A Hamilton tenant has been stung $1850 for tampering with a smoke alarm just weeks after a new rule was passed putting more of the responsibility on them. Of that $1850 was earmarked for exemplary damages for tampering with smoke alarms. "Unless a person is impaired by alcohol we rarely have a death where smoke alarms are in the house. In the order, Tenancy Tribunal adjudicator M Ward said the tenant had regularly removed batteries from the smoke alarm at the property and rendered the alarm inoperative. The tenants continued to tamper with the smoke alarm despite receiving several warnings from the landlord not to.

Source: New Zealand Herald July 31, 2016 01:18 UTC