How much money was awarded in case 5420936?

Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to tenant; Property Damage: $184.00 awarded to tenant

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5420936?

The primary dispute was Property damage.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5420936?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13582487-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

How much money was awarded in case 5420936?

Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to tenant; Property Damage: $184.00 awarded to tenant

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5420936?

The primary dispute was Property damage.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5420936?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13582487-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

Room 7, Unit/Flat 1, 475A Great South Road, Papatoetoe, Tenancy Tribunal Case 5420936 — Property damage

Q: What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5420936 about?

The tribunal order states: The tenants have been successful with their claim and the Tribunal orders

Order

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5420936 — net $212.00 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Tenant	Reason
Compensation for toilet seat repair	$184.00	Compensation for toilet seat repair
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$212.00
Total payable by Landlord to Tenant	$212.00

The tenants have been successful with their claim and the Tribunal orders suppression of the tenants’ names and identifying details. The landlord also prefers suppression but the grounds are not established. 1

Rent My Room Limited owes [The tenant/s] tenant/s] and [The tenant/s] tenant/s] $212.00 to be immediately applied as a credit to the tenants’ rent account, being:

Reasons

Both parties attended the hearing by video/ teleconference. The tenants were represented by Mr Maoate. 1 S.95A RTA

What Happened?

In early December 2025 there was a problem with one of the toilet seats at the premises being insecure.

Mr Maoate e-mailed the landlord on 9 December 2025 to ask that it be fixed. A number of follow up e-mail requests were made. Mr Maoate’s evidence is that the only response was an e-mail sent by the landlord suggesting that Mr Maoate fix it himself with a link to a video showing how.

As the Christmas/ New year period was approaching, Mr Maoate did not think it was safe or appropriate for the problem to be left, especially considering the safety and comfort of the women residents of the boarding house. He arranged for Regency Plumbing to come and fix the toilet seat.

That was done on 231 December 2025. Mr Maoate paid the plumber’s bill, a copy of which is in evidence, for $184.00 and deducted it from the rent.

Because of that, the tenants’ rent records now show overdue rent which the landlord is demanding from them. This application was brought asking for confirmation that the tenants are entitled to that compensation.

The landlord’s position is that the tenants should not be compensated because: a. the landlord was working through the process of getting owner’s approval for the toilet seat to be fixed; b. Mr Maoate was not authorised to arrange for the work to be done; c. when the landlord sent its own plumber to do the work in January 2026, the plumber was told the work had already been done. Findings

The landlord is correct that tenants do not have a right to decide what repair work needs to be done, have it done without landlord’s approval and then deduct the cost from rent owed.

In this case though: a. the tenants met their obligation to notify the landlord about the need for the repair; 2 b. despite follow up requests, the landlord breached its obligation to have the repairs completed within a reasonable period; 3 2 S.40(1)(d) 3 S.45(1)(b) c. without other options, it was a reasonable and foreseeable consequence of the landlord’s breach, that the work would need to be done by someone else; d. if the landlord had met its obligations it would have incurred the cost for a plumber’s visit. there is no evidence of loss caused to the landlord through the second plumber’s visit.

In the circumstances of this case, the tenants are entitled to compensation for having incurred the cost of meeting what was the landlord’s responsibility

Because [The tenant/s] tenant/s] and [The tenant/s] tenant/s] have succeeded with the claim I reimburse the filing fee.

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5420936 — net $212.00 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Tenant	Reason
Compensation for toilet seat repair	$184.00	Compensation for toilet seat repair
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$212.00
Total payable by Landlord to Tenant	$212.00

Order

The tenants have been successful with their claim and the Tribunal orders suppression of the tenants’ names and identifying details. The landlord also prefers suppression but the grounds are not established. 1
Rent My Room Limited owes [The tenant/s] tenant/s] and [The tenant/s] tenant/s] $212.00 to be immediately applied as a credit to the tenants’ rent account, being:

Reasons

Both parties attended the hearing by video/ teleconference. The tenants were represented by Mr Maoate. 1 S.95A RTA

What Happened?

In early December 2025 there was a problem with one of the toilet seats at the premises being insecure.
Mr Maoate e-mailed the landlord on 9 December 2025 to ask that it be fixed. A number of follow up e-mail requests were made. Mr Maoate’s evidence is that the only response was an e-mail sent by the landlord suggesting that Mr Maoate fix it himself with a link to a video showing how.
As the Christmas/ New year period was approaching, Mr Maoate did not think it was safe or appropriate for the problem to be left, especially considering the safety and comfort of the women residents of the boarding house. He arranged for Regency Plumbing to come and fix the toilet seat.
That was done on 231 December 2025. Mr Maoate paid the plumber’s bill, a copy of which is in evidence, for $184.00 and deducted it from the rent.
Because of that, the tenants’ rent records now show overdue rent which the landlord is demanding from them. This application was brought asking for confirmation that the tenants are entitled to that compensation.
The landlord’s position is that the tenants should not be compensated because: a. the landlord was working through the process of getting owner’s approval for the toilet seat to be fixed; b. Mr Maoate was not authorised to arrange for the work to be done; c. when the landlord sent its own plumber to do the work in January 2026, the plumber was told the work had already been done. Findings
The landlord is correct that tenants do not have a right to decide what repair work needs to be done, have it done without landlord’s approval and then deduct the cost from rent owed.
In this case though: a. the tenants met their obligation to notify the landlord about the need for the repair; 2 b. despite follow up requests, the landlord breached its obligation to have the repairs completed within a reasonable period; 3 2 S.40(1)(d) 3 S.45(1)(b) c. without other options, it was a reasonable and foreseeable consequence of the landlord’s breach, that the work would need to be done by someone else; d. if the landlord had met its obligations it would have incurred the cost for a plumber’s visit. there is no evidence of loss caused to the landlord through the second plumber’s visit.
In the circumstances of this case, the tenants are entitled to compensation for having incurred the cost of meeting what was the landlord’s responsibility
Because [The tenant/s] tenant/s] and [The tenant/s] tenant/s] have succeeded with the claim I reimburse the filing fee.

Tenancy Tribunal case 5420936 — Property damage at Room 7, Unit/Flat 1, 475A Great South Road, Papatoetoe,

At a glance

Tenancy Tribunal case 5420936 — Property damage at Room 7, Unit/Flat 1, 475A Great South Road, Papatoetoe,

At a glance

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

What Happened?

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Property management

Frequently asked questions

Reduce avoidable tribunal risk with proper tenant checks.

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

What Happened?

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Property management

Frequently asked questions

Reduce avoidable tribunal risk with proper tenant checks.