What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5419391 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 5419391?

Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $750.00 awarded to landlord; Water Rates: $255.00 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5419391?

The primary dispute was Rent arrears.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5419391?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13473787-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5419391 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 5419391?

Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $750.00 awarded to landlord; Water Rates: $255.00 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5419391?

The primary dispute was Rent arrears.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5419391?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13473787-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

New Zealand Tenancy Tribunal Case 5419391 — Rent arrears

Reasons

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5419391 — net $1,033.00 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Rent arrears to 14.12.2025	$750.00	Rent arrears to 14.12.2025
Water rates	$255.00	Water rates
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$1,033.00
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$1,033.00

This hearing was conducted by video/teleconference and was attended by [The landlord’s representative] for the landlord. The tenant did not join the video meeting at the scheduled time, either by video or telephone. Calls to the tenant went to voicemail. An interpreter, Ms Yan, was also in attendance to assist the tenant, but was no longer required, and did not participate in the hearing. As the tenant has been notified, the hearing proceeded.

The landlord has applied for rent arrears, water rates, compensation for cleaning costs, and reimbursement of the filing fee following the end of the tenancy. The bond has been paid to the landlord.

How much is owed for rent and water rates?

The landlord’s evidence is that the tenancy ended on 14 December 2025, being the day before the new tenancy began. The landlord provided rent records to establish the amount due for rent. The landlord confirms that no further rent payments have been received since the application was filed. The rent summary takes into account the bond received from the Bond Centre.

The landlord has provided evidence of its own calculations of the amount due for water charges, which are based on water rates invoices received, and were advised to the tenant.

Having established its claims for rent arrears and water charges owing at the end of the tenancy, the amounts sought by the landlord are awarded above.

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. See section 40(1)(e)(ii)-(v) of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (the RTA).

The tenant’s obligation is to leave the premises in a reasonably clean and reasonably tidy condition. This is not necessarily to the standard a landlord considers acceptable for a new tenant 1 , and does not equate to being commercially clean 2 , spotless 3 , or hotel/motel standard of cleanliness. 4 Therefore, a landlord may have some work to get the premises up to standard for a new tenant 5 and cannot claim excessive time to clean and tidy the premises. 6

The landlord claims cleaning costs of $345.00, stating that the full cleaning costs are not sought. The landlord has provided photographic evidence in support. 1 Ace Property Management Ltd v Owens DC Wellington CIV-2008-085-1441, 17 Dec 2008. 2 Mills v Kiwi Property Care Ltd TT Hamilton 09/01418/HN, 27 July 2009 3 Reardon v Fahey Property Management Ltd [2016] NZTT Auckland 3149 at 6. 4 Richards v Scally TT Christchurch TT 2043/98, 21 July 1998 5 Richards v Scally (above) 6 Falwasser v Armstrong [2011] NZTT Whakatane 523. However, I am unable to conclude, from the photographs emailed on the day of the hearing, that the tenant failed to leave the premises in a reasonably clean and tidy condition at the end of the tenancy.

Accordingly, this claim is dismissed. Filing fee and name suppression

As the landlord has been successful with most of its claims, the tenant is to pay the landlord’s filing fee.

The landlord’s request for name suppression is also granted, in view of the landlord being substantially successful in the proceedings.

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5419391 — net $1,033.00 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Rent arrears to 14.12.2025	$750.00	Rent arrears to 14.12.2025
Water rates	$255.00	Water rates
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$1,033.00
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$1,033.00

Order

An application for suppression has been made in this case, and the Tribunal orders suppression of the landlord’s name and identifying details.
Lichu Tang must pay [The landlord/s] $1,033.00 immediately, calculated as shown in the table below.

All other claims are dismissed.

Reasons

This hearing was conducted by video/teleconference and was attended by [The landlord’s representative] for the landlord. The tenant did not join the video meeting at the scheduled time, either by video or telephone. Calls to the tenant went to voicemail. An interpreter, Ms Yan, was also in attendance to assist the tenant, but was no longer required, and did not participate in the hearing. As the tenant has been notified, the hearing proceeded.
The landlord has applied for rent arrears, water rates, compensation for cleaning costs, and reimbursement of the filing fee following the end of the tenancy. The bond has been paid to the landlord.

How much is owed for rent and water rates?

The landlord’s evidence is that the tenancy ended on 14 December 2025, being the day before the new tenancy began. The landlord provided rent records to establish the amount due for rent. The landlord confirms that no further rent payments have been received since the application was filed. The rent summary takes into account the bond received from the Bond Centre.
The landlord has provided evidence of its own calculations of the amount due for water charges, which are based on water rates invoices received, and were advised to the tenant.
Having established its claims for rent arrears and water charges owing at the end of the tenancy, the amounts sought by the landlord are awarded above.

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. See section 40(1)(e)(ii)-(v) of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (the RTA).
The tenant’s obligation is to leave the premises in a reasonably clean and reasonably tidy condition. This is not necessarily to the standard a landlord considers acceptable for a new tenant 1 , and does not equate to being commercially clean 2 , spotless 3 , or hotel/motel standard of cleanliness. 4 Therefore, a landlord may have some work to get the premises up to standard for a new tenant 5 and cannot claim excessive time to clean and tidy the premises. 6
The landlord claims cleaning costs of $345.00, stating that the full cleaning costs are not sought. The landlord has provided photographic evidence in support. 1 Ace Property Management Ltd v Owens DC Wellington CIV-2008-085-1441, 17 Dec 2008. 2 Mills v Kiwi Property Care Ltd TT Hamilton 09/01418/HN, 27 July 2009 3 Reardon v Fahey Property Management Ltd [2016] NZTT Auckland 3149 at 6. 4 Richards v Scally TT Christchurch TT 2043/98, 21 July 1998 5 Richards v Scally (above) 6 Falwasser v Armstrong [2011] NZTT Whakatane 523. However, I am unable to conclude, from the photographs emailed on the day of the hearing, that the tenant failed to leave the premises in a reasonably clean and tidy condition at the end of the tenancy.
Accordingly, this claim is dismissed. Filing fee and name suppression
As the landlord has been successful with most of its claims, the tenant is to pay the landlord’s filing fee.
The landlord’s request for name suppression is also granted, in view of the landlord being substantially successful in the proceedings.

Tenancy Tribunal case 5419391 — Rent arrears

At a glance

Award balance

Tenancy Tribunal case 5419391 — Rent arrears

At a glance

Award balance

Claims & awards

Dismissed claims

Order

Reasons

How much is owed for rent and water rates?

Did the tenant comply with their obligations at the end of the tenancy?

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Frequently asked questions

Claims & awards

Dismissed claims

Order

Reasons

How much is owed for rent and water rates?

Did the tenant comply with their obligations at the end of the tenancy?

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Frequently asked questions