A Palmerston North renter who stole curtains, shower curtains, a smoke alarm, 10 light bulbs, a door stop and oven trays has been ordered to pay $2250.
Klo've O'Brien-Vernon was also penalised for leaving some of her possessions at the Levin house when she left.
Her landlords, Rentables Limited and S & J Pilcher, then stored the items for a month before disposing of them.
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The Tenancy Tribunal at Palmerston North found that O'Brien-Vernon didn't comply with her obligations at the end of her tenancy.
Those obligations include leaving the property "reasonably clean and tidy", removing all rubbish, returning all keys and security devices and leaving items provided for their benefit.
Tenancy adjudicator K Lash awarded the landlords compensation for the costs of mowing the unkempt lawns and cleaning the carpets.
O'Brien-Vernon also did not leave the key, remove rubbish or leave the house reasonably clean or tidy.
There were also various items missing from the house. Those were:
- Lounge curtains;
- Bedroom curtains;
- Shower curtain;
- One smoke alarm;
- 10 light bulbs;
- Door stop;
- Oven trays and racks.
The door and a wall in the bedroom were also damaged and the tribunal said this was more than fair wear and tear and so O'Brien-Vernon was responsible for the repair.
In total, the tribunal ordered the renter pay $2250.14 to her former landlords. She wasn't present at the hearing.
In a previous decision, O'Brien-Vernon's tenancy was terminated because she breached the agreement and was ordered to pay her landlords $269.01.
Breakdown in costs and damages:
Previous order - $269.01
Carpet Cleaning $307.05
Power for clean up $14.45
Lock/key replacement $100.05
Rubbish removal: interior and exterior $570.00
Cleaning $350.00
Lawns and Garden work $37.50
Goods storage $152.00
Removal and disposal of stored goods $83.00
Replace furnishings: curtain replacement $70.00
Replace furnishings: shower curtain replacement $5.00
Replace smoke alarms $16.50
Replace furnishings: lightbulbs and door stop $11.32
Replace furnishings: oven racks and trays $65.00
Repairs: door and wall repairs $178.82
Filing fee reimbursement $20.44
Total payable by Tenant to Landlord $2250.14