Lockdown breaches and stolen toilet paper: Tenancy Tribunal orders renters out of Auckland apartment tower

Tenants living in a downtown Auckland high-rise apartment with stunning waterfront views have been kicked out after they stole toilet paper and breached lockdown rules.

In a recently released Tenancy Tribunal decision, two people who rented a unit in The Oaks on Gore St were told to get packing just before Christmas after racking up 11 official complaints for anti-social behaviour across the year.

It included abusing the complex's staff, having guests over during lockdown, stealing toilet paper and a pair of sunglasses and screaming so loudly during rows the entire floor was disturbed.

The landlord applied to the Tribunal for an order ending the tenancy on the grounds of anti-social behaviour from the tenant or someone on the premises with the tenant's permission.

In evidence given by the landlord, the tribunal adjudicator J R Smith outlined "a litany of poor behaviour" from the renters for the 12 months prior to the hearing.

It included on September 21 the tenants stealing toilet paper from retail toilets at the complex then opening an exit door and letting in a male visitor in breach of lockdown rules.

On the same day, the tenant and an associate were seen stealing a pair of sunglasses from the top of the reception counter.

On September 13 the tribunal heard the tenant was arguing, intimidating and using inappropriate language to front office staff and security on duty after letting in three visitors to the building against alert level 4 rules.

The tribunal was also told about violent arguments that annoyed neighbours that shared the same high-rise floor.

The landlord told the tribunal there were 394 apartments in the building and that the complaints from neighbours were that they found the renters' behaviour threatening and intimidating. Police had been called on a number of occasions.

He had tried to give his tenants a chance to change their behaviour but it hadn't happened.

"This application was not personal but he had an obligation to the hundreds of other residents in the building to seek termination."

While a tenant admitted some of the behaviours occurred, she said that in the main the culprits were her visitors, not her.

"When it was pointed out that she is responsible for the behaviour of visitors, and that, for most of the last few months she was not allowed to have visitors due to the Covid restrictions, she said that from now on she promised to abide by the rules and change her behaviour," Smith said.

The adjudicator found the landlord established that anti-social behaviour had occurred on the premises by the tenant or a person on the tenancy with the tenant's permission.

The tenants were ordered to leave five days after the December 14 judgement.