Tenantcheck Insights · Case study
Tenancy Tribunal case 5393683 — Property damage at 6 Hooker Avenue, Bryndwr, Christchurch 8053
Published 12 March 2026 · Application 5393683
- Property damage
- Cleanliness
At a glance
Key facts from the published tribunal order.
Outcome
Landlord favoured
From published order
Location
Christchurch
Tribunal region
Adjudicator
M Allan
Dispute themes
Award balance
Gross awards, any bond applied per the order, and the remaining balance payable.
- Gross award
- $1,466.40
- Total balance for Tenant to pay Landlord
- $1,466.40
Claims & awards
What this tenancy cost at tribunal — claim, category, amount, and party awarded, with reconciled net total.
| Claim | Landlord | Tenant | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slashing grass | $109.56 | Slashing grass | |
| Painting kitchen and cupboards | $906.00 | Painting kitchen and cupboards | |
| Painting walls in bedroom | $307.00 | Painting walls in bedroom | |
| Repairs to hole in wall (bedroom 1 | $46.75 | Repairs to hole in wall (bedroom 1 | |
| Repairs to hole in wall (bedroom 2 | $46.97 | Repairs to hole in wall (bedroom 2 | |
| Cleaning rangehood | $50.12 | Cleaning rangehood | |
| Net award | $1,466.40 | ||
| Total payable by Tenant to Landlord | $1,466.40 |
Claims and awards for application 5393683 — net $1,466.40 NZD. Verify on MoJ.
Slashing grass
- Amount
- $109.56
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Slashing grass
Painting kitchen and cupboards
- Amount
- $906.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Painting kitchen and cupboards
Painting walls in bedroom
- Amount
- $307.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Painting walls in bedroom
Repairs to hole in wall (bedroom 1
- Amount
- $46.75
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Repairs to hole in wall (bedroom 1
Repairs to hole in wall (bedroom 2
- Amount
- $46.97
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Repairs to hole in wall (bedroom 2
Cleaning rangehood
- Amount
- $50.12
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Cleaning rangehood
Net award
Landlord $1,466.40
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord
Landlord $1,466.40
Claim types — money lines allowed on this order
Order
- Te Oti Materoa Kahukura must pay Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities $1,466.40 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.
Reasons
- Only the landlord attended the hearing which was held by video conference. Ms Rea attended on behalf of the landlord.
- There was no appearance by the tenant. I am satisfied that the tenant has been served with the landlord’s application in accordance with the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and so the hearing proceeded in the tenant’s absence.
- This tenancy began on 4 January 2023 and ended on 10 October 2025.
- The landlord has applied compensation for slashing grass, cleaning the rangehood and various painting and repairs following the end of the tenancy.
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, return all keys and security devices, and leave all chattels provided for their benefit. See section 40(1)(e)(ii)-(v) Residential Tenancies Act 1986.
- The landlord produced photos showing that the rangehood was left very dirty and the grass outside was very overgrown and needed slashing before it could be mowed.
- The landlord claimed the sum of $50.12 for cleaning the rangehood and $109.56 for slashing the grass and produced evidence of the charges.
- I am satisfied that the amounts claimed are reasonable and order the amounts claimed.
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. See sections 40(2)(a), 41 and 49B RTA.
- The landlord produced photos showing that the kitchen was covered in grime and scribble, there were holes in the walls of two bedrooms, and one bedroom had to be completely repainted as all walls were covered in drawings and scribble.
- The landlord had to repair the holes and paint the kitchen (including all cupboards) and bedroom.
- The landlord produced an ingoing inspection report with photos showing the property in good condition at the start of the tenancy.
- I am satisfied that the damage occurred during the tenancy and is more than fair wear and tear.
- The landlord claimed the sum of $906.00 to paint the kitchen, depreciated from the actual cost of $1,510.73 on the basis that the property would usually be painted every five years, and had been painted two years before.
- The landlord claimed the sums of $46.75 and $46.97 to repair the holes in bedroom 1 and 2 respectively.
- The landlord claimed the sum of $307.00 to paint the bedroom, depreciated from the actual cost of $512.04 on the same basis as the kitchen painting, as the bedroom had been painted two years before.
- The landlord produced documentation showing the amount of the charges claimed. I am satisfied that the charges are reasonable, and that the depreciation applied is appropriate, and so order the amounts claimed.
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)
Key findings
- Dispute theme: property damage
- Dispute theme: cleaning
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this Tenancy Tribunal case.
What was the outcome of Tenancy Tribunal case 5393683?
The tribunal order states: Te Oti Materoa Kahukura must pay Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities
How much money was awarded in case 5393683?
Cleaning: $50.12 awarded to landlord; Painting Kitchen And Cupboards: $906.00 awarded to landlord; Painting Walls In Bedroom: $307.00 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $46.75 awarded to landlord; Property Damage: $46.97 awarded to landlord; Slashing Grass: $109.56 awarded to landlord
What type of tenancy dispute was case 5393683?
The primary dispute was Property damage. Related themes: Cleanliness.
Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5393683?
The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13272123-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.