Published tribunal order
Tenancy Tribunal case 5438296 — Rent arrears at [suppressed]
Decided 18 May 2026 · Published 18 May 2026 · Application 5438296
- Rent arrears
Party names are redacted in the official published order.
Order
- An application for suppression has been made in this case, and the Tribunal orders suppression of the landlord’s name and identifying details.
- owes [The landlord/s] $5,563.43 (“the debt”), as calculated in the table below:
- must pay rent and the debt as follows: a. By weekly payments of $850.00, being $690.00 for rent and $160.00 for the debt. b. Payments will be every Tuesday, with the first payment on 19/05/2026 and continuing every week until the debt is paid.
- Payments will be allocated in the following order: rent, rent arrears, electricity, water rates, and the filing fee.
- If the tenant fails to pay weekly current rent and rent arrears within 2 working days of the due dates: a. The tenancy at [suppressed] will terminate and the landlord will have immediate possession of the premises. b. The balance of the debt will be payable immediately.
- If the tenant fails to pay the electricity, water rates or filing fee within 2 working days of the due date, the filing fee will be payable immediately.
Reasons
- Both parties attended the hearing.
- The landlord has applied for termination of the tenancy, rent arrears, electricity, water rates and refund of the bond.
- Rent was at least 21 days in arrears on the date the application was filed.
- The landlord provided rent records which prove the amount owing at the date of the hearing is now $4,845.71.
- The landlord provided invoices from Contact Energy which prove that the tennt owes $135.69 for electricity owed from the start of the tenancy before the tenant had the power connected.
- The landlord provided invoices from WaterCare dated 22 October 2025, 20 November 2025, 22 December 2025, 31 January 2026, 23 February 2026, 20 March and 22 April 2026.
- The tenant has paid for no water since the start of the tenancy.
- The tenant has get behind on rent on more than one occasion and has cleared the rent arrears by using Kiwisaver and a loan from WINZ. The tenant has fallen into arrears again.
- The tenant wants to avoid termination. The tenant advises that he now has a fulltime job. He has paid the rent for the last three weeks and has paid some extra. He offered to pay an extra $200 each week.
- The landlord is concerned that the tenants cannot afford the property and they will fall behind again.
- I have decided to give the tenant an opportunity to clear the debt, now that he has a full-time job.
- The tenant must pay the rent each week, and must pay an extra $160 per week.
- The rent arrears of $4,845.71 will take 30 weeks to clear and all payments must go first to current weekly rent of $690 plus the $160.
- If the tenant can pay more than the amount ordered, he should do so, but even if extra payments are made, he MUST still make the payments of $850.00 until the debt is cleared.
- Because [The applicant/s] has wholly succeeded with the claim I must reimburse the filing fee.