A Flaxmere landlord is frustrated with his local council after numerous attempts to have the authorities clear an empty lot next to his rental property that has become a "hazardous" dumping ground.
For the past 10 years Jamie Beckett owns and rents a home at the end of Flaxmere Ave, unfortunately during the past year the neighbouring property has become a dumping ground for waste, he said.
"It's been like that for a year now, would you want that next to your property? It's not nice."
The lot is now vacant after a house was removed from the property a little more than a year ago, he said.
The Tarbet St property which backs on to Mr Beckett is now used by people to dump old TVs, couches and furniture, garden waste, and general rubbish.
Mr Beckett said he had spoken to the Hastings District Council several times but was informed nothing could be done unless the owner of the lot violated local bylaws.
"They said they were not able to act unless there is vermin infesting the property or unless it's a hazardous site," he said. "I know that it is a place that a number of kids play in and I think that makes it a hazardous site."
He said it had become a "convenient site to dump" and wondered if the council would take action if the property was in a more affluent area.
"It's frustrating that there is nothing they can do, but I think if it was in a higher profile area there would be something they could do," he said. "Because it's down the end of Flaxmere nobody gives a stuff, but they would if it was in Havelock North."
He said the rubbish dumping had potentially lost him a 15 per cent value on his property.
Hastings District Council community safety manager Phil Evans said: "A Council Environmental Health Officer (EHO) visited the property at 89 Tarbet Street on a number of occasions in 2013 in response to complaints about rubbish. The property owner was spoken to and removed some rubbish on one occasion and was asked to remove further rubbish on another occasion."
He said an EHO will undertake a further check on this property to determine whether any new material has been dumped that could be offensive, create a nuisance or is a health risk.
"This will help determine whether further action needs to be considered."
The council also states, under their bylaw's, that no person shall deposit, or allow to be deposited, or to accumulate any refuse or rubbish of any description on any land not being a place set apart for such purpose by the council.
It also mentions that no person shall cause, permit, or allow any refuse, waste matter, material, or thing to remain or be kept in such a manner or for such a time as to afford shelter or likely harbourage for rats, or encourage rats or other vermin to visit and frequent.