Tenants forced to pay after trashing Whangārei property

The full claim from the landlords went into great detail, including specific items such as board games and puzzles that were either missing or damaged. Photo / 123RF

A Whangārei couple have won more than $10,000 in damages after tenants left their property in a wreck.

The landlords allowed the tenants to move into the fully furnished property in November 2017 on a short-term basis while they sought a longer-term tenancy. However, they stayed longer than planned until August 2018 when the tenancy ended by consent.

Landlords returned to the One Tree Point bach to find furniture had been left outside and rain-damaged, including a table and footstool as well as some of the bedding and kitchen items which the landlords say were found "dumped" in the garden.

Evidence suggested that two lounge suites had also been left on an unprotected upstairs balcony at some point due to damage from the elements and the tenant's dogs.

A large amount of the property's chattels were missing upon inspection, including a coffee table, dining chairs and several bathroom and laundry items.

Though most of the property's furnishings were not brand new, the tribunal understood that they had been in a reasonable condition prior to the tenants' arrival.

In addition to property damage, the tenants were found to be breaching their tenancy agreements by smoking inside the house, allowing dogs to roam free and leaving the house extremely unclean and untidy.

The full claim from the landlords went into great detail, including specific items such as board games and puzzles that were either missing or damaged.

The tenants have been immediately ordered to pay a total of $10,845.48 in repairs and damages as calculated by comparing prices of similar replacement chattels and furnishings on Trade Me.