How much money was awarded in case 5424479?

Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $4,551.43 awarded to landlord; Water Rates: $190.03 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5424479?

The primary dispute was Rent arrears.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5424479?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13084981-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

How much money was awarded in case 5424479?

Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $4,551.43 awarded to landlord; Water Rates: $190.03 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5424479?

The primary dispute was Rent arrears.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5424479?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13084981-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

New Zealand Tenancy Tribunal Case 5424479 — Rent arrears

Q: What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5424479 about?

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

Tenantcheck Insights

Order

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5424479 — net $2,409.46 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Rent arrears	$4,551.43	Rent arrears
Water rates	$190.03	Water rates
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$2,409.46
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$2,409.46

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

The tenancy of Aurora Steyn and Hendri Steyn at [Tenancy address suppressed] is confirmed to be terminated as at 11.59 pm on Thursday 5 February 2026, with possession granted to [The landlord/s].

Aurora Steyn and Hendri Steyn must pay [The landlord/s] $2,409.46 immediately, calculated as shown in the table below:

The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $2,360.00 to [The landlord/s] immediately.

Reasons

The landlord attended the hearing held on 5 February 2026, which proceeded by way of videoconference. The tenants did not attend. I was satisfied that proper service of the hearing notice had been completed. In those circumstances, I considered it reasonable to proceed with the hearing in the tenants’ absence.

The landlord has applied for termination of the tenancy, rent arrears, unpaid water rates and refund of the bond. Background

The tenancy commenced on 8 January 2025 and was a fixed-term tenancy due to end on 8 February 2026. The weekly rent was $590.00. The bond paid was $2,444.29.

The landlord’s evidence is that during a routine inspection in December 2025, the premises were in a state of disarray, belongings were partially removed, and the condition suggested the tenants were in the process of moving out. The landlord contacted the tenants, who advised that they were overseas on a trip.

Following the inspection, the landlord issued a 14-day notice to remedy. Shortly thereafter, rent payments ceased. The landlord again contacted the tenants, who stated that they intended to return to New Zealand but were experiencing visa difficulties and were unable to pay rent due to banking issues.

The landlord has filed an inspection report, a copy of the 14-day notice, a rent summary, and water invoices in support of the application. Relevant Law

Section 61 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (“RTA”) permits the Tribunal to terminate a tenancy where the tenant has abandoned the premises. Abandonment requires more than mere absence; the Tribunal must be satisfied that the tenant has ceased to occupy the premises and does not intend to return.

Section 55 of the RTA provides that the Tribunal must terminate a tenancy if, at the date the application is filed, rent is at least 21 days in arrears, unless there are exceptional circumstances that would make termination inequitable.

Section 40 of the RTA requires tenants to pay rent as it becomes due.

Section 39 requires tenants to pay outgoings, including water charges, where the premises are separately metered and the charges are exclusively attributable to the tenant.

The landlord bears the burden of proving the claims on the balance of probabilities. Analysis Abandonment

The landlord’s inspection evidence shows that the tenants were not residing at the property at the time of inspection and that the premises appeared to be in the process of being vacated. While the tenants advised that they were overseas temporarily, their absence was accompanied by the cessation of rent payments, lack of ongoing occupation, and an inability to confirm a return date.

However, the tenants did indicate an intention to return, albeit subject to visa issues. In light of that communication, I am not satisfied that the high threshold required to establish abandonment under section 61 has been met. While the tenants were absent and the property appeared largely vacated, the evidence does not clearly establish an intention to permanently abandon the premises at the time the application was filed.

Accordingly, I do not terminate the tenancy on the basis of abandonment. Rent Arrears

The landlord’s rent summary shows that at the date the application was filed, rent was more than 21 days in arrears. The tenants had ceased paying rent and had acknowledged that they were unable to make payments due to banking issues while overseas.

There is no evidence before the Tribunal of any exceptional circumstances that would make termination inequitable. The tenants have not attended the hearing, have not provided any payment plan, and have not remedied the arrears. The landlord has continued to be deprived of rent while remaining bound by the tenancy obligations.

In these circumstances, termination under section 55 of the Act is mandatory.

Given that the tenancy was a fixed-term tenancy due to end on 8 February 2026, I am satisfied it is reasonable and appropriate to award rent up to the contractual end date of the fixed term. Water Charges

The landlord has provided invoices showing unpaid water charges. The tenants are liable for these charges. In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, the landlord’s claim for unpaid water charges is established. Filing fee and suppression order

As the landlord has wholly succeeded with the claim, I must order the tenant to reimburse the filing fee and grant suppression of the landlord’s name and identifying details.

Order

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5424479 — net $2,409.46 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Rent arrears	$4,551.43	Rent arrears
Water rates	$190.03	Water rates
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$2,409.46
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$2,409.46