Tenant Ordered to Pay $6,512.25 for Repairs and Cleaning Costs

OUTCOME: Allowed

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[2026] NZTT 5456929

TENANCY TRIBUNAL AT WHANGAREI | TE TARAIPIUNARA RETIHANGA KI WHANGĀREI-TERENGA-PARĀOA

APPLICANT: [redacted]

Landlord

RESPONDENT: [redacted]

Tenant

TENANCY ADDRESS: [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]

ORDER

1. [RESPONDENT] and [RESPONDENT] must pay [APPELLANT] and [NAME] $6,512.25 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.

Description Landlord Tenant Replace stove $474.00 Paint bedroom walls $351.00 Rubbish removal $3,330.25 Lawns and Garden work: Slash and mow lawns, tidy gardens

$1,200.00

Replace carpet - lounge $1,157.00 Total award $6,512.25 Total payable by Tenant to Landlord $6,512.25

Reasons:

Background

1. The tenancy began on 18 December 2023. The premises were new at that time.

2. The tenancy ended on 8 January 2026.

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3. The premises were left in a very poor state. An extraordinary amount of rubbish was left inside an outside the premises. There was damage. The lawns were overgrown to the point that they could not be mowed.

4. [NAME]’s application seeks vacated repairs, rubbish removal, and other costs.

5. The hearing took place in Whangarei on 3 June 2026. [NAME] [NAME] [NAME] attended the hearing by phone with the consent of the Tribunal. There was no appearance by the tenant. The Registrar attempted to contact the tenant before, and again at the commencement, of the hearing. There was no answer. The hearing proceeded in the tenant’s absence.

Findings

6. At the hearing [NAME] presented a modified claim that withdrew some of their previous costs and reduced others.

7. The exit condition report supports all of [NAME]’s claims for repairs, rubbish removal, and lawn / garden costs. It seems that the tenants simply ‘walked away’ from the property, leaving mess and damage behind.

8. The amounts claimed are very reasonable and conservative. The rubbish removal cost claimed is less than the actual cost incurred by [NAME]. The claim seeks replacement of the carpet in the lounge only, when replacement of the carpet throughout the house would be justified.

9. In short, I am satisfied that the claim is proven.

[NAME]

05 June 2026

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Please read carefully: Visit justice.govt.nz/tribunals/tenancy/rehearings-appeals for more information on rehearings and appeals.

Rehearings You can apply for a rehearing if you believe that a substantial wrong or miscarriage of justice has happened. For example: • you did not get the letter telling you the date of the hearing, or • the adjudicator improperly admitted or rejected evidence, or • new evidence, relating to the original application, has become available.

You must give reasons and evidence to support your application for a rehearing. A rehearing will not be granted just because you disagree with the decision. You must apply within five working days of the decision using the Application for Rehearing form: justice.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Forms/TT-Application-for-rehearing.pdf

Right of Appeal Both the landlord and the tenant can file an appeal. You should file your appeal at the District Court where the original hearing took place. The cost for an appeal is $260. You must apply within 10 working days after the decision is issued using this Appeal to the District Court form: justice.govt.nz/tribunals/tenancy/rehearings-appeals

Grounds for an appeal You can appeal if you think the decision was wrong, but not because you don’t like the decision. For some cases, there’ll be no right to appeal. For example, you can’t appeal: • against an interim order • a final order, or the failure to make an order, where the amount in dispute on appeal is

less than $1000 • a final order to undertake work, or the failure to make an order, where the value of the

work in dispute on appeal is less than $1000.

Enforcement Where the Tribunal made an order about money or property this is called a civil debt. The Ministry of Justice Collections Team can assist with enforcing civil debt. You can contact the collections team on [PHONE] or go to justice.govt.nz/fines/civil-debt for forms and information.

Notice to a party ordered to pay money or vacate premises, etc. Failure to comply with any order may result in substantial additional costs for enforcement. It may also involve being ordered to appear in the District Court for an examination of your means or seizure of your property.

If you require further help or information regarding this matter, visit tenancy.govt.nz/disputes/enforcing- decisions or phone Tenancy Services on [PHONE].

Mēna ka hiahia koe ki ētahi atu awhina, kōrero ranei mo tēnei take, haere ki tenei ipurangi tenancy.govt.nz/disputes/enforcing-decisions, waea atu ki Ratonga Takirua ma runga [PHONE] ranei.

https://www.justice.govt.nz/tribunals/tenancy/rehearings-appeals https://www.justice.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Forms/TT-Application-for-rehearing.pdf https://www.justice.govt.nz/tribunals/tenancy/rehearings-appeals/ https://www.justice.govt.nz/fines/about-civil-debt/ https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/disputes/enforcing-decisions https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/disputes/enforcing-decisions http://www.tenancy.govt.nz/disputes/enforcing-decisions/

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A manaomia nisi faamatalaga poo se fesoasoani, e uiga i lau mataupu, asiasi ifo le matou aupega tafailagi: tenancy.govt.nz/disputes/enforcing-decisions, pe fesootai mai le Tenancy Services i le numera [PHONE].

Reasons: