What was the outcome of Tenancy Tribunal case 5162071?

The tribunal order states: Elliot James Shaw must pay South British Group Limited $5,919.51

How much money was awarded in case 5162071?

Filing Fee: $27.00 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $5,892.51 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5162071?

The primary dispute was Rent arrears.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5162071?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12222552-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

What was the outcome of Tenancy Tribunal case 5162071?

The tribunal order states: Elliot James Shaw must pay South British Group Limited $5,919.51

How much money was awarded in case 5162071?

Filing Fee: $27.00 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $5,892.51 awarded to landlord

What type of tenancy dispute was case 5162071?

The primary dispute was Rent arrears.

Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5162071?

The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/12222552-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.

82C Symonds Street, Grafton, Auckland 1010 Tenancy Tribunal Case 5162071 — Rent arrears

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5162071 — net $5,919.51 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Rent arrears to 13/01/2025	$5,892.51	Rent arrears to 13/01/2025
Filing fee reimbursement	$27.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$5,919.51
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$5,919.51

Order

Elliot James Shaw must pay South British Group Limited $5,919.51 immediately, calculated as shown in the table below:

Reasons

This is a rehearing of the Tribunal’s order dated 6 May 2025. By order dated 26 June 2025, the Tribunal granted the landlord’s application for rehearing on the basis that the landlord was unable to upload a rent summary prior to the original hearing.
The tenancy arose from an Agreement for Sale and Purchase (“ASP”) dated 16 September 2023 between the parties. The ASP was conditional and never became unconditional, and therefore the tenancy falls within the Tribunal’s jurisdiction under section 5(1)(o) of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (“the Act”). The landlord stated that the tenancy commenced on 16 September 2023. The tenant paid rent until 19 December 2024, after which rent payments ceased. The landlord says the tenant agreed to vacate the premises on 13 January 2025, which marked the end of the tenancy. The landlord subsequently invoiced the tenant on 11 January 2025 for rent arrears of $5,892.51 for the period from 19 December 2024 to 13 January 2025.
At the initial hearing, the landlord’s claim for rent arrears was dismissed because the landlord failed to provide a full rent summary, despite being directed to do so. The landlord has now filed a rehearing application, and a rehearing was granted to allow the landlord to present a full and complete rent summary in support of their claim.
The rehearing was held on 6 August 2025 by teleconference. The landlord attended. The tenant did not appear and could not be reached on the contact number listed in the application I am satisfied that the tenant was properly notified of the hearing, and I proceeded in their absence.
The landlord has provided a rent summary. However, the rent summary is not in the form ordinarily required by the Tribunal. The first entry records rent for the entire period from 16 September 2023 to 13 December 2024 as one combined figure, showing total rent due and paid of $107,250. From 14 December 2024, the rent summary records weekly rent, with arrears accumulating thereafter to 15 January 2025. The landlord’s evidence is that no payments were received after 19 December 2024, resulting in rent arrears of $5,892.51.
