Tenantcheck Insights · Case study
Tenancy Tribunal case 5489519 — Rent arrears at 69 Riselaw Street, Mairehau, Christchurch 8013
Decided 17 Jun 2026 · Published 17 Jun 2026 · Application 5489519
- Rent arrears
At a glance
Key facts from the published tribunal order.
Outcome
Landlord favoured
From published order
Location
Christchurch
Tribunal region
Adjudicator
R Morgan
Dispute themes
Award balance
Gross awards, any bond applied per the order, and the remaining balance payable.
- Gross award
- $1,156.00
- Bond payment as ordered
- −$266.00
- Total balance for Tenant to pay Landlord
- $890.00
Claims & awards
What this tenancy cost at tribunal — claim, category, amount, and party awarded, with reconciled net total.
| Claim | Landlord | Tenant | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent arrears and rent to 30 June 2026 | $1,156.00 | Rent arrears and rent to 30 June 2026 | |
| Net award | $890.00 | ||
| Total payable by Tenant to Landlord | $890.00 |
Claims and awards for application 5489519 — net $890.00 NZD. Verify on MoJ.
Rent arrears and rent to 30 June 2026
- Amount
- $1,156.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Rent arrears and rent to 30 June 2026
Net award
Landlord $890.00
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord
Landlord $890.00
Claim types — money lines allowed on this order
Order
- The tenancy of Nicole Mary Jones (Garbutt) at 69 Riselaw Street, Mairehau, Christchurch 8013 is terminated, and possession is granted to Kāinga Ora– Homes And Communities, at 11:59pm on Tuesday, 30 June 2026.
- The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $266.00 (3601321-008) to Kāinga Ora– Homes And Communities immediately.
- Nicole Mary Jones (Garbutt) must pay Kāinga Ora–Homes And Communities $890.00 immediately, calculated as shown in the table below: DescriptionLandlord Rent arrears and rent to 30 June 2026$1,156.00 Total award$1,156.00 Bond$266.00 Total payable by Tenant to Landlord$890.00
Reasons
- Both parties attended the hearing by video.
- The landlord has applied for termination of the tenancy, rent arrears and refund of the bond.
- Where rent is at least 21 days in arrears on the date the application was filed, the Tribunal must make either a final or a conditional termination order. See section 55(1)(a) and (1A) Residential Tenancies Act 1986.
- Rent was at least 21 days in arrears on the date the application was filed. The tenant wants to repay the debt to avoid immediate termination. The Landlord opposes a conditional termination order being made. So, I must consider whether I can be satisfied that the tenant will pay the debt within a period specified in the order and is unlikely to commit any further relevant breach. Section 55(1A) Residential Tenancies Act.
- This a long tenancy. It started in 2015. The landlord provided evidence of rent accrual and payments throughout the entire tenancy. The rent has been in arrears more often than not since the tenancy started. The landlord forgave $18,056.00 of rent debt in 2025. The Tribunal has made a conditional termination order in respect of this tenancy which the tenant did not comply with. However, the landlord did not enforce the order within the 90-day period, so it lapsed. See section 64(4)(b) Residential Tenancies Act 1986.
- While the rent summary shows that the tenant has made efforts to bring the arrears down, it also demonstrates inconsistency and periods of non-payment. The tenant’s proposal for repayment of the arrears is $5.00 per week. That would take approximately 4 years. The lack of consistency in the rent summary means that I cannot be reasonably satisfied that the tenant will pay the debt within a period specified in the order and nor can I be satisfied that she is unlikely to commit any further relevant breach. So, I must terminate the tenancy.
- The landlord suggested a termination date of 23 June. I have allowed the tenant to 30 June 2026, as she requested. The landlord provided a rent summary showing that $970 to today, the tenant will be required to pay for the 2 weeks to 30 June, that is a total rent owing of $1,156.00.
Topics & place
Topics are dispute themes across the order (not the same as claim-type money lines).
Residential Tenancies Act sections
s55(1), s55(1A), s64(4)
Key findings
- Dispute theme: rent arrears
Property management
- Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities (applicant)
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this Tenancy Tribunal case.
What was the outcome of Tenancy Tribunal case 5489519?
The tribunal order states: The tenancy of Nicole Mary Jones (Garbutt) at 69 Riselaw Street, Mairehau,
How much money was awarded in case 5489519?
Rent Arrears: $1,156.00 awarded to landlord
What type of tenancy dispute was case 5489519?
The primary dispute was Rent arrears.
Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5489519?
The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13760023-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.