What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5476442 about?

The tribunal order states: [The tenant/s] tenant/s] must pay Habitat For Humanity Northern Region Limited $1,785.08

How much money was awarded in case 5476442?

Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $2,080.00 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $156.00 awarded to landlord; Water Rates: $157.08 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5476442?

The primary dispute was Property damage. Related themes: Rent arrears.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5476442?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/14118612-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

What was Tenancy Tribunal case 5476442 about?

The tribunal order states: [The tenant/s] tenant/s] must pay Habitat For Humanity Northern Region Limited $1,785.08

How much money was awarded in case 5476442?

Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $2,080.00 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $156.00 awarded to landlord; Water Rates: $157.08 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5476442?

The primary dispute was Property damage. Related themes: Rent arrears.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5476442?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/14118612-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

26 Warren Place, Woodhill, Whangarei 0110 Tenancy Tribunal Case 5476442 — Property damage

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26 Warren Place, Woodhill, Whangarei 0110 Tenancy Tribunal Case 5476442 — Property damage | TenantCheck

Claims & awards

What this tenancy cost at tribunal — claim, category, amount, and party awarded, with reconciled net total.

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5476442 — net $1,785.08 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Rent arrears	$156.00	Rent arrears
Water rates	$157.08	Water rates
Repairs	$2,080.00	Repairs
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$1,785.08
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$1,785.08

Claims and awards for application 5476442 — net $1,785.08 NZD. Verify on MoJ.

Rent arrears

Amount: $156.00
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: Rent arrears

Water rates

Amount: $157.08
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: Water rates

Repairs

Amount: $2,080.00
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: Repairs

Filing fee reimbursement

Amount: $28.00
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: Filing fee reimbursement

Net award

Landlord $1,785.08

Total payable by Tenant to Landlord

Landlord $1,785.08

Claim types — money lines allowed on this order

Filing Fee Property damage Rent arrears Water Rates

Order

[The tenant/s] tenant/s] must pay Habitat For Humanity Northern Region Limited $1,785.08 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.
The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $636.00 (BN-10105942) to Habitat For Humanity Northern Region Limited immediately.

Reasons

The landlord attended the hearing, set down to be conducted via video conference. There was no entry into the conference by the tenant, nor any call in to the conference by one of the telephone numbers provided on the Notice of Hearing. I was satisfied adequate service had completed and I continued with the hearing.
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 and water rates?

The tenancy ended on 3 February 2026.
The landlord provided rent records and water rates invoices which prove the amounts for each as owing at the end of the tenancy are as ordered.

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. See sections 40(2)(a), 41 and 49B RTA.
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 (or four weeks' market rent in the case of a tenant paying income-related rent). See section 49B(3)(a) RTA.
Where the damage is careless and is not covered by the landlord's insurance, the tenant's liability is limited to four weeks' rent (or market rent). See section 49B(3)(b) RTA. Where insurance money is irrecoverable because of the tenant's conduct, the property is treated as if it is not insured against the damage. See section 49B(3A)(a) RTA.
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. See section 49B(1) RTA.
Damage is intentional where a person intends to cause damage and takes the necessary steps to achieve that purpose. Damage is also intentional where a person does something, or allows a situation to continue, knowing that damage is a certainty. See Guo v Korck [2019] NZHC 1541.
The walls of the premises were badly damaged in multiple places. The main issues was extensive graffiti/art that required significant effort to remove and then prepare the walls for repainting. The landlord used internal resources to complete the repairs but provided an invoice for $2,080.00 based on 35 hours labour. The team have appropriate supplies on hand to effect the repair (such as plastering compound) and paint is provided for free from a paint manufacturer. The photos provided by the landlord were reviewed in detail and discussed during the hearing using the screen share function to allow both in attendance to look and comment at specific photos in time.
I am satisfied that the effort reflected in the invoice aligns with the damage and repairs required as evidenced in the photos provided.
The damage is more than fair wear and tear, and the tenant has not disproved liability for the damage.
The claim is awarded in full.
The amounts ordered are proved.
The premises was newly built in 2023 and no consideration of depreciation or betterment is required. Filing fee
Because Habitat For Humanity Northern Region Limited has wholly succeeded with the claim I must reimburse the filing fee.

