A Papakura family are living in a cold, damp "undrained swamp" of a home, and they say their landlord is refusing to fix it.
A Papakura family are living in a cold, damp "undrained swamp" of a home, and they say their landlord is refusing to fix it.
Dawn Robbie lives at the Papakura property with her partner and two daughters, 3 and 10 months old, and said they were constantly sick because of a pond of water under the house.
The basement of the property was completely flooded, and was littered with bits of underfloor insulation and rubbish, filling the house above it with condensation, she told the Herald.
"This is under our whole house, how is this okay?" Robbie said.
"We've got to put a gas heater on and the oven just so my house stays warm."
Water pooling underneath the Papakura house. Photo / supplied
The family moved into the three-bedroom home in January last year, paying $520 a week, and were told by the landlord there were drainage issues, Robbie said
"But he said they would be fixed."
Robbie said that never happened, and every time it rained water poured under the house.
When the landlord visited the property earlier this year he didn't properly fix the problem, she said.
"The kids have been getting sick every couple of months, I've been getting sick too.
"As tenants we are doing our utmost. We pay rent and look after the property, we don't expect to have to live in a cold, damp house that is making us sick."
The landlord told the Herald he was aware of drainage issues at the property, but said he only learned of the tenant's concerns in June.
He said he agreed the property was not healthy, but that any further questions needed to be directed to his lawyer.
The family living in the flooded Papakura home have been regularly getting sick. Photo / supplied
Manurewa-Papakura Ward councillor Daniel Newman said he visited Robbie's home to assess the situation and what he found disgusted him.
Newman told the Herald he believed an attempt had been made to reroute stormwater into wastewater drains.
"The property is an undrained swamp, unhealthy ...mosquito infested, prone to flooding and unworthy of the $520 weekly rent.
"Dawn, [partner] Cameron and their baby daughters deserve better."
Newman said he was notifying the council of the matter.
