Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Fear of eviction stops tenants complaining - researcher

Updated at 8:11 pm on 5 January 2012

A University of Otago researcher says tenants of boarding houses in the Wellington area rarely complain about their living conditions because they can be evicted so easily.

Clare Aspinall is researching boarding houses in the capital and says the worst of them are in very poor condition and poorly maintained, with mouldy bathrooms, rotting floors and stairs, faulty windows and no insulation.

She says there's no group with clear responsibility for enforcing the minimum standards that do exist.

Ms Aspinall says a complaints-based system is operating but complaining to the tenancy tribunal or council can result in swift eviction because regulations do not sufficiently protect tenants.

She says there are plenty of children being raised in poor quality boarding houses and that reflects the lack of affordable accommodation in urban areas.

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