Police have confirmed they suspect arson was the cause of a blaze at a Levin flat on Thursday night.
No one was injured in the fire, which started around 11pm, but the Huia Place property was significantly damaged and both police and fire investigators were working on the scene on Friday morning.
The landlords of the adjoining flat, who wished to remain anonymous, said the neighbourhood was a friendly place except for the flat where the fire was, and that "smaller" arson attempts had been made on the same property several times before.
They said their tenants did not feel safe in their home because of their neighbours.
The couple were not surprised to learn of Thursday night's fire, they said.
They had not yet been able to access their own property to assess if there was any damage, as police incident tape was in place.