How much money was awarded in case 5409313?

Property Damage: $500.00 awarded to tenant

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5409313?

The primary dispute was Exemplary damages.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5409313?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13329813-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

How much money was awarded in case 5409313?

Property Damage: $500.00 awarded to tenant

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5409313?

The primary dispute was Exemplary damages.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5409313?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13329813-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

New Zealand Tenancy Tribunal Case 5409313 — Exemplary damages

Q: What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5409313 about?

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

Order

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5409313 — net $2,580.00 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Tenant	Reason
Balance of bond refund	$2,080.00	Balance of bond refund
Exemplary damages for failure to lodge bond	$500.00	Exemplary damages for failure to lodge bond
Net award	$2,580.00
Total payable by Landlord to Tenant	$2,580.00

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

Haini Pang must pay [The tenant/s] $2,580.00 immediately calculated as shown in the table below: DescriptionTenant Balance of bond refund $2,080.00 Exemplary damages for failure to lodge bond $500.00 Total award $2,580.00 Total payable by Landlord to Tenant $2,580.00

Reasons

Only the applicant tenant attended the hearing which took place by MS Teams.

The landlord emailed the Tribunal on 9 February 2026 requesting an adjournment which was granted but did not attend the rescheduled hearing today.

The tenant paid a bond of $3440.00 at the beginning of the tenancy.

The tenant has applied for refund of the balance of the bond following the end of the tenancy. The landlord has refunded part of the bond but retained the sum of $2080.00.

The landlord has a claim against the bond but has not filed a counterclaim with Tenancy Services.

Section 22B(2) Residential Tenancies Act 1986 provides that, where a tenant applies for refund of the bond, and the landlord seeks payment from the bond, the landlord must file an application setting out the details of the counterclaim. Because the landlord has not filed a counterclaim the bond is refunded in full to the tenant. Failure to lodge bond

[The tenant/s] claims the landlord has not lodged the bond with the Bond Centre within the required time.

A landlord must send any bond payment to the Bond Centre within 23 working days after the payment is received. See section 19(1) Residential Tenancies Act 1986.

Breaching this obligation is an unlawful act for which the Tribunal may award exemplary damages up to a maximum of $1,500.00. See section 19(2) and Schedule 1A Residential Tenancies Act 1986.

The landlord did not lodge the bond. I find they have committed an unlawful act.

Where a party has committed an unlawful act intentionally, the Tribunal may award exemplary damages where it is satisfied it would be just to do so, having regard to the party’s intent, the effect of the unlawful act, the interests of the other party, and the public interest. See section 109(3) Residential Tenancies Act 1986.

In the absence of any explanation from the landlord as to why the bond was not lodged and as landlords have a responsibility to know and honour their obligations, I find on the balance of probabilities that the failure to lodge the bond was intentional.

It is in the public interest that landlords understand lodgement of a bond at the Bond Centre is a serious responsibility. Some landlords who do not lodge bonds use the money to pay their debts and the money is not available at the end of the tenancy. Others insist on keeping some bond money at the end or none will be refunded. There are very good reasons that the bond should be held by a neutral body during the tenancy.

The interest on bond money helps to pay for the tenancy advice and dispute resolution services. The fewer bonds that are lodged, the more the taxpayer must then contribute.

The effect on the tenant is that the landlord has unilaterally withheld part of the bond at the end of the tenancy without agreement from the tenant or an application to the Tenancy Tribunal and the tenant may have difficulty in enforcing the payment of the balance of the bond.

I have taken in to account the above factors and also that this is the first breach by this landlord that I am aware of and order an amount at the lower end of the scale in the sum of $500.00 in exemplary damages. Suppression

The applicant is seeking suppression of identifying details in any publication of this order. If a party has wholly or substantially succeeded in the proceedings the Tribunal must make the order unless the Tribunal considers that publication is in the public interest or is justified because of the party’s conduct or any other circumstances of the case. Section 95A Residential Tenancies Act 1986. The applicant has been wholly successful in these proceedings. Having considered the factors in this case the Tribunal grants suppression as sought.

