A series of elderly residents had filtered through the boarding house during that time, one Marlborough St resident said.
Two houses on Marlborough St have been cordoned off with emergency tape, but police forensics are inspecting the foundations of one large elevated property with a white weatherboard house on it in particular.
The two properties are not owned by the same person.
Bricks line the driveway of the property where around five police are congregating in the backyard.