The landlord explained that they were confused as they had previously provided a rent ledger generated from a rental software system, but this was not accepted by the Tribunal. The landlord questioned why this would be insufficient, noting that the numerical result was the same and that the same format had been used in prior Tribunal applications. Findings
While the rent summary does not follow the standard format required by the Tribunal, I am satisfied—based on the landlord’s oral evidence and the absence of any contrary evidence from the tenant—that the arrears calculation is reliable and consistent.
There is no evidence of any rent payments being made after 19 December 2024. The landlord has clearly explained the timing and circumstances that led to the arrears. The tenant has not challenged the arrears claimed, either in writing or by attending the hearing. On the balance of probabilities, I am satisfied that the rent arrears of $5,892.51 are proven. Why a Standard Rent Summary is Important
The landlord is reminded that the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (the Act) requires them to keep proper rent records and requires claims to be proven to the civil standard of proof.
To meet the evidentiary burden and support a rent arrears claim, a landlord must provide a complete, itemised rent summary from the start of the tenancy in the standard format used by the Tribunal. This has long been the expected and accepted form of evidence in rent arears cases before the Tribunal.
This is not simply a matter of formatting preference but is essential to ensure accuracy, transparency, and verifiability. A proper rent summary must show the date rent was due, the amount due, the date and amount of each payment, and the running balance. This level of detail is necessary so that the Tribunal and the tenant can clearly follow the calculation of arrears and identify any discrepancies or misallocations of payments.
This enables the Tribunal to assess the claim accurately, ensures fairness to the tenant, and upholds the procedural integrity of the hearing. It also enables the Tribunal—and the tenant—to clearly track rent payments and determine how arrears have accumulated. Summaries must be transparent, chronological, and easy to follow.
Landlords cannot rely solely on software-generated totals or summaries that omit key transactional detail. The purpose of a standard format is not for administrative convenience, but to uphold transparency and procedural fairness—especially where disputes arise, or where a tenant challenges the arrears. Even when rent has been paid consistently for most of the tenancy, the Tribunal must be able to verify that with reference to complete records.
The landlord further noted that producing a week-by-week breakdown would result in approximately eight pages and expressed the view that this was unnecessary because rent was paid consistently until the final weeks of the tenancy, when the tenant—while on bail for criminal charges—ceased paying. While I acknowledge this context, the Tribunal’s evidentiary requirements apply equally in all cases to ensure procedural fairness for both parties. Caution to the Landlord
While I accept the landlord’s evidence in this case, as it is supported by oral testimony and remains unchallenged by the tenant, I emphasise that this is an exception based on the specific circumstances of this case. However, this should not be relied upon in future applications. In any future contested case, a software-generated summary that does not provide a week-by-week breakdown would likely be insufficient to establish arrears.
The landlord is cautioned that future applications should be supported by a full rent ledger in the standard week-by-week format from the start of the tenancy. Failure to do so may result in the claim being adjourned, or in some circumstances, dismissed for lack of adequate evidence, even where arrears exist. Filing Fee
As the landlord has wholly succeeded with the claim, I must order the other party to reimburse the filing fee.