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5409313 — net $2,580.00 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Tenant	Reason
Balance of bond refund	$2,080.00	Balance of bond refund
Exemplary damages for failure to lodge bond	$500.00	Exemplary damages for failure to lodge bond
Net award	$2,580.00
Total payable by Landlord to Tenant	$2,580.00

Order

An application for suppression has been made in this case, and the Tribunal orders suppression of the tenant name and identifying details.
Haini Pang must pay [The tenant/s] $2,580.00 immediately calculated as shown in the table below: DescriptionTenant Balance of bond refund $2,080.00 Exemplary damages for failure to lodge bond $500.00 Total award $2,580.00 Total payable by Landlord to Tenant $2,580.00

Reasons

Only the applicant tenant attended the hearing which took place by MS Teams.
The landlord emailed the Tribunal on 9 February 2026 requesting an adjournment which was granted but did not attend the rescheduled hearing today.
The tenant paid a bond of $3440.00 at the beginning of the tenancy.
The tenant has applied for refund of the balance of the bond following the end of the tenancy. The landlord has refunded part of the bond but retained the sum of $2080.00.
The landlord has a claim against the bond but has not filed a counterclaim with Tenancy Services.
Section 22B(2) Residential Tenancies Act 1986 provides that, where a tenant applies for refund of the bond, and the landlord seeks payment from the bond, the landlord must file an application setting out the details of the counterclaim. Because the landlord has not filed a counterclaim the bond is refunded in full to the tenant. Failure to lodge bond
[The tenant/s] claims the landlord has not lodged the bond with the Bond Centre within the required time.
A landlord must send any bond payment to the Bond Centre within 23 working days after the payment is received. See section 19(1) Residential Tenancies Act 1986.
Breaching this obligation is an unlawful act for which the Tribunal may award exemplary damages up to a maximum of $1,500.00. See section 19(2) and Schedule 1A Residential Tenancies Act 1986.
The landlord did not lodge the bond. I find they have committed an unlawful act.
Where a party has committed an unlawful act intentionally, the Tribunal may award exemplary damages where it is satisfied it would be just to do so, having regard to the party’s intent, the effect of the unlawful act, the interests of the other party, and the public interest. See section 109(3) Residential Tenancies Act 1986.
In the absence of any explanation from the landlord as to why the bond was not lodged and as landlords have a responsibility to know and honour their obligations, I find on the balance of probabilities that the failure to lodge the bond was intentional.
It is in the public interest that landlords understand lodgement of a bond at the Bond Centre is a serious responsibility. Some landlords who do not lodge bonds use the money to pay their debts and the money is not available at the end of the tenancy. Others insist on keeping some bond money at the end or none will be refunded. There are very good reasons that the bond should be held by a neutral body during the tenancy.
The interest on bond money helps to pay for the tenancy advice and dispute resolution services. The fewer bonds that are lodged, the more the taxpayer must then contribute.
The effect on the tenant is that the landlord has unilaterally withheld part of the bond at the end of the tenancy without agreement from the tenant or an application to the Tenancy Tribunal and the tenant may have difficulty in enforcing the payment of the balance of the bond.
I have taken in to account the above factors and also that this is the first breach by this landlord that I am aware of and order an amount at the lower end of the scale in the sum of $500.00 in exemplary damages. Suppression
The applicant is seeking suppression of identifying details in any publication of this order. If a party has wholly or substantially succeeded in the proceedings the Tribunal must make the order unless the Tribunal considers that publication is in the public interest or is justified because of the party’s conduct or any other circumstances of the case. Section 95A Residential Tenancies Act 1986. The applicant has been wholly successful in these proceedings. Having considered the factors in this case the Tribunal grants suppression as sought.

Tenancy Tribunal case 5409313 — Exemplary damages

At a glance

Award balance

Tenancy Tribunal case 5409313 — Exemplary damages

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