Tenant Ordered to Pay Water Rates and Filing Fee
📌 In brief
The Tenancy Tribunal ordered the tenant to pay $1,249.14 to the landlord, which includes water rates and reimbursement of the filing fee. This decision was made because the tenant did not attend the hearing and had not paid the water rates invoices.
⚖️ Legal holding
A tenant is obligated to pay water rates and reimburse the landlord for filing fees as per the tenancy agreement.
📖 Technical summary
The Tribunal ordered the tenant to pay water rates and reimburse the landlord's filing fee.
📜 Headnote Official document
The Tenancy Tribunal ordered the tenant to pay $1,249.14 to the landlord, including water rates and filing fee reimbursement, after the tenant failed to attend the hearing and pay the invoices.
📚 Full judgment Official document
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[2025] NZTT 5106650
TENANCY TRIBUNAL AT REMOTE LOCATION | TE TARAIPIUNARA RETIHANGA
APPLICANT: [redacted]
Landlord
RESPONDENT: [redacted]
Tenant
TENANCY ADDRESS: [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]
ORDER
1. [NAME] and [NAME] must pay Immanuel Enterprises Limited T/As [NAME] As Agent For [COMPANY] $1,249.14 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.
Description Landlord Tenant Water rates $1,427.70 Filing fee reimbursement $27.00 Total award $1,454.70 Bond balance $205.56 Total payable by Tenant to Landlord $1,249.14
2. The Bond Centre is to refund the balance of the bond of $205.56 and release the earlier unrefunded bond of $1,594.44 to the landlord forthwith.
Reasons:
1. Only the landlord attended the video conference hearing. The tenant did not participate. Calls to the tenant’s telephone numbers were unsuccessful.
2. The landlord has applied for water rates, refund of the bond, and reimbursement of the filing fee following the end of the tenancy.
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3. On 31 May 2024, the Tribunal made an order relating to this tenancy under application number 4848001, for rent arrears to 1 June 2024. The previous order is incorporated into this order for enforcement and bond refund purposes.
4. The Tribunal under application number 4848001 directed the bond of $1,594.44 to be refunded to the landlord. The balance of the bond of $205.56 is now dealt with as follows.
How much is owed for water rates?
5. The tenancy ended on 1 June 2024. The landlord provided water rates invoices which prove the amount owing at the end of the tenancy.
6. The landlord also provided their emails sent to the tenant’s email address for service since the start of the tenancy in June 2020 to the end of the tenancy in June 2024 attaching water rates invoices to be paid by the tenant. The tenant has not been required to pay fixed wastewater charges.
7. I am satisfied that the tenant has been issued regular water rates invoices from time to time and the tenant has not paid them as required under the tenancy agreement.
8. The amounts ordered are proved.
9. The whole bond is now disbursed to the landlord.
J Tam
29 April 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 landlord proved the amount of water rates owed by providing invoices.
- The landlord regularly sent the tenant water rates invoices by email.
- The tenant was required to pay water rates under the tenancy agreement.
- The landlord's claim for filing fee reimbursement was accepted.
Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What did this decision decide?
The tenant was ordered to pay $1,249.14 to the landlord, including water rates and reimbursement of the filing fee.
What was the dispute about?
The dispute was about unpaid water rates and the landlord's filing fee.
How did the court decide, and why?
The court decided that the tenant must pay the outstanding water rates and the filing fee because the tenant did not attend the hearing and had not paid the invoices.
Which laws or rules were applied?
No specific laws or rules were mentioned in the judgment.
What was the argument that mattered most?
The most important argument was that the tenant had not paid the water rates invoices as required by the tenancy agreement.
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 they pay all required invoices and attend any scheduled hearings.
What evidence or documents mattered?
The evidence included water rates invoices and emails sent to the tenant's email address for service.