What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5447472 about?

The tribunal order states: Aminda Hewawasam must pay [The landlord/s] $2,669.25 immediately,

How much money was awarded in case 5447472?

Cleaning: $220.00 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $135.00 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $326.61 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $99.49 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Lawns and Garden Work: $557.75 awarded to landlord; Previous Order Application 5431869 D…: $2,023.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $278.98 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $750.00 awarded to landlord; Remove Goods To Storage And Dump Fee…: $421.48 awarded to landlord; Storage Costs: $336.44 awarded to landlord; Water Rates: $12.50 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5447472?

The primary dispute was Property damage. Related themes: Cleanliness.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5447472?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13576432-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5447472 about?

The tribunal order states: Aminda Hewawasam must pay [The landlord/s] $2,669.25 immediately,

How much money was awarded in case 5447472?

Cleaning: $220.00 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $135.00 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $326.61 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $99.49 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Lawns and Garden Work: $557.75 awarded to landlord; Previous Order Application 5431869 D…: $2,023.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $278.98 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $750.00 awarded to landlord; Remove Goods To Storage And Dump Fee…: $421.48 awarded to landlord; Storage Costs: $336.44 awarded to landlord; Water Rates: $12.50 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5447472?

The primary dispute was Property damage. Related themes: Cleanliness.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5447472?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13576432-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

3A Makybe Terrace, Lincoln, Lincoln 7608 Tenancy Tribunal Case 5447472 — Property damage

Tenantcheck Insights

Order

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5447472 — net $2,669.25 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Previous order application 5431869 dated 02/02/2026	$2,023.00	Previous order application 5431869 dated 02/02/2026
Water rates	$12.50	Water rates
Clean heat pump filters	$135.00	Clean heat pump filters
Lawns and garden work; remove items to garage	$557.75	Lawns and garden work; remove items to garage
Storage costs	$336.44	Storage costs
Cleaning	$326.61	Cleaning
Lock/key replacement	$278.98	Lock/key replacement
Remove goods to storage and dump fees	$421.48	Remove goods to storage and dump fees
Clean garage after removal of goods	$99.49	Clean garage after removal of goods
Carpet cleaning	$220.00	Carpet cleaning
Odour treatment (insurance excess	$750.00	Odour treatment (insurance excess
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$2,669.25
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$2,669.25

Aminda Hewawasam must pay [The landlord/s] $2,669.25 immediately, calculated as shown in table below:

The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $2,520.00 ([Bond number suppressed]) to [The landlord/s] immediately.

The claim for repairing a hole in the bedroom wall is dismissed.

[The landlord/s] must take personal documents belonging to the tenant (if any), that have been left at the premises, to the nearest Police station and obtain a receipt for them.

After 5.00pm on 16 May 2026, the landlord shall dispose of the other goods left at the premises by the tenant (now in storage) by: a. selling all goods with a saleable value by public auction or by private contract at a reasonable market price, and b. disposing of all goods with no saleable value as the landlord sees fit.

The amount owing to the applicant out of the proceeds of any sale is $2,669.25.

[The landlord/s] must pay the proceeds of any sale, less the amount owing, to the Bond Centre together with a copy of this order.

Reasons

Both parties attended the hearing on 8 May 2026. [XX] represented the landlord. The tenant attended by phone from Sri Lanka.

The landlord has applied for compensation, refund of the bond, a disposal of goods order, and reimbursement of the filing fee following the end of the tenancy. Previous order

The Tribunal terminated this tenancy for rent arrears and granted the landlord possession on 2 February 2026. The Tribunal made an order for rent arrears and the filing fee I have incorporated that money order into this order since it has not been enforced.

Did the tenant comply with his 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 1 .

The tenant did not leave the premises, including the lawns and gardens, reasonably clean and tidy, and did not remove all rubbish.

The tenant did not return all the keys. The landlord was justified in having the locks changed.

The tenant challenged the landlord’s claims for cleaning, carpet cleaning, and for cleaning the heat pump filters.

The tenant said he was locked out of the premises at 7.24am on 5 February 2026 and therefore did not have the chance to clean fully nor remove all his goods.

