Run-down housing under attack

Wanganui resident Judith Knoche says run-down and derelict housing is destroying Wanganui's good name.
"People need to sit up and take notice and start calling for a change. I don't know about other people, but when I look at buying a house I look at the neighbours first," she said.
Mrs Knoche has voiced her concerns to the Wanganui District Council and already made headway with one eyesore of a property.
"I don't have a problem with the council; they are doing their best. I want home owners and land owners to start taking pride in their property.
"Wanganui's motto is 'Well worth the journey', but looking at some of these houses it would put people off. There is no need for some of these properties to look like they do.
"I know of a couple of visitors to Wanganui who went for a walk after tea and remarked at how crummy some of the houses were," she said. Although these properties may be considered eyesores by some residents, the people who have to live in them have far more complaints.
Disillusioned flatter and Wanganui Ucol student Linda Whale said she was going to move out as soon as she could. "We are first-time flatters, so we were unprepared and didn't know what to look for. There is no heating here and quite a bit of damage.
"I called the landlord about some problems with the inside, but she said the house was okay until we moved in. "We are moving out within the next week," she said. Her landlord did not want to comment about the situation. Wanganui District Council building services team leader Jeff Jamieson said the council only had limited power over rundown housing.
"We have a lot of power over housing that is considered dangerous or a health hazard, but if they are neither then we only have the power to suggest repairs to the owners. "A car can be painted with primer and have dents in it and still be road legal," he said.
Mr Jamieson said they had to analyse the house in question thoroughly before they could take action.
"There is a raft of things that can upset the process, including insurance, but if all sides come to the party, it can be resolved quite easily," he said. Ray White Real Estate property manager Caroline Price said there were around 2000 rental properties in Wanganui, which was quite high.
"We have systems in place to deal with houses that were being neglected, and we also do not take on properties if they are of a sub-standard nature," she said.