Tenant Ordered to Pay Rent Arrears and Cleaning Costs
📌 In brief
The Tenancy Tribunal ordered the tenant to pay rent arrears, water rates, and cleaning costs after determining that the premises were left unreasonably dirty and that the tenant had accepted responsibility for certain damages.
⚖️ Legal holding
A tenant is required to pay rent arrears, water rates, and cleaning costs when these are proven and the premises are left unreasonably clean and tidy.
📖 Technical summary
The Tenancy Tribunal ordered the tenant to pay rent arrears, water rates, cleaning costs, and a filing fee.
📜 Headnote Official document
The Tenancy Tribunal ordered the tenant to pay rent arrears, water rates, and cleaning costs after finding that the premises were left unreasonably dirty and that the tenant had accepted responsibility for certain damages.
📚 Full judgment Official document
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[2025] NZTT 5096118
TENANCY TRIBUNAL AT WHANGAREI | TE TARAIPIUNARA RETIHANGA KI WHANGĀREI-TERENGA-PARĀOA
APPLICANT: [redacted]
Landlord
RESPONDENT: [redacted]
Tenant
TENANCY ADDRESS: [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]
ORDER
1. [NAME] must pay [COMPANY] (as agent for [NAME]) $575.02 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.
2. The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $2,080.00 (5829449-007) to [COMPANY] immediately.
Description Landlord Tenant Rent arrears $431.43 Previous order application 4839879 dated 17 April 2024 $20.44 Water rates $1,398.46 Carpet Cleaning $182.80 Window repairs $294.89 Cleaning $300.00 Filing fee reimbursement $27.00 Total award $2,655.02 Bond $2,080.00 Total payable by Tenant to Landlord $575.02
Reasons:
1. The tenancy ended on 4 October 2024.
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2. The landlord’s application seeks rent and water rates arrears, cleaning, and re- glazing costs.
3. The hearing took place by phone on 19 March 2025. [NAME] represented the landlord at the hearing. The tenant could not be contacted on the phone number provided. I am satisfied that notice of the hearing was served on the tenant, and the hearing proceeded in the tenant’s absence.
4. The landlord’s rent record establishes rent arrears of $431.43 to the end of the tenancy.
5. Water rates are owed for the full period of the tenancy (20 June 2022 to 4 October 2024). [NAME] provided copies of the relevant WDC invoices and the meter reading at the end of the tenancy. The claim is proven.
6. Tenants must leave the premises reasonably clean and tidy at the end of the tenancy. [NAME] provided photographs showing the condition of the premises at the end of this tenancy. The carpet was stained and dirty. The house was not reasonably clean and tidy. The landlord had professional cleaning done at a cost of $450.00. The claim seeks $300 from the tenant. The cleaning claim is fair and reasonable. The cost of carpet cleaning is proven.
7. There was a broken pane in the ranchslider during the tenancy. [NAME] said that [NAME] accepted responsibility for the damage and agreed to pay, but failed to. The claims seeks the cost of the replacement glass only, not labour and other costs, per an invoice from [NAME] dated 14 May 2024. The claim is proven.
8. There is an amount of $20.44 owed from a previous Tenancy Tribunal Order
9. The landlord has been successful in this application, and I will also award the landlord the filing fee for this application.
10. The proven claim exceeds the amount of the bond. The bond will be released to the landlord.
[NAME]
20 March 2025
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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 for the payment of less than $1000 • a final order to undertake work worth 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 tenant owes $431.43 in rent arrears as proven by the landlord's records.
- The tenant owes $1,398.46 in water rates as proven by the provided invoices and meter readings.
- The tenant owes $300.00 for cleaning costs due to leaving the premises unreasonably clean and tidy.
- The tenant owes $20.44 from a previous Tenancy Tribunal Order.
❌ Tends to be rejected
- The tenant's failure to respond to the hearing notice and participate in the hearing did not affect the outcome.
- The tenant's responsibility for window repairs was accepted, but only the cost of the replacement glass was claimed, not labor and other costs.
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 tenant to pay rent arrears, water rates, and cleaning costs.
What was the dispute about?
The dispute was about unpaid rent, water rates, and cleaning costs after the tenant left the premises unreasonably dirty.
How did the court decide, and why?
The court decided that the tenant must pay the claimed amounts because the premises were left unreasonably dirty and the tenant had accepted responsibility for certain damages.
Which laws or rules were applied?
The Residential Tenancies Act 1986, section 54 was applied.
What was the argument that mattered most?
The argument that mattered most was that the premises were left unreasonably dirty and that the tenant had accepted responsibility for certain damages.
Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?
The decision was for the landlord who brought the case.
What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?
Someone in a similar situation should ensure that the premises are left reasonably clean and tidy at the end of the tenancy to avoid having to pay cleaning costs.
What evidence or documents mattered?
Photographs showing the condition of the premises at the end of the tenancy and invoices for water rates and cleaning costs mattered.