By RNZ

A Canterbury landlord, who had been warned multiple times his property was not up to standard, has been ordered to pay $33,000, remove industrial rubbish and repair holes in the roof and walls of a boarding house in Lyttelton.

The Tenancy Tribunal took action against landlord Murray Lawrence Hill, who has a long history of complaints, for failing to ensure his property was compliant.

Tenancy compliance and investigations team national manager Brett Willson said Hill had previously been issued warnings for the property.

“Despite receiving multiple warnings over a number of years, he failed to take meaningful steps to address these concerns until 2024/2025. His prolonged inaction over a four-year period demonstrates a deliberate and intentional disregard for his obligations.”

The living room at a Lyttleton boarding house. Photo / MBIE

His failure to maintain the property to the required standard despite multiple warnings had a direct and harmful impact on his tenants.

Wilson said landlords are running a business and if they want to operate a boarding house they must comply with their obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act.

Alongside the rubbish removal and hole repairs, he was required to install glass panes in windows that were boarded up, install mechanical ventilation in the bathrooms and clean the kitchen and bathrooms to an acceptable standard.

It is the first time the Tenancy Tribunal has ordered a landlord to pay pecuniary penalties and Wilson said the amount reflected the seriousness of the intentional and ongoing nature of the breaches.

Wilson said, where possible, the team works with landlords to achieve compliance and allow tenants to remain in their homes, but when a landlord is not willing to engage it will take further action up to and including an application to the Tenancy Tribunal.

Rubbish at a Lyttleton boarding house. Photo / MBIE

He said Hill was an experienced landlord who had regular interactions with the tenancy compliance and investigations team, Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the Christchurch City Council, and was aware of his obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act.

The investigations team received a complaint from a member of the public in December 2023, who said the boarding house was in a serious state of disrepair, with rubbish rotting on the property.

The tenants were described as vulnerable and afraid to complain for fear of being evicted.

Investigators visited the house and raised the issue with the Tenancy Tribunal, as two prior warnings had not resulted in any action.

At a case conference in March this year, Hill said he had completed some of the work required but he failed to provide evidence of it.

At a subsequent site visit, investigators found some work had been done but there was still industrial rubbish outside the house that needed to be removed, part of the ceiling in the hallway was leaking and rotting, the stairway wall needed repairing and parts of the guttering were broken and leaking in several areas. A smoke alarm was also missing outside one bedroom.

The Tenancy Tribunal found Hill failed to ensure the property was in a reasonable state of cleanliness and repair, failed to comply with the healthy homes standards for ventilation, draught stopping and moisture ingress and drainage, and failed to comply with smoke alarm regulations.

– RNZ