Tenantcheck Insights · Case study
Tenancy Tribunal case 5377067 — Rent arrears at Unit/Flat 9, 3234 Great North Road, New Lynn, Auckland
Decided 20 April 2026 · Published 20 April 2026 · Application 5377067
- Rent arrears
- Cleanliness
- Property damage
At a glance
Key facts from the published tribunal order.
Outcome
Landlord favoured
From published order
Location
Auckland
Tribunal region
Adjudicator
R Merrett
Dispute themes
Award balance
Gross awards, any bond applied per the order, and the remaining balance payable.
- Gross award
- $10,462.08
- Bond payment as ordered
- −$2,380.00
- Total balance for Tenant to pay Landlord
- $8,082.08
Claims & awards
What this tenancy cost at tribunal — claim, category, amount, and party awarded, with reconciled net total.
| Claim | Landlord | Tenant | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent arrears | $9,294.87 | Rent arrears | |
| Water rates to 14 October 2025 | $151.21 | Water rates to 14 October 2025 | |
| Lock/key replacement | $120.00 | Lock/key replacement | |
| Cleaning | $368.00 | Cleaning | |
| Costs to find another tenant | $500.00 | Costs to find another tenant | |
| Filing fee reimbursement | $28.00 | Filing fee reimbursement | |
| Net award | $8,082.08 | ||
| Total payable by Tenant to Landlord | $8,082.08 |
Claims and awards for application 5377067 — net $8,082.08 NZD. Verify on MoJ.
Rent arrears
- Amount
- $9,294.87
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Rent arrears
Water rates to 14 October 2025
- Amount
- $151.21
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Water rates to 14 October 2025
Lock/key replacement
- Amount
- $120.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Lock/key replacement
Cleaning
- Amount
- $368.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Cleaning
Costs to find another tenant
- Amount
- $500.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Costs to find another tenant
Filing fee reimbursement
- Amount
- $28.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Filing fee reimbursement
Net award
Landlord $8,082.08
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord
Landlord $8,082.08
Claim types — money lines allowed on this order
Order
- Raymond Charles Christopher Reha and Georgina Puia must pay Auckland Holiday Homes Limited and Meleana Eade $8,082.08 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.
- The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $2,380.00 (BN-00142370) to Auckland Holiday Homes Limited and Meleana Eade immediately.
Reasons
- Ms Fu attended the hearing for the landlord. The tenants were phoned on the numbers provided but the calls went to voicemail.
- The landlord has applied for rent arrears, water rates, compensation, refund of the bond, and reimbursement of the filing fee following the end of the tenancy.
How much is owed for rent and water rates?
- The tenancy was a fixed term tenancy ending on 30 April 2026. Rent was agreed at $595.00 per week.
- On or about 30 October 2025 the landlord became aware that the tenants had abandoned the tenancy. A new tenant was found on 3 January 2026 but at a lower rent ($570.00 per week). The tenants are therefore liable for rent until the new tenant was found and are liable for the difference in the rent payable by the new tenant until the end of the fixed term (30 April 2026).
- The amount of rent owing has been established.
- The amount of water rates owing to 14 October 2025 has also been established by the production of water rates invoices.
Did the tenants comply with their obligations at the end of the tenancy?
- The tenants did not leave the premises reasonably clean and did not return the mail box key as required by section 40(1)(e)(ii)-(v) Residential Tenancies Act 1986.
- The amounts ordered are proved.
Are the tenants liable for the costs to find another tenant?
- Where a tenant abandons a fixed term tenancy before its expiry, the landlord is entitled to the reasonable costs incurred to find another tenant.
- The landlord claims the sum of $979.80 to find another tenant and provided an itemised list of the costs claimed.
- I do not consider that all of the costs claimed are reasonable. Many, such as the cost to complete the final inspection, are costs that would have been incurred when the tenancy ended on 30 April 2026. I also note that the Management Agreement provided in evidence records that many of the costs claimed are included in the management fee charged by the landlord’s agent (Ray White) and therefore cannot be said to be a cost incurred by the landlord (they may be a cost incurred by the agent, but the agent is not the landlord).
- In the circumstances I consider the sum of $500.00 reasonable to compensate the landlord for the reasonable costs to find another tenant.
- The landlord has been mostly successful in her claims, and I consider this an appropriate case to award her payment of the Tribunal application fee.
Topics & place
Topics are dispute themes across the order (not the same as claim-type money lines).
Residential Tenancies Act sections
s40(1)
Key findings
- Dispute theme: rent arrears
- Dispute theme: property damage
- Dispute theme: cleaning
Property management
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this Tenancy Tribunal case.
What was the outcome of Tenancy Tribunal case 5377067?
The tribunal order states: Raymond Charles Christopher Reha and Georgina Puia must pay Auckland
How much money was awarded in case 5377067?
Cleaning: $368.00 awarded to landlord; Costs To Find Another Tenant: $500.00 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $120.00 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $9,294.87 awarded to landlord; Water Rates: $151.21 awarded to landlord
What type of tenancy dispute was case 5377067?
The primary dispute was Rent arrears. Related themes: Cleanliness, Property damage.
Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5377067?
The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13463988-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.