Background, primary decision, issues, procedure
- The appellant as lessor and the respondent as lessee entered into a retail shop lease of a beauty parlour in Earlwood, an inner southwestern suburb in Sydney, NSW, for a term commencing 1 September 2020 and ending 31 August 2023 with an option to renew for three years. The lease provided for fixed amounts of rent increasing annually together with a market review if the renewal option was exercised with fixed increases on each renewal anniversary. A security deposit called a "bond" of $6,050 was required, with annual top-up deposits of specified amounts.
- The lessor granted Covid-related rent relief of 50% of the rent for July and August 2021 and September 2021 to January 2022. Further rent relief sought was rejected by the lessor's managing agent on the basis that the lessee did not qualify as an impacted lessee. The lessor requested that the security deposit be topped up after the lessor applied part of the deposit against outstanding rent.
- In an email dated 15 December 2022 the lessee said "Please not[e] I authorise my partner George Bechara to speak on my behalf" at a time when there was an issue between the lessee and other occupiers as to the use of rubbish bins and continuing eligibility for Covid-related rent relief and alleged arrears. Mr Bechara had already communicated by email on 2 December 2022 with the managing agent about the bins and further Covid rent relief. There were further emails between them from 31 January 2023 to 11 May 2023 on these topics, possible mediation instigated by the lessee, alleged breach by non-payment of rent and exercise of the option to renew including negotiating a changed rent.
- On 29 May 2023 the lessee, using Mr Bechara's computer, terminated the lease since the rent increase sought was said to be too much and disavowed Mr Bechara's authority to bind the lessee on exercise of option to renew. The managing agent issued a breach notice for arrears of rent and denial of fire inspection access with associated cost and pinned to the window of the premises on 1 June 2023 a termination notice. On about 6 June 2023 the lessee paid back rent that had not been taken from the security deposit and the invoice for attempted fire inspection access and topped up the security deposit. Further notices for the breaches described were issued on 7 June 2023, the lessor claimed the bond of $4,735.50 and the bond stakeholder sent notice of the claim to the incorrect address for the lessee (albeit the address held by the stakeholder).
- It appears that the lessee did not challenge at the time, and does not challenge in these proceedings, the validity of the termination. Rather, the lessee vacated on about the day after the initial term of the lease ended and the managing agent held the bond to the lessee's credit while the litigation proceeded.
- The managing agent after inspection confirmed a total claim of $24,084.33 by the lessor for making good costs of $11,335.50, $5,672.93 for rent arrears with associated reminder notices and interest and $7,075.90 for re-leasing costs (replacement lease, advertising and marketing, leasing commission).
- At the primary hearing the lessee said: Mr Bechara's authority was limited to administrative matters such as the rubbish bins; consequently, the option was not exercised; Mr Bechara's email of 4 April 2023 was not in any event an exercise of option as it was subject to agreement on rent; the lease in any event was terminated by the lessor on 31 May 2023; the lessee was entitled to further Covid rent relief under the legislation leading to a rent adjustment of $8,735.61; the lessor's breach of the covenant of quiet enjoyment, from alleged intimidating conduct by the managing agent, gave rise to a claim for $15,000 (the Tribunal's jurisdictional cap for compensation) for loss of income; the lease was terminated before the obligation to paint the premises arose.