Claims and awards in Tenancy Tribunal application 5162071 — net $5,919.51 NZD. Amounts reconciled from the published order (claims sum and net total). Verify on MoJ.
Claim	Landlord	Reason
Rent arrears to 13/01/2025	$5,892.51	Rent arrears to 13/01/2025
Filing fee reimbursement	$27.00	Filing fee reimbursement
Net award	$5,919.51
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord	$5,919.51

Order

Elliot James Shaw must pay South British Group Limited $5,919.51 immediately, calculated as shown in the table below:

Reasons

This is a rehearing of the Tribunal’s order dated 6 May 2025. By order dated 26 June 2025, the Tribunal granted the landlord’s application for rehearing on the basis that the landlord was unable to upload a rent summary prior to the original hearing.
The tenancy arose from an Agreement for Sale and Purchase (“ASP”) dated 16 September 2023 between the parties. The ASP was conditional and never became unconditional, and therefore the tenancy falls within the Tribunal’s jurisdiction under section 5(1)(o) of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (“the Act”). The landlord stated that the tenancy commenced on 16 September 2023. The tenant paid rent until 19 December 2024, after which rent payments ceased. The landlord says the tenant agreed to vacate the premises on 13 January 2025, which marked the end of the tenancy. The landlord subsequently invoiced the tenant on 11 January 2025 for rent arrears of $5,892.51 for the period from 19 December 2024 to 13 January 2025.
At the initial hearing, the landlord’s claim for rent arrears was dismissed because the landlord failed to provide a full rent summary, despite being directed to do so. The landlord has now filed a rehearing application, and a rehearing was granted to allow the landlord to present a full and complete rent summary in support of their claim.
The rehearing was held on 6 August 2025 by teleconference. The landlord attended. The tenant did not appear and could not be reached on the contact number listed in the application I am satisfied that the tenant was properly notified of the hearing, and I proceeded in their absence.
The landlord has provided a rent summary. However, the rent summary is not in the form ordinarily required by the Tribunal. The first entry records rent for the entire period from 16 September 2023 to 13 December 2024 as one combined figure, showing total rent due and paid of $107,250. From 14 December 2024, the rent summary records weekly rent, with arrears accumulating thereafter to 15 January 2025. The landlord’s evidence is that no payments were received after 19 December 2024, resulting in rent arrears of $5,892.51.
The landlord explained that they were confused as they had previously provided a rent ledger generated from a rental software system, but this was not accepted by the Tribunal. The landlord questioned why this would be insufficient, noting that the numerical result was the same and that the same format had been used in prior Tribunal applications. Findings
While the rent summary does not follow the standard format required by the Tribunal, I am satisfied—based on the landlord’s oral evidence and the absence of any contrary evidence from the tenant—that the arrears calculation is reliable and consistent.
There is no evidence of any rent payments being made after 19 December 2024. The landlord has clearly explained the timing and circumstances that led to the arrears. The tenant has not challenged the arrears claimed, either in writing or by attending the hearing. On the balance of probabilities, I am satisfied that the rent arrears of $5,892.51 are proven. Why a Standard Rent Summary is Important
The landlord is reminded that the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (the Act) requires them to keep proper rent records and requires claims to be proven to the civil standard of proof.
To meet the evidentiary burden and support a rent arrears claim, a landlord must provide a complete, itemised rent summary from the start of the tenancy in the standard format used by the Tribunal. This has long been the expected and accepted form of evidence in rent arears cases before the Tribunal.
This is not simply a matter of formatting preference but is essential to ensure accuracy, transparency, and verifiability. A proper rent summary must show the date rent was due, the amount due, the date and amount of each payment, and the running balance. This level of detail is necessary so that the Tribunal and the tenant can clearly follow the calculation of arrears and identify any discrepancies or misallocations of payments.
This enables the Tribunal to assess the claim accurately, ensures fairness to the tenant, and upholds the procedural integrity of the hearing. It also enables the Tribunal—and the tenant—to clearly track rent payments and determine how arrears have accumulated. Summaries must be transparent, chronological, and easy to follow.
Landlords cannot rely solely on software-generated totals or summaries that omit key transactional detail. The purpose of a standard format is not for administrative convenience, but to uphold transparency and procedural fairness—especially where disputes arise, or where a tenant challenges the arrears. Even when rent has been paid consistently for most of the tenancy, the Tribunal must be able to verify that with reference to complete records.
The landlord further noted that producing a week-by-week breakdown would result in approximately eight pages and expressed the view that this was unnecessary because rent was paid consistently until the final weeks of the tenancy, when the tenant—while on bail for criminal charges—ceased paying. While I acknowledge this context, the Tribunal’s evidentiary requirements apply equally in all cases to ensure procedural fairness for both parties. Caution to the Landlord
While I accept the landlord’s evidence in this case, as it is supported by oral testimony and remains unchallenged by the tenant, I emphasise that this is an exception based on the specific circumstances of this case. However, this should not be relied upon in future applications. In any future contested case, a software-generated summary that does not provide a week-by-week breakdown would likely be insufficient to establish arrears.
The landlord is cautioned that future applications should be supported by a full rent ledger in the standard week-by-week format from the start of the tenancy. Failure to do so may result in the claim being adjourned, or in some circumstances, dismissed for lack of adequate evidence, even where arrears exist. Filing Fee
As the landlord has wholly succeeded with the claim, I must order the other party to reimburse the filing fee.

Tenancy Tribunal case 5162071 — Rent arrears at 82C Symonds Street, Grafton, Auckland 1010

At a glance

Tenancy Tribunal case 5162071 — Rent arrears at 82C Symonds Street, Grafton, Auckland 1010

At a glance

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Property management

Frequently asked questions

Award balance

Claims & awards

Order

Reasons

Topics & place

Residential Tenancies Act sections

Key findings

Property management

Frequently asked questions