Neighbours say this empty Ti Rakau Dr property in Woolston's Brookhaven subdivision is an eyesore with smashed windows, overgrown trees, dumped rubbish and a caved-in roof.
The house was badly damaged in the February 22, 2011, earthquake. Neighbours say it is now infested with rats and constantly visited by looters and squatters.
One woman, who has lived next door to the property for more than a decade with her husband and two sons, is concerned about the type of people it attracts to the subdivision.
“It’s just attracting a lot of people into the area. I've noticed more and more cars coming along, stopping and going in there to have a look,” she said.
“It’s quite unsettling when I’m there home alone with my boys and my husband’s not home, and there’s people rustling around in there. It is just the not knowing of who's around.”
She said people enter the property on a weekly basis, taking window frames and stripping copper wires and cables from the doors.
The property owner was contacted for comment but did not respond. None of the neighbours spoken to for this story wanted to be named.
Some of the neighbours get together occasionally to take away any dumped rubbish and cut back the overgrown grass.
But one said “it shouldn't be our responsibility”.
They are also concerned the state of the property could affect their property values in the future.
City council acting regulatory compliance head Eavan McNamee said the condition of the property is currently being investigated as a potential health nuisance.
Any action that could be taken at the property will depend on the investigation findings, McNamee said.
“Council officers have remained in regular communication with a complainant and have made ongoing attempts to engage with the property owner to resolve the matter.”
He said the city council only looks at whether an unoccupied building is dangerous to neighbouring properties, not at whether it is insanitary. It interprets the Building Act to mean that only occupied buildings need to be sanitary.
Herz Jardine is calling for a change to this policy.
“I don't think we are currently doing enough to ensure abandoned buildings are even safe for surrounding buildings.
“The fire hazards of long grass and squatters, and the community impact of rat infestations, need to be taken more seriously,” he said.
“If, instead of providing a family home for Christchurch residents, they are providing a home for rats, they aren’t meeting their responsibilities and council needs to step in.”
