Published tribunal order
Tenancy Tribunal case 5427631 — Rent arrears at 74 Springs Road, Hornby, Christchurch 8042
Published 16 April 2026 · Application 5427631
Mixed / unclear
- Rent arrears
- Smoke alarms
- Cleanliness
Order
- Melvin Lynn is to pay Whittle Knight & Boatwood Estate Agents Limited $1,132.14, calculated as follows: DescriptionLandlord Rent to 23 September 2025$1,887.14 Cleaning and rubbish removal$1,405.00 Total award$3,292.14 Less Bond$2,160.00 Tenant to pay$1,132.14
- The Bond Centre is to pay the full bond to Whittle Knight & Boatwood Estate Agents Limited immediately.
Reasons
- The Landlord attended the hearing. I called the Tenant and was directed to the Tenant’s voicemail. The Landlord has used that phone number previously and has had no recent contact with the Tenant. The Tenant was served at his email address for service.
- 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 tenancy ended on 23 September 2025. The landlord provided rent records which prove the amount owing at the end of the tenancy: $1,887.14
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 tenant is required to replace worn out smoke alarm batteries during the tenancy. See section 40(1)(ca) Residential Tenancies Act 1986. The tenant must also replace standard light bulbs.
- I am satisfied the tenant did not leave the premises reasonably clean and tidy, and did not remove all rubbish. The landlord produced an invoice headed “full house cleaning” for 74 Springs Road. That invoice separately records a service fee of $280.00 for two people working three hours to remove furniture and rubbish, together with a dump fee of $250.00. It then records the balance of the work as cleaning, including the kitchen cupboards, dishwasher, rangehood, oven, kitchen ceiling, heat pump filters, cobwebs, skirtings, wardrobes, light switches, plugs, light shades, two bathrooms, windows and window sills, vacuuming and mopping, and cleaning doors and walls.
- I therefore treat the invoice as comprising two distinct components. The first is rubbish removal, being the labour to remove abandoned furniture and rubbish together with the dump fee. Those items total $530.00. The second is cleaning, being the balance of the invoice, which totals $875.00.
- I am satisfied both categories of cost were caused by the tenant’s breach of section 40(1)(e)(iii), and that the amounts claimed are reasonable. The landlord is therefore entitled to compensation of $530.00 for rubbish removal and $875.00 for cleaning, a total of $1,405.00.