Tenantcheck Insights · Case study
Tenancy Tribunal case 5427906 — Rent arrears at 22 Waipapa Crescent, Otara, Auckland 2023
Published 8 June 2026 · Application 5427906
- Rent arrears
- Cleanliness
At a glance
Key facts from the published tribunal order.
Outcome
Landlord favoured
From published order
Location
Auckland
Tribunal region
Adjudicator
K Koller
Dispute themes
Award balance
Gross awards, any bond applied per the order, and the remaining balance payable.
- Gross award
- $6,189.14
- Bond payment as ordered
- −$2,080.00
- Total balance for Tenant to pay Landlord
- $4,109.14
Claims & awards
What this tenancy cost at tribunal — claim, category, amount, and party awarded, with reconciled net total.
| Claim | Landlord | Tenant | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent arrears to 9 March 2026 | $5,946.14 | Rent arrears to 9 March 2026 | |
| Cleaning | $100.00 | Cleaning | |
| Lawns and Garden work | $115.00 | Lawns and Garden work | |
| Filing fee reimbursement | $28.00 | Filing fee reimbursement | |
| Net award | $4,109.14 | ||
| Total payable by Tenant to Landlord | $4,109.14 |
Claims and awards for application 5427906 — net $4,109.14 NZD. Verify on MoJ.
Rent arrears to 9 March 2026
- Amount
- $5,946.14
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Rent arrears to 9 March 2026
Cleaning
- Amount
- $100.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Cleaning
Lawns and Garden work
- Amount
- $115.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Lawns and Garden work
Filing fee reimbursement
- Amount
- $28.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Filing fee reimbursement
Net award
Landlord $4,109.14
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord
Landlord $4,109.14
Claim types — money lines allowed on this order
Order
- Olive Ratana must pay Property Empire Limited As Agent For Simon Munro, Scott Munro & Jordan Munro $4,109.14 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.
- The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $2,080.00 (3083017-017) to Property Empire Limited As Agent For Simon Munro, Scott Munro & Jordan Munro immediately.
Reasons
- The landlord attended the hearing. The tenant did not answer the call I made to her phone.
- The landlord has applied for rent arrears, compensation, refund of the bond, and reimbursement of the filing fee following the end of the tenancy.
How much is owed for rent?
- The landlord said the tenant moved out on in March and the landlord agreed this was the best option at the time. The landlord has not asked for any rent in lieu of notice. I find the tenancy ended on 9 March 2026.
- The landlord provided rent records which prove the amount owing at the end of the tenancy.
Did the tenant comply with her obligations at the end of the tenancy?
- Tenants must return the premises in a reasonably clean and tidy state and remove their rubbish at the end of the tenancy. See section 40(1)(c) and (e)(iii) Residential Tenancies Act (RTA).
- In Ace Property Management v Owens (DC Wellington, CIV-2008-085-14441, 17 December 2008) the District Court said: A tenant’s obligation pursuant to the Act to leave a property in a “reasonably clean and reasonably tidy condition” does not mean that it will necessarily be up to a standard that a landlord may consider for a new tenant. It is a mistake for landlords to confuse those two matters.
- The RTA does not require the premises to be provided or returned in a spotless or an immaculate condition. The standard is based on what an average bystander would consider reasonable, not on the subjective opinions of the landlord and tenant. There is no scientific way to determine what is reasonably clean and tidy, and the Tribunal must evaluate the evidence available, and in particular inspection reports and photographs.
- The landlord provided me with photos taken at the end of the tenancy. I find the claim for the lawns is reasonable.
- I have allowed a small amount for cleaning. The oven and some of the kitchen cupboards were not left in a reasonable condition. The claim for cleaning the rest of the house is hard to determine because the house is very old, and it is hard to tell what needs cleaning and what needs maintenance. I also note that tenants are not required to pull appliances out to clean, and cleaning spots off the ceilings between tenancies is a landlord maintenance job. Other orders
- Because the landlord has substantially succeeded with the claim I have reimbursed the filing fee.
- A request has been sent to the Bond Centre.
Topics & place
Topics are dispute themes across the order (not the same as claim-type money lines).
Residential Tenancies Act sections
s10, s40(1)
Key findings
- Dispute theme: rent arrears
- Dispute theme: cleaning
Property management
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this Tenancy Tribunal case.
What was the outcome of Tenancy Tribunal case 5427906?
The tribunal order states: Olive Ratana must pay Property Empire Limited As Agent For Simon Munro,
How much money was awarded in case 5427906?
Cleaning: $100.00 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Lawns and Garden Work: $115.00 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $5,946.14 awarded to landlord
What type of tenancy dispute was case 5427906?
The primary dispute was Rent arrears. Related themes: Cleanliness.
Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5427906?
The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13711862-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.