Tenant ordered to pay reduced cleaning costs
📌 In brief
The Tenancy Tribunal ordered the tenants to pay a reduced cleaning cost of $260.00. The Tribunal considered photos provided by the landlord and found that while some areas were left reasonably clean, others required cleaning.
⚖️ Legal holding
A tenant must leave the premises reasonably clean upon termination of the tenancy.
📖 What the law says
This section states that a tenant must keep the rented property reasonably clean and tidy during their tenancy. When the tenancy ends, the tenant must leave the property in a reasonably clean and tidy condition and remove all their belongings and rubbish.
Plain-English explanation — does not replace advice from a lawyer.
📖 Technical summary
The Tribunal ordered the tenants to pay cleaning costs, reducing the amount due.
📜 Headnote Official document
The Tenancy Tribunal ordered the tenants to pay a reduced cleaning cost of $260.00, acknowledging that certain areas were left reasonably clean while others required cleaning.
📚 Full judgment Official document
__________________________________________________________________________________ 5434748 1
[2026] NZTT 5434748, 5450529
TENANCY TRIBUNAL AT REMOTE LOCATION | TE TARAIPIUNARA RETIHANGA
APPLICANTS and RESPONDENTS:
[redacted] Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage
Tenant
RESPONDENT and APPLICANT:
[redacted]
Landlord
TENANCY ADDRESS: [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]
ORDER
1. The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $375.76 (BN-17369425) immediately apportioned as follows:
[COMPANY] As Agents For [NAME]: $260.00
[NAME] Mudiyanselage:
$115.76
Reasons:
1. Both parties attended the hearing by video conference. Ms [NAME] represented all three tenants at today’s hearing.
2. This tenancy ended on 19 December 2025. The parties agreed to most issues at a mediation but could not resolve the issue of cleaning costs at the end of the tenancy.
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3. Today’s hearing was therefore solely concerned with whether the tenants had left the premises reasonably clean.
4. The landlord claims the invoiced cost of cleaning the premises - $375.76.
5. The tenants say that the premises were left reasonably clean, as required by s40(e)(iii) of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986.
6. The landlord is required to prove their claim to the civil standard of proof. That is, that on the balance of probabilities their version of events is the correct one. In this case that would mean that the landlord must show that more likely than not, the premises were not left reasonably clean, justifying an invoice of $375.76.
7. In a disputed situation such as this one, in order to prove the claim to the required standard, the landlord must provide some objective evidence to support their claim.
8. The landlord provided this objective evidence in the form of photos.
9. These photographs show that many areas of the house were not left reasonably clean – for example, the bathrooms, the toilet, much of the kitchen, window sills and skirting boards.
10. However I have reduced the amount payable by the tenants to $260.00. This is for reasons that include:
(a) The invoice stated that the heat pump, including the filter needed to be cleaned. The landlord acknowledge that the tenants left the filter clean and there were no photographs evidencing that the heat pump was dirty; and
(b) The photographs only show that the lounge floor needed vacuuming and the tenants were invoiced for vacuuming the whole house; and
(c) The photographs show that the inside of the kitchen cupboards were left reasonably clean and the tenants were invoiced for this cleaning; and
(d) I consider the kitchen floor and entrance way floor were left reasonably clean and the tenants were invoiced for this cleaning; and
(e) The photographs do not show that the tenants left the kitchen bench in an unreasonable state.
11. I remind the parties that tenants are required to leave the premises reasonably clean, not perfectly clean and ready for the next tenant.
12. I also note that landlords are not required to provide the tenants with an opportunity to fix things that they have missed..
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C ter Haar
17 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:
⚖️ What tends to weigh in cases like this
✅ Tends to be accepted
- The landlord provided photos showing the premises were not left reasonably clean.
- The tenants left the filter of the heat pump clean, reducing the cleaning costs.
- Only parts of the house needed cleaning, not the entire house as charged.
- The kitchen cupboards and floors were left reasonably clean, reducing the cleaning costs.
- The kitchen bench was left in a reasonable state, reducing the cleaning costs.
❌ Tends to be rejected
- The tenants were fully responsible for leaving the premises reasonably clean.
- The landlord was not required to give tenants an opportunity to clean up missed areas.
- The full cleaning invoice of $375.76 was not justified by the condition of the premises.
- The tenants were invoiced for cleaning tasks that were not necessary based on the photos.
- The requirement for tenants to leave the premises reasonably clean was not met in all areas.
Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What did this decision decide?
The Tenancy Tribunal ordered the tenants to pay a reduced cleaning cost of $260.00.
What was the dispute about?
The dispute was about whether the tenants left the premises reasonably clean upon termination of the tenancy.
How did the court decide, and why?
The court decided that the tenants must pay a reduced cleaning cost of $260.00, considering photos provided by the landlord which showed that some areas were left reasonably clean while others required cleaning.
Which laws or rules were applied?
The Residential Tenancies Act 1986, section 40(e)(iii) was applied.
What was the argument that mattered most?
The argument that mattered most was the requirement under the Residential Tenancies Act for tenants to leave the premises reasonably clean.
Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?
The decision was for the landlord, as the tenants were ordered to pay a reduced cleaning cost.
What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?
For someone in a similar situation, it means that leaving the premises reasonably clean is a requirement under the Residential Tenancies Act, and failure to do so may result in a cleaning cost being imposed.
What evidence or documents mattered?
Photos provided by the landlord showing the condition of the premises mattered in the decision.