs said that in fact the estimate should be for the previous period, because that’s when the leaks happened. She is not aware of any leaks over the October 2024 – April 2025 period.
[The tenant/s] said that there were multiple leaks at the property. She has no issue with paying for water that she used, but she is unsure whether the leaks have been properly factored into the landlord’s claim for water use.
I have no information about the nature, extent, and duration of the leaks.
The landlord’s claim seems reasonable on the face of it, given that the landlord has not charged for the actual metered water use, which includes water lost through leaks, but an estimated figure based on a period at the start of the tenancy when there were no (known) leaks at the property.
I also note that [The tenant/s] did not strongly dispute the claim.
Having regard to those factors I will award the amount of water rates claimed by the landlord.
I note that water rates for the final period of the tenancy (April – December 2025) have not yet been calculated and are likely to form part of the landlord’s next application for repairs and other costs (as discussed below). This will provide a further opportunity to present evidence and argument about water use and leaks. Balance owed for purchase of landlord’s furniture
[The tenant/s] agreed to purchase some of the landlord’s furniture for $750.00. There is a balance owed of $300.14.
[The tenant/s] did not dispute this part of the claim. Replacement of smoke alarms
[The tenant/s] did not dispute this part of the claim. Damage
Photographs from Ms Clarijs’ most recent inspection (September 2025) show damage to the exterior (mostly graffiti) and interior (holes in walls, mostly repaired or partially repaired).
The landlord’s application estimated the cost of various internal and external repairs, replacement of the carpet, and re-seeding the lawn.
At the hearing today Ms Clarijs also added re-glazing of a living room window that was recently broken.
Because the tenancy is ending soon, these costs can be dealt with by way of a new application that can be filed once the landlord re-takes possession, assesses the remaining damage, and obtains accurate quotes or estimates for repair or replacement.
That application can also include any other costs that may arise at the end of the tenancy (water, cleaning, rubbish removal, etc).
[The tenant/s] spoke about the extreme harassment and invasion of privacy that she suffered at the hands of her neighbours during the tenancy. She wants the opportunity to dispute the claims for damage on the grounds that it was caused by her neighbours. Those neighbours were not tenants of this landlord, so there is no suggestion that the landlord failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the harassment. Outcome, filing fee, name suppression
The landlord’s claim for rent arrears, water rates, balance owing for purchase of furniture, and replacement of smoke alarms is proven.
The landlord’s claim for damage will be dealt with in a separate application that the landlord will file after the tenancy ends. Once that application is filed, the parties will be notified of the date and time of the next hearing.
Because the landlord was successful in this application, I will also award the landlord the filing fee of $28.00. 1
The parties may agree to the release of the bond by consent once the tenancy ends. Otherwise, the bond can be dealt with the next application.

Tenancy Tribunal case 5361548 — Rent arrears

At a glance

Award balance

Tenancy Tribunal case 5361548 — Rent arrears

At a glance

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Frequently asked questions

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Frequently asked questions