What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5389086 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 5389086?

Verified claim lines are listed on this page.

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5389086?

The dispute type was not classified.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5389086?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12946042-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5389086 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 5389086?

Verified claim lines are listed on this page.

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5389086?

The dispute type was not classified.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5389086?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12946042-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

New Zealand Tenancy Tribunal Case 5389086 — Tenancy dispute

Order

An application for suppression has been made in this case, and the Tribunal orders suppression of the Tenant name and identifying details including tenancy address.
The application is dismissed.

Reasons

The landlord’s representative attended the hearing by telephone today. I telephoned the tenant twice however the phone went to voicemail. I continued with the hearing as the tenant has been emailed and posted notice of the hearing date and time to the addresses for service.
The landlord has applied for a work order requiring the tenant to mow overgrown lawns and remove rubbish from the property.
Under section 40(1)(a)-(e), Residential Tenancies Act 1986, a tenant must keep premises reasonably clean and reasonably tidy.
If a landlord proves a property is not reasonably clean and reasonably tidy the Tribunal can make a work order setting a date by which the work must be done and can authorise the landlord to do the work and charge the tenant the costs of doing so.

Has the tenant failed to comply with their obligations?

The landlord’s application was made on 14 November 2025.
The landlord provided a timeline of events and supporting evidence including:- a. A letter delivered to the tenant’s letterbox on 29 August 2025 which said the lawns were overgrown and there was rubbish outside and required her to remedy these issues by 15 September 2025; b. Written notes from the property manager saying they had visited the property in September and October 2025 but been unable to talk with the tenant and that the issues had not been remedied; c. Photographs taken during the landlord’s inspection of the exterior of the property on 11 November 2025 which show overgrown lawns up to about knee-height in length and items in the grass including what looks to be a baby stroller, a child’s toy, an item of clothing or a blanket, and a supermarket trolley; d. During the hearing the landlord emailed additional photos taken on 7 January 2026 which show the lawn has been cut and is now mostly about ankle-height. There are some longer areas along edges near the house or fences. There are two supermarket trolleys. I cannot see any scattered rubbish.
The applicant is required to establish the claim to the civil law standard of proof, on the balance of probabilities.
My decision is that the photos taken on 7 January 2026 show that the property is now reasonably tidy.
I agree that the property was not reasonably tidy on 11 November 2025 and, if the lawns had still been that long, I would have made an order that the grass must be cut. I do not agree that the items outside are significant enough to be untidy.
I dismiss the landlord’s application.

Must the tenant continue to keep the property reasonably tidy?

I cannot make an order about the future condition of the property because it is too difficult to define what “reasonably tidy” means.
However, the tenant must continue to keep the grass cut and the property otherwise reasonably clean and tidy.
The reason it is important to keep grass relatively short is that in summer long grass can be a fire hazard and at any time can encourage pests like rats. It also makes it hard to see sharp or hard objects which could hurt someone or damage a mower or weedeater.
I note that if a landlord seeks a work order allowing it to do work if a tenant fails to do so, it should provide the Tribunal with at least one written quote so the Tribunal can set a monetary limit for the amount of costs that can be charged. These costs can be treated as rent in arrears and enforced accordingly. See sections 78(2AAB) and 78(2AAC)(a) Residential Tenancies Act 1986. Suppression of names
The landlord has not been successful with the application and as the government social housing provider there is a public interest in its actions. The landlord’s name is not suppressed.
The claim has not been successful against the tenant, and the tenant has taken action in response to the landlord’s requests and application. The tenant’s name and the tenancy address are suppressed from this order.

Reasons

The landlord’s representative attended the hearing by telephone today. I telephoned the tenant twice however the phone went to voicemail. I continued with the hearing as the tenant has been emailed and posted notice of the hearing date and time to the addresses for service.

The landlord has applied for a work order requiring the tenant to mow overgrown lawns and remove rubbish from the property.

Under section 40(1)(a)-(e), Residential Tenancies Act 1986, a tenant must keep premises reasonably clean and reasonably tidy.

If a landlord proves a property is not reasonably clean and reasonably tidy the Tribunal can make a work order setting a date by which the work must be done and can authorise the landlord to do the work and charge the tenant the costs of doing so.

Has the tenant failed to comply with their obligations?

The landlord’s application was made on 14 November 2025.

The landlord provided a timeline of events and supporting evidence including:- a. A letter delivered to the tenant’s letterbox on 29 August 2025 which said the lawns were overgrown and there was rubbish outside and required her to remedy these issues by 15 September 2025; b. Written notes from the property manager saying they had visited the property in September and October 2025 but been unable to talk with the tenant and that the issues had not been remedied; c. Photographs taken during the landlord’s inspection of the exterior of the property on 11 November 2025 which show overgrown lawns up to about knee-height in length and items in the grass including what looks to be a baby stroller, a child’s toy, an item of clothing or a blanket, and a supermarket trolley; d. During the hearing the landlord emailed additional photos taken on 7 January 2026 which show the lawn has been cut and is now mostly about ankle-height. There are some longer areas along edges near the house or fences. There are two supermarket trolleys. I cannot see any scattered rubbish.

The applicant is required to establish the claim to the civil law standard of proof, on the balance of probabilities.

My decision is that the photos taken on 7 January 2026 show that the property is now reasonably tidy.

I agree that the property was not reasonably tidy on 11 November 2025 and, if the lawns had still been that long, I would have made an order that the grass must be cut. I do not agree that the items outside are significant enough to be untidy.

I dismiss the landlord’s application.

Must the tenant continue to keep the property reasonably tidy?

I cannot make an order about the future condition of the property because it is too difficult to define what “reasonably tidy” means.

However, the tenant must continue to keep the grass cut and the property otherwise reasonably clean and tidy.

The reason it is important to keep grass relatively short is that in summer long grass can be a fire hazard and at any time can encourage pests like rats. It also makes it hard to see sharp or hard objects which could hurt someone or damage a mower or weedeater.

I note that if a landlord seeks a work order allowing it to do work if a tenant fails to do so, it should provide the Tribunal with at least one written quote so the Tribunal can set a monetary limit for the amount of costs that can be charged. These costs can be treated as rent in arrears and enforced accordingly. See sections 78(2AAB) and 78(2AAC)(a) Residential Tenancies Act 1986. Suppression of names

The landlord has not been successful with the application and as the government social housing provider there is a public interest in its actions. The landlord’s name is not suppressed.

The claim has not been successful against the tenant, and the tenant has taken action in response to the landlord’s requests and application. The tenant’s name and the tenancy address are suppressed from this order.

Tenancy Tribunal case 5389086 — Tenancy dispute

At a glance

Claims & awards

Tenancy Tribunal case 5389086 — Tenancy dispute

At a glance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

Has the tenant failed to comply with their obligations?

Must the tenant continue to keep the property reasonably tidy?

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Property management

Frequently asked questions

Order

Reasons

Has the tenant failed to comply with their obligations?

Must the tenant continue to keep the property reasonably tidy?

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Property management

Frequently asked questions