There was always drinking going on at Flat 2, 10 Lawry Ave. Sometimes there were fights in the Mt Roskill bedsit.
On Thursday night there was a fire; two women burnt to death. Police named them as Melody Hakeke, 41, and Stephanie Catherine Bush, 31.
Ms Hakeke's boyfriend, whoshared the Housing New Zealand flat, barely survived the blaze and is in a critical but stable condition in Middlemore Hospital.
Firefighters smashed their way in just before midnight and found the trio on the living room floor.
Police are investigating the fire with ESR scientists and fire officers.
Senior Sergeant Terry Van Dillen said police had not ruled out the possibility of a murder-suicide.
Friend Ross Morrison, who had lived next door to the couple for two years, described them as "pretty good drinkers".
He said it was unlikely the trio had fallen asleep before the blaze as they would usually be "going full swing" at 11.30pm.
Police were called to the house over 20 times while he lived next door because of the violence between the pair.