Because the landlord had a possession order it was entitled to take possession of the premises.

That the tenant did not attend the hearing on 2 February 2026 does not mean that he was entitled to access the premises after the landlord was granted possession.

I note that the landlord did allow him another opportunity to remove his goods after it had taken possession, but he was unable to do so.

The landlord’s evidence establishes that its claims for cleaning generally are proved.

While the landlord is responsible for servicing the heat pump, the tenant is responsible for cleaning the filters.

When tenants keep pets inside premises the Tribunal considers it reasonable for a landlord to have the carpets professionally cleaned to remove pet hair and other contaminants to which new tenants might be allergic.

The landlord had to have the premises deodorised due to the small of cigarette smoke. The cost of that exceeded the insurance excess. The landlord has limited its claim to the amount of the excess.

The tenant said he never smoked. However, the exit report clearly notes the smell of cigarette smoke in the garage and bathroom. If the tenant did not 1 See section 40(1)(e)(ii)-(v) Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (RTA). smoke, probably another person at the premises with his consent did. I find this claim proved.

Because the tenant did not remove all his goods, the landlord had a statutory responsibility to store them. The landlord has now provided the invoices for the payments it made for storage and has proved the storage costs it incurred. The tenant is liable for those costs.

Is the tenant responsible for the damage to the premises?

A landlord must prove that damage to the premises occurred during the tenancy and is more than fair wear and tear. If this is established, to avoid liability, the tenant must prove they did not carelessly or intentionally cause or permit the damage. Tenants are liable for the actions of people at the premises with their permission 2 .

There was a hole in the bedroom wall that was not present during any of the inspections. The final inspection was done on 9 February 2026, 1 week after the tenancy ended. The report notes that in the master bedroom there were large holes on a wall and dark marks. The tenant denies causing any damage.

The claim is based on a quote. The work has not been done. Another tenancy has started.

The quote includes other repairs (to a wardrobe wall) that were not claimed as tenant damage.

I do not find this clam proved. There might be other explanations for the cause of the damage. Disposal of goods

The tenant, unrealistically, said that his goods should be returned to him.

It was the tenant’s responsibility to remove his goods when the tenancy ended.

The tenant said he would try and have a friend collect his goods from storage. I have allowed him until 5.00pm on 16 May 2026 to do that.

The landlord has applied for the disposal of goods that the tenant left at the premises at the end of the tenancy, now in storage.

It is not practicable for the landlord to the return the goods to the tenant given that he now resides in Sri Lanka. Some of the goods might have a value above the cost of storing and selling them. The landlord must sell these goods at a reasonable market price. 2 See sections 40(2)(a), 41 and 49B RTA

The landlord may deduct any amount owing from the sale proceeds and must pay the balance (if any) to the Bond Centre 3 .

The landlord may dispose of any goods that have no saleable value.

The landlord has a quote for disposing of the tenant’s goods. I cannot award the amount of the quote since the tenant might arrange for all his goods to be uplifted in which case no costs will be incurred. Result

The bond will be paid to the landlord.

After the deduction of the bond, the tenant will pay the landlord $2,669.25. Name suppression

The landlord sought, and is entitled to, name suppression, as the application is successful. The tenant did not seek name suppression but would not have been entitled to a name suppression order 4 .

Order

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5447472 — net $2,669.25 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Previous order application 5431869 dated 02/02/2026	$2,023.00	Previous order application 5431869 dated 02/02/2026
Water rates	$12.50	Water rates
Clean heat pump filters	$135.00	Clean heat pump filters
Lawns and garden work; remove items to garage	$557.75	Lawns and garden work; remove items to garage
Storage costs	$336.44	Storage costs
Cleaning	$326.61	Cleaning
Lock/key replacement	$278.98	Lock/key replacement
Remove goods to storage and dump fees	$421.48	Remove goods to storage and dump fees
Clean garage after removal of goods	$99.49	Clean garage after removal of goods
Carpet cleaning	$220.00	Carpet cleaning
Odour treatment (insurance excess	$750.00	Odour treatment (insurance excess
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$2,669.25
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$2,669.25