NZ Tenancy Tribunal advice - Property mgmt charging us for landlords renovations
TDLR - they're trying to essentially charge us a couple thousand over bond & withholding our bond. Seem like we are somehow responsible for the landlords renovations of the apartment so that they can rent it out at a more expensive weekly rate (was on Trademe for 3 months and they still haven't tenanted the place)
My husband and I recently moved out of an apartment after a two-year tenancy. Our former property manager is withholding our bond and claiming several thousand dollars over the bond amount in damages.
We have paid out of pocket for professional cleaners (2x), professional rug cleaning (the state of apartment had human hair/pet dander/old clothes when we moved in), and a power wash of the outside due to excessive mould growing. We are respectful tenants however the apartment had very poor cheaply made fixtures that kept breaking throughout our tenancy and I would always raise this with the property manager.
They've now said they'll take us to the Tenancy Tribunal.
My main concerns are -
Painting: We're being charged for repairing and
repainting multiple walls due to artwork and shelving.
However, many screws/hooks were already there when we moved in (we have video evidence), and the original listing shows artwork throughout the property. Our own wall hangings were also visible during routine inspections throughout the 2 years without any concerns being raised until our lease ended and after they couldn't rent the apartment for $50 more per week.
Wardrobe: We accidentally dented one wardrobe panel and acknowledged responsibility. They initially said 1 panel needed to be replaced but now we're now being quoted for replacing the entire three-door system, including tracks.
Other damage: There are additional claims involving blinds breaking, a light fitting and a body corporate noise complaint from 2025 (which we're happy to pay and again only just got notified of it. Some maintenance issues had previously been reported by us but weren't addressed.
Bond: We've requested evidence, quotes/itemised costs and the return of any undisputed bond, but the property manager has now stopped discussing the matter and says they'll apply to the Tribunal.
We're happy to pay for damage we're genuinely responsible for, but we're concerned about being charged for pre-existing damage, general wear and tear, and replacing entire fixtures rather than repairing them.
Has anyone been through something similar? Would you recommend applying to the Tenancy Tribunal ourselves or waiting for the landlord's application? How does the Tribunal generally approach depreciation, painting costs and claims for full replacements?
We have move-in videos, original listing photos, routine inspection photos and email correspondence to support our position.
Any advice would be appreciated!