Tenantcheck Insights · Case study
Tenancy Tribunal case 5383813 — Rent arrears at Unit/Flat Flat 3, 347 Armagh Street, Linwood, Christchurch
Published 13 February 2026 · Application 5383813
- Rent arrears
- Property damage
- Cleanliness
At a glance
Key facts from the published tribunal order.
Outcome
Landlord favoured
From published order
Location
Christchurch
Tribunal region
Adjudicator
S Steele
Dispute themes
Award balance
Gross awards, any bond applied per the order, and the remaining balance payable.
- Gross award
- $5,655.85
- Bond payment as ordered
- −$2,040.00
- Total balance for Tenant to pay Landlord
- $3,615.85
Claims & awards
What this tenancy cost at tribunal — claim, category, amount, and party awarded, with reconciled net total.
| Claim | Landlord | Tenant | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent arrears | $2,952.15 | Rent arrears | |
| Carpet Cleaning | $158.00 | Carpet Cleaning | |
| Cleaning: (reduced to remove allowance for outside windows | $300.00 | Cleaning: (reduced to remove allowance for outside windows | |
| Rubbish removal: (dumping fees | $60.38 | Rubbish removal: (dumping fees | |
| Lock/key replacement: (gate remotes and call out fee | $170.00 | Lock/key replacement: (gate remotes and call out fee | |
| Window repairs: (insurance excess | $1,000.00 | Window repairs: (insurance excess | |
| Repairs: (repair and paint damaged walls | $987.32 | Repairs: (repair and paint damaged walls | |
| Filing fee reimbursement | $28.00 | Filing fee reimbursement | |
| Net award | $3,615.85 | ||
| Total payable by Tenant to Landlord | $3,615.85 |
Claims and awards for application 5383813 — net $3,615.85 NZD. Verify on MoJ.
Rent arrears
- Amount
- $2,952.15
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Rent arrears
Carpet Cleaning
- Amount
- $158.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Carpet Cleaning
Cleaning: (reduced to remove allowance for outside windows
- Amount
- $300.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Cleaning: (reduced to remove allowance for outside windows
Rubbish removal: (dumping fees
- Amount
- $60.38
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Rubbish removal: (dumping fees
Lock/key replacement: (gate remotes and call out fee
- Amount
- $170.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Lock/key replacement: (gate remotes and call out fee
Window repairs: (insurance excess
- Amount
- $1,000.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Window repairs: (insurance excess
Repairs: (repair and paint damaged walls
- Amount
- $987.32
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Repairs: (repair and paint damaged walls
Filing fee reimbursement
- Amount
- $28.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Filing fee reimbursement
Net award
Landlord $3,615.85
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord
Landlord $3,615.85
Claim types — money lines allowed on this order
Order
- Monique Willan and Brayden Vincent must pay Nicola Reed $3,615.85 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.
- The Bond Centre is to pay the bond of $2,040.00 (BN-00167970) to Nicola Reed immediately.
Reasons
- The landlord attended the hearing. The tenants did not attend.
- The landlord has applied for rent arrears, compensation, refund of the bond, and reimbursement of the filing fee following the end of the tenancy.
How much is owed for rent?
- The rent was in arrears from the very beginning of the tenancy.
- On 14 October 2025, Mr Vincent gave 21 days’ notice to end the periodic tenancy. The landlord said that the tenancy could end completely on 4 November 2025, or Ms Willan could take over tenancy herself reimbursing the full bond and remaining liable for full rent. The tenants did not respond to the landlord’s communication.
- Ms Willan remained in the property with rent getting further into arrears but eventually agreed to leave on 4 December 2025. She did not actually leave the premises until 7 December 2025, but the landlord claims rent to 4 December only. The landlord provided rent records which prove the amount owing on 4 December 2025, being $2952.15.
Did the tenant comply with their obligations at the end of the tenancy?
- At the end of the tenancy the tenant must leave the premises reasonably clean and tidy, remove all rubbish, and return all keys and security devices under section 40(1)(e)(ii)-(v) of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (the Act).
- The tenant did not leave the premises reasonably clean and tidy and did not remove all rubbish.
- The landlord provided a pre-tenancy inspection (signed by the tenants) showing the premises to be clean and freshly painted just prior to the tenancy beginning.
- The landlord provided photographs and invoices to confirm that the tenant had done no cleaning and had not removed all of their items before leaving the premises.
- The carpets in a number of rooms were stained during the tenancy and required professional cleaning (twice) at a cost of $158.00.
- The house required cleaning at a total cost of $350.00. $50.00 has been deducted from this amount as it included an allowance for cleaning exterior windows which is not usually a tenants’ responsibility.
- The tenant left multiple items inside the property, including in the fridge, and other rubbish at the premises after the tenancy ended. The landlord provided photographs to confirm this and an invoice to show the dumping costs of $60.38.
- The tenant had a number of unauthorised people staying at the property or visiting and, as a consequence, the gate remote controls had to be replaced at a cost of $170.00.
- The amounts ordered are proved.
Is the tenant responsible for the damage to the premises?
- A landlord must prove that damage to the premises occurred during the tenancy and is more than fair wear and tear. If this is established, to avoid liability, the tenant must prove they did not carelessly or intentionally cause or permit the damage. Tenants are liable for the actions of people at the premises with their permission under sections 40(2)(a), 41 and 49B of the Act.
- Where the damage is caused carelessly, and is covered by the landlord's insurance, the tenant's liability is limited to the lesser of the insurance excess or four weeks' rent under section 49B(3)(a) of the Act.
- The following damage was caused during the tenancy: a. An upstairs window was broken requiring an insurance claim with the excess payable by the landlord being $1,000.00. b. Various walls were damaged at a repair cost of $987.32 for repairs and repainting as required
- The damage is more than fair wear and tear, and the tenant has not disproved liability for the damage.
- The amounts ordered are proved.
- As Nicola Reed has wholly succeeded with the claim I must reimburse the filing fee.
Topics & place
Topics are dispute themes across the order (not the same as claim-type money lines).
Residential Tenancies Act sections
s40(1), s40(2), s49B(3)
Key findings
- Dispute theme: rent arrears
- Dispute theme: cleaning
- Dispute theme: property damage
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this Tenancy Tribunal case.
What was the outcome of Tenancy Tribunal case 5383813?
The tribunal order states: Monique Willan and Brayden Vincent must pay Nicola Reed $3,615.85
How much money was awarded in case 5383813?
Cleaning: $158.00 awarded to landlord; Cleaning: $300.00 awarded to landlord; Filing Fee: $28.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $170.00 awarded to landlord; Rent Arrears: $2,952.15 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $987.32 awarded to landlord; Rubbish Removal: $60.38 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $1,000.00 awarded to landlord
What type of tenancy dispute was case 5383813?
The primary dispute was Rent arrears. Related themes: Property damage, Cleanliness.
Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5383813?
The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13087703-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.