‘Careless actions’ led to house fire

Hot ashes left in a plastic bucket caused a fire that destroyed a tenant’s home.

Now, she will have to pay her landlords $1321 for items not covered by insurance.

According to a Tenancy Tribunal ruling, following a hearing in December, the Tipahi St, Nelson, tenancy “ended abruptly” after a fire destroyed the home.

In the ruling, adjudicator Michael Brennan said the tenant’s “careless actions” had destroyed the home. The tenant had placed ashes from the wood burner in a plastic bucket. However, they were still live, and later ignited, causing significant damage to the house.

Landlords Annabelle Reeves and Nicholas Zeeman had house insurance, but no contents insurance. The tenant did not have insurance of her own. The landlords’ excess was $700. With the tenant’s agreement, this was deducted from her bond. The rest, $1900, was returned to her.

However, the landlords later discovered their insurance wouldn’t cover curtains and light fittings, as these were considered contents.

They contacted the tenant, proposing she return her bond. She refused, citing a clause in her tenancy agreement that stated she was not responsible for chattels. In their application, the landlords sought $3300 to cover the damaged items.

In the ruling, Brennan acknowledged that though the landlords had returned the tenant’s bond, she still had some liability. Brennan ruled that 40% – $1321 – of the landlord’s claim was a fair amount.

Brennan agreed to suppress the tenant’s name, and the landlords supported her application. “The linkage of her name with the destruction of a premises through a fire could have a disproportionate impact on her,” Brennan said.