Tenant evicted from Christchurch social housing complex following assaults

A social housing trust in Christchurch sought the eviction of a violent tenant. Photo / NZME

A tenant at a social housing complex has been booted from his rental after he assaulted his neighbours who were upset at him for taking a bigger share of the free food that was being handed out

Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust recently turned to the Tenancy Tribunal in a bid to terminate the man's tenancy due to the assaults.

The tribunal heard the man, who cannot be named, had been living at the Hillsborough complex in Christchurch.

Two of his victims, who also lived at the complex, told the tribunal the man had assaulted each of them on different occasions.

The most recently targeted tenant produced photos of the injuries to his face. He told the tribunal he had reported the violent encounter to the police.

The tenant first assaulted by the man described how he suffered a bleeding nose and a
laceration to his ear.

Both assaults arose from occasions when free food was being distributed to the
tenants at the complex, the tribunal heard.

The man was taking more than his share and reacted violently when the tenants he assaulted told him not to.

Prior to the assaults, the landlord had served the man in December 2021 with two breach notices for intimidating his neighbours and damaging their front doors.

"The tenant has established a pattern of behaviour," the tribunal said in its recently released decision.

That decision noted the Residential Tenancies Act required the tribunal to terminate a tenancy if a tenant has assaulted, or has threatened to assault, a number of defined persons including any neighbour of the premises.

Though the tribunal has limited discretion not to terminate the tenancy in such situations, in this case, it ruled it was appropriate to evict him.

It said the assaults described by the victims were serious and had resulted in physical injuries.

"The photos produced in evidence following the most recent assault show injuries to the assaulted tenant's face including near his eye, on his forehead and on his nose."

The tenancy was terminated with immediate effect so the landlord could enforce the order quickly if needed, though the trust told the tribunal it would work with the tenant
if he needed more time to vacate.