Tenantcheck Insights · Case study
Tenancy Tribunal case 5406189 — Cleanliness at 81 William Jones Drive, Otangarei, Whangarei 0112
Published 14 May 2026 · Application 5406189
- Cleanliness
At a glance
Key facts from the published tribunal order.
Outcome
Landlord favoured
From published order
Location
Whangarei
Tribunal region
Adjudicator
N Maplesden
Dispute themes
Award balance
Gross awards, any bond applied per the order, and the remaining balance payable.
- Gross award
- $2,204.26
- Total balance for Tenant to pay Landlord
- $2,204.26
Claims & awards
What this tenancy cost at tribunal — claim, category, amount, and party awarded, with reconciled net total.
| Claim | Landlord | Tenant | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning | $404.26 | Cleaning | |
| Rubbish removal | $1,800.00 | Rubbish removal | |
| Net award | $2,204.26 | ||
| Total payable by Tenant to Landlord | $2,204.26 |
Claims and awards for application 5406189 — net $2,204.26 NZD. Verify on MoJ.
Cleaning
- Amount
- $404.26
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Cleaning
Rubbish removal
- Amount
- $1,800.00
- Awarded to
- Landlord
- Reason
- Rubbish removal
Net award
Landlord $2,204.26
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord
Landlord $2,204.26
Claim types — money lines allowed on this order
Order
- Lovey Mark must pay Kāinga Ora–Homes And Communities $2,204.26 immediately, calculated as shown in table below.
Reasons
- The landlord attended the hearing held remotely today. I telephoned the tenant however the phone went to voicemail. I continued with the hearing as the tenant has been posted notice of the hearing date and time to their current address.
- The landlord has applied for compensation for cleaning and rubbish removal costs following the end of the tenancy.
- The tenancy ended on 22 October 2025 as the landlord is renovating the property. The tenant has relocated to another Kāinga Ora-owned property.
- A tenant must leave premises reasonably clean and tidy and remove all rubbish at the end of a tenancy. Section 40(1)(e)(ii)-(v) Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (RTA).
- Photographs were provided which show:- a. The kitchen surfaces and bathroom were reasonably clean, but the rest of the house needed cleaning on floors, walls, and doors. b. An old washing machine and miscellaneous bits and pieces were left inside the house. c. A large amount of rubbish was left outside including an old boat, car parts, four tyres, two cabinets (one very large), a mattress, and assorted wood, building materials and outdoor items. A lean-to had been built by the tenant. This had to be demolished, and the materials removed.
- The landlord claims its costs of $552.32 for cleaning and $3,017.17 for rubbish removal and labour.
- It is well established that the Tribunal may reduce the amount awarded to what is reasonable.
- I reduce the amount claimed for cleaning to recognise the clean bathroom and kitchen surfaces and award a total of $404.26 (house $300.00, kitchen cupboards $104.26).
- I accept the volume of rubbish was as claimed (2 cubic metres inside and 15 cubic metres outside) and that labour of two people for up to six hours to collect and dump the rubbish, is reasonable.
- I award a total of $1,800.00 for rubbish removal and labour which equates to the cost of two 9 cubic metre skip bins (approximately $1,000) and labour of $800.00.
- I make no suppression orders. The landlord has substantially succeeded with the claim however as the government social housing provider the public interest is in transparency of its actions and costs. There is no good reason to suppress the tenant’s name.
Topics & place
Topics are dispute themes across the order (not the same as claim-type money lines).
Residential Tenancies Act sections
s40(1)
Key findings
- Dispute theme: cleaning
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this Tenancy Tribunal case.
What was the outcome of Tenancy Tribunal case 5406189?
The tribunal order states: Lovey Mark must pay Kāinga Ora–Homes And Communities $2,204.26
How much money was awarded in case 5406189?
Cleaning: $404.26 awarded to landlord; Rubbish Removal: $1,800.00 awarded to landlord
What type of tenancy dispute was case 5406189?
The primary dispute was Cleanliness.
Where can I read the official tribunal order for case 5406189?
The official Ministry of Justice published order is available at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/13598342-Tenancy_Tribunal_Order.pdf.