What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5457451 about?

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

How much money was awarded in case 5457451?

Advertising For New Tenants: $264.50 awarded to landlord; Blinds Pull Mechanism: $23.00 awarded to landlord; Break Lease Fee: $822.25 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $150.00 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $300.00 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Missing Door Stoppers: $60.66 awarded to landlord; Net Curtain: $32.50 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $338.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $850.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $747.50 awarded to landlord; Rent: $3,800.00 awarded to landlord; Rubbish Removal: $69.00 awarded to landlord; Water: $448.38 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5457451?

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

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5457451?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/14188098-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5457451 about?

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

How much money was awarded in case 5457451?

Advertising For New Tenants: $264.50 awarded to landlord; Blinds Pull Mechanism: $23.00 awarded to landlord; Break Lease Fee: $822.25 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $150.00 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $300.00 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Missing Door Stoppers: $60.66 awarded to landlord; Net Curtain: $32.50 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $338.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $850.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $747.50 awarded to landlord; Rent: $3,800.00 awarded to landlord; Rubbish Removal: $69.00 awarded to landlord; Water: $448.38 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5457451?

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

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5457451?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/14188098-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf.

New Zealand Tenancy Tribunal Case 5457451 — Property damage

Reasons

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5457451 — net $5,133.79 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Tenant	Reason
Rent to 16 January 2026	$3,800.00		Rent to 16 January 2026
Water	$448.38		Water
Lock/key replacement	$338.00		Lock/key replacement
Blinds pull mechanism	$23.00		Blinds pull mechanism
Net curtain	$32.50		Net curtain
Lawns rubbish removal	$69.00		Lawns rubbish removal
Carpet Cleaning	$150.00		Carpet Cleaning
Repairs to stairwell wall	$850.00		Repairs to stairwell wall
Repairs to walls	$747.50		Repairs to walls
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00		Filing fee reimbursement
Break lease fee	$822.25		Break lease fee
Advertising for new tenants	$264.50		Advertising for new tenants
Missing door stoppers	$60.66		Missing door stoppers
Meth testing/Cleaning	$300.00		Meth testing/Cleaning
Less bond (already received		$2,800.00	Less bond (already received
Total award	$7,933.79	$2,800.00
Net award	$5,133.79
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$5,133.79

The landlord attended the hearing today. The hearing was scheduled to be held in person. The tenant sought to have the time of the hearing changed due to childcare arrangements. This was declined and the tenant was asked to confirm whether she was attending by telephone. No confirmation was given, and the hearing proceeded in the tenant’s absence.

The landlord has applied for rent arrears, compensation, and the filing fee. The bond has already been refunded to the landlord. Rent and Water

The tenancy was for a fixed term from 29 January 2025 to 28 January 2027 (2 years). The tenant gave 21 days’ notice and vacated on 20 December 2025. The landlords started advertising straight away and their new tenants moved in on 17 January 2026.

I award rent to the end of the tenancy on 16 January 2026 in the sum of $3,800.00.

The landlord provided water invoices to establish that water charges were owing at the end of the tenancy. Cleaning and Rubbish

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.

The premises were left largely in a reasonably clean and tidy condition. The oven needed cleaning and there were some carpet stains.

The small garden also needed mowing. There were some rubbish bags outside to be disposed of.

There were missing door stoppers. Break Lease

The landlords incurred costs finding new tenants after they agreed to release the tenant from the fixed term. These include the cost of a letting agent to find tenants and conduct open homes, and the cost of advertising. I award these amounts as reasonable costs.

The landlords conducted a meth test. This was not because of any suspicions about the tenant, but because it is a requirement of their insurance. The tenant’s early departure meant the landlords were obligated to perform this test.

The landlords had to fund the test a year early because of the tenant’s decision to break the lease. While this cost would have been incurred at some point in the future, I consider it is reasonable to compensate the landlords for the early additional expense. Tenant Damage

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.

Where the damage is caused carelessly, and is covered by the landlord's insurance, the tenant's liability is limited to the lesser of the insurance excess or four weeks' rent. The insurance excess was $2,000.00.

Tenants are liable for the cost of repairing damage that is intentional or which results from any activity at the premises that is an imprisonable offence. This applies to anything the tenant does and anything done by a person they are responsible for.

There was minor damage to the premises. There were some marks around doors where LED lights had been removed, and damage to the stairwell wall (the tenant had performed a repair to some gib board that needed professional enhancement).