Claims & awards

What this tenancy cost at tribunal — claim, category, amount, and party awarded, with reconciled net total.

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5476442 — net $1,785.08 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Rent arrears	$156.00	Rent arrears
Water rates	$157.08	Water rates
Repairs	$2,080.00	Repairs
Filing fee reimbursement	$28.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$1,785.08
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$1,785.08

Claims and awards for application 5476442 — net $1,785.08 NZD. Verify on MoJ.

Rent arrears

Amount: $156.00
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: Rent arrears

Water rates

Amount: $157.08
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: Water rates

Repairs

Amount: $2,080.00
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: Repairs

Filing fee reimbursement

Amount: $28.00
Awarded to: Landlord
Reason: Filing fee reimbursement

Net award

Landlord $1,785.08

Total payable by Tenant to Landlord

Landlord $1,785.08

Claim types — money lines allowed on this order

Filing Fee Property damage Rent arrears Water Rates

Order

[The tenant/s] tenant/s] must pay Habitat For Humanity Northern Region Limited $1,785.08 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.
The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $636.00 (BN-10105942) to Habitat For Humanity Northern Region Limited immediately.

Reasons

The landlord attended the hearing, set down to be conducted via video conference. There was no entry into the conference by the tenant, nor any call in to the conference by one of the telephone numbers provided on the Notice of Hearing. I was satisfied adequate service had completed and I continued with the hearing.
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 and water rates?

The tenancy ended on 3 February 2026.
The landlord provided rent records and water rates invoices which prove the amounts for each as owing at the end of the tenancy are as ordered.

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. See sections 40(2)(a), 41 and 49B RTA.
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 (or four weeks' market rent in the case of a tenant paying income-related rent). See section 49B(3)(a) RTA.
Where the damage is careless and is not covered by the landlord's insurance, the tenant's liability is limited to four weeks' rent (or market rent). See section 49B(3)(b) RTA. Where insurance money is irrecoverable because of the tenant's conduct, the property is treated as if it is not insured against the damage. See section 49B(3A)(a) RTA.
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. See section 49B(1) RTA.
Damage is intentional where a person intends to cause damage and takes the necessary steps to achieve that purpose. Damage is also intentional where a person does something, or allows a situation to continue, knowing that damage is a certainty. See Guo v Korck [2019] NZHC 1541.
The walls of the premises were badly damaged in multiple places. The main issues was extensive graffiti/art that required significant effort to remove and then prepare the walls for repainting. The landlord used internal resources to complete the repairs but provided an invoice for $2,080.00 based on 35 hours labour. The team have appropriate supplies on hand to effect the repair (such as plastering compound) and paint is provided for free from a paint manufacturer. The photos provided by the landlord were reviewed in detail and discussed during the hearing using the screen share function to allow both in attendance to look and comment at specific photos in time.
I am satisfied that the effort reflected in the invoice aligns with the damage and repairs required as evidenced in the photos provided.
The damage is more than fair wear and tear, and the tenant has not disproved liability for the damage.
The claim is awarded in full.
The amounts ordered are proved.
The premises was newly built in 2023 and no consideration of depreciation or betterment is required. Filing fee
Because Habitat For Humanity Northern Region Limited has wholly succeeded with the claim I must reimburse the filing fee.

Tenancy Tribunal case 5476442 — Property damage at 26 Warren Place, Woodhill, Whangarei 0110

At a glance

Tenancy Tribunal case 5476442 — Property damage at 26 Warren Place, Woodhill, Whangarei 0110

At a glance

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

How much is owed for rent and water rates?

Is the tenant responsible for the damage to the premises?

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Property management

Frequently asked questions

Reduce avoidable tribunal risk with proper tenant checks.

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

How much is owed for rent and water rates?

Is the tenant responsible for the damage to the premises?

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Property management

Frequently asked questions

Reduce avoidable tribunal risk with proper tenant checks.