No reprieve for evicted Housing NZ protester

Ioela Rauti protesting her eviction outside her Housing New Zealand house in Taniwha Street. Photo / Sarah Ivey

The Tenancy Tribunal has given no reprieve to a Glen Innes Housing New Zealand tenant who will be evicted at the end of January.

Ioela (Niki) Rauti argued before the tribunal today that her landlord had been harassing her by visiting the property without providing prior notice of the visit.

Ms Rauti has been one of a number of Glen Innes Housing NZ residents listed for eviction to make way for a redevelopment plan for the Auckland suburb.

She protested outside her Taniwha St home in May and the 90-day eviction notice was extended to January 27.

Today, with advocacy from private prosecutor Graeme McCready, Ms Rauti told the Tenancy Tribunal she had felt harassed by Housing NZ and she wanted her rights as a tenant upheld.

Housing NZ representative Lee-Ann Baatjies said a staffer had visited Ms Rauti's house on five occasions to deliver letters with information about alternate housing options that were suitable for her.

Ms Rauti said the visits made her feel harassed and stressed.

"We contacted her three times about one house because it was a brand new property and we didn't want her to miss out," Ms Baatjies said.

Tribunal adjudicator Amanda Elliott said it was not against the law for a landlord to visit properties and deliver letters, in the same way any person can visit a property and knock on the door.

She said while Housing NZ may have thought it was doing the right thing by approaching Ms Rauti personally, rather than on the phone or by post, it could have been stressful for Ms Rauti to have knocks on the door.

Ms Elliott said it would be worth examining whether Housing NZ had the right to amend the eviction notice from a 90-day notice to a seven-month notice.

"It seems like they are trying to do more, not less. But unfortunately I have to look at this."

She acknowledged there was significant public interest in the matter.

Ms Rauti asked for the hearing to be adjourned because she wasn't feeling well enough to continue the discussions.

Housing NZ said in a statement that it strongly refuted the claim for harassment.

"The claim is the latest in a chain of events by a minority element of protesters that continue to waste time and taxpayers' money, and also put the lives of contractors and the general public in danger," the statement said.

Housing NZ has agreed to sell Ms Rauti's section and 155 other local properties to a consortium of Arrow International, Hopper Developments, Southside Group and Dryden Property, replacing 156 existing houses with at least 270 new homes.

Housing NZ will buy back 78 homes, and IHC subsidiary Accessible Properties will buy five. The first four of the other 187 planned for private sale are now on the market priced around $750,000 each.

Ms Elliott urged Ms Rauti to talk to Housing NZ and visit alternate accommodation options before the next hearing date.