One set of blinds were broken and the mechanism to raise and lower the blinds had to be replaced. The digital door lock was damaged. The net curtains had been cut and shortened so they did not hang below the window.

The damage is more than fair wear and tear, and the tenant has not disproved liability for the damage. Filing Fee and Suppression

I grant the landlords name suppression as requested.

The landlord is awarded the filing fee.

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5457451 — net $5,133.79 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Tenant	Reason
Rent to 16 January 2026	$3,800.00		Rent to 16 January 2026
Water	$448.38		Water
Lock/key replacement	$338.00		Lock/key replacement
Blinds pull mechanism	$23.00		Blinds pull mechanism
Net curtain	$32.50		Net curtain
Lawns rubbish removal	$69.00		Lawns rubbish removal
Carpet Cleaning	$150.00		Carpet Cleaning
Repairs to stairwell wall	$850.00		Repairs to stairwell wall
Repairs to walls	$747.50		Repairs to walls
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00		Filing fee reimbursement
Break lease fee	$822.25		Break lease fee
Advertising for new tenants	$264.50		Advertising for new tenants
Missing door stoppers	$60.66		Missing door stoppers
Meth testing/Cleaning	$300.00		Meth testing/Cleaning
Less bond (already received		$2,800.00	Less bond (already received
Total award	$7,933.79	$2,800.00
Net award	$5,133.79
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$5,133.79

Order

An application for suppression has been made in this case, and the Tribunal orders suppression of the landlord’s name and identifying details.
[The tenant/s] tenant/s] must pay [The tenant/s] landlord/s] $5,133.79 immediately, calculated as shown in the table below.

Reasons

The landlord attended the hearing today. The hearing was scheduled to be held in person. The tenant sought to have the time of the hearing changed due to childcare arrangements. This was declined and the tenant was asked to confirm whether she was attending by telephone. No confirmation was given, and the hearing proceeded in the tenant’s absence.
The landlord has applied for rent arrears, compensation, and the filing fee. The bond has already been refunded to the landlord. Rent and Water
The tenancy was for a fixed term from 29 January 2025 to 28 January 2027 (2 years). The tenant gave 21 days’ notice and vacated on 20 December 2025. The landlords started advertising straight away and their new tenants moved in on 17 January 2026.
I award rent to the end of the tenancy on 16 January 2026 in the sum of $3,800.00.
The landlord provided water invoices to establish that water charges were owing at the end of the tenancy. Cleaning and Rubbish
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.
The premises were left largely in a reasonably clean and tidy condition. The oven needed cleaning and there were some carpet stains.
The small garden also needed mowing. There were some rubbish bags outside to be disposed of.
There were missing door stoppers. Break Lease
The landlords incurred costs finding new tenants after they agreed to release the tenant from the fixed term. These include the cost of a letting agent to find tenants and conduct open homes, and the cost of advertising. I award these amounts as reasonable costs.
The landlords conducted a meth test. This was not because of any suspicions about the tenant, but because it is a requirement of their insurance. The tenant’s early departure meant the landlords were obligated to perform this test.
The landlords had to fund the test a year early because of the tenant’s decision to break the lease. While this cost would have been incurred at some point in the future, I consider it is reasonable to compensate the landlords for the early additional expense. Tenant Damage
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.
Where the damage is caused carelessly, and is covered by the landlord's insurance, the tenant's liability is limited to the lesser of the insurance excess or four weeks' rent. The insurance excess was $2,000.00.
Tenants are liable for the cost of repairing damage that is intentional or which results from any activity at the premises that is an imprisonable offence. This applies to anything the tenant does and anything done by a person they are responsible for.
There was minor damage to the premises. There were some marks around doors where LED lights had been removed, and damage to the stairwell wall (the tenant had performed a repair to some gib board that needed professional enhancement).
One set of blinds were broken and the mechanism to raise and lower the blinds had to be replaced. The digital door lock was damaged. The net curtains had been cut and shortened so they did not hang below the window.
The damage is more than fair wear and tear, and the tenant has not disproved liability for the damage. Filing Fee and Suppression
I grant the landlords name suppression as requested.
The landlord is awarded the filing fee.

Tenancy Tribunal case 5457451 — Property damage

At a glance

Tenancy Tribunal case 5457451 — Property damage

At a glance

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

Topics & place

Key findings

Frequently asked questions

Reduce avoidable tribunal risk with proper tenant checks.

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

Topics & place

Key findings

Frequently asked questions

Reduce avoidable tribunal risk with proper tenant checks.