Whanganui tenants ordered to pay more than $8000 after unpaid rent and property damage

Caseylee Katarina McKinney and Renee McKinney were ordered to pay $8574 to their former landlord. Photo / File

Two Whanganui tenants have been ordered to pay more than $8000 after months of unpaid rent and damage to a Springvale property.

Caseylee Katarina McKinney and Renee McKinney were found liable for the costs in a Tenancy Tribunal decision released this week, which concluded that claims by the landlord were proven.

The tenants did not attend the hearing - attempts to call both tenants went unanswered, with the landlord attending via teleconference.

The landlord, who was granted name suppression by the tribunal, said the tenancy ended on March 10 this year. At that point, $7581 was owed by the tenants in unpaid rent which was proven by the landlord.

The landlord also claimed that the tenants failed to return the keys at the end of the tenancy and there was significant damage to the property, including two broken windows and three holes in the walls.

These claims were also proven, with the landlord providing photographs and invoices as evidence of the damage.

However, a claim lodged by the landlord for cleaning of the property was withdrawn.

The tribunal said the move-in condition report at the beginning of the McKinneys' tenancy noted the property was in a "poor state of cleanliness".

At the time, the landlord compensated the tenants for cleaning required shortly after they moved in.

The tribunal awarded the landlord a total of $8574 - made up of the $7581 of unpaid rent, $215 in locksmith fees and $777 in window and wall repairs.

The $2400 bond was immediately released to the landlord, with a total cost of $6174 payable by the tenants.