A Christchurch landlord has been ordered to pay $33,000 in pecuniary penalties and carry out major repairs at a Lyttelton boarding house after repeatedly failing to meet basic legal standards.
The Tenancy Tribunal found landlord Murray Lawrence Hill had knowingly allowed the property to fall into serious disrepair, despite years of warnings from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Tenancy Compliance and Investigations Team.
The Tribunal ruled Hill had intentionally breached his responsibilities under the Residential Tenancies Act and failed to protect some of the region’s most vulnerable tenants, who continued to pay rent while living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions.
A Tribunal adjudicator ordered Hill to remove industrial rubbish from the property, repair holes in the ceiling and roof, install glass panes in boarded windows, fit mechanical ventilation in all bathrooms, and clean the kitchen and bathrooms to an acceptable standard.
The Tribunal also found that the boarding house failed to meet healthy homes standards, including ventilation, draught stopping, moisture ingress and drainage, and that it did not comply with smoke alarm regulations.
TCIT National Manager Brett Wilson said this was the first time a landlord had been ordered to pay pecuniary penalties, reflecting the seriousness of Hill’s prolonged noncompliance.
He said tenants at the property were too afraid to complain due to fear of eviction, and a member of the public had eventually alerted authorities in December 2023.
A follow up inspection showed major issues remained, including rotting ceiling timber, leaking guttering, broken walls, a missing smoke alarm, and large piles of rubbish.
Wilson said Hill had years of interactions with TCIT, Fire and Emergency New Zealand and Christchurch City Council, and was well aware of his obligations.
He said landlords running a boarding house are operating a business and must meet their legal responsibilities.
TCIT said boarding house compliance remains a priority and confirmed that even when complaints do not come from tenants, it will take action where necessary.
The Tribunal noted the maximum pecuniary penalty for an unlawful act is $50,000.
