Tenant evicted after Kāinga Ora staff find dirty flat unfit for habitation

Author: Catherine Hutton ,
Publish Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2026, 8:47am

Kāinga Ora staff wore full PPE on two occasions when they entered an Ōtara flat. The flat was so dirty it was deemed uninhabitable. Photo / 123rf

Kāinga Ora staff who donned full protective equipment and picked a lock to gain entry to a state house were hit by a strong smell of animal excrement, rotting food and general uncleanliness.

The squalid conditions that greeted Scott Tuapola, a senior housing manager, inside the Ōtara flat during an “ad hoc visit” in March were outlined in a recent Tenancy Tribunal decision.

It described the floors at the flat, tenanted by Shalin Shalvina Sharma, as caked with “dirt, filth and faeces”.

The decision did not explain the reason for the visit or why it was necessary to pick the lock.

Rubbish was stacked against the walls, inside wardrobes and throughout the kitchen and bathroom.

The back door had been broken and wouldn’t lock, while a broken window frame and rubbish made entry into the kitchen difficult.

The following month, Kāinga Ora sought to terminate the tenancy. Figures released by the agency show it ended 38 tenancies in the year to June because of a property’s poor condition.

Despite ignoring three previous notices for failing to keep the property in a reasonably clean and tidy condition, Sharma avoided eviction after the tribunal found a fourth notice had not yet expired, leaving time to remedy the breaches.

The case was adjourned, and in June, Sharma wrote to the tribunal seeking a three-month adjournment, saying she was in hospital and unable to attend a hearing.

The tribunal asked for medical evidence to support the request, but none was forthcoming.

Last month, Kāinga Ora staff visited again, this time with Sharma’s tenancy support worker, again wearing full protective equipment when entering the property.

They found the carpet and floors heavily soiled with dirt, animal excrement, food and pet food.

Photographs showed cardboard, clothing and towels spread across the floor and covered with food, spoiled food, animal feed and pet excrement.

Rubbish was strewn across the floors, stacked around rooms and against walls, and piled up in the garden.

The bathroom was dirty, and both the toilet and walls were stained.

According to the decision, the kitchen was filthy with food stains covering the oven, benchtop and cupboards. The sink was full of dishes. The floor was covered in rubbish, spoiled food, pet excrement, empty food packets and household waste.

The laundry window was broken, and the lawns were overgrown. Cats were seen at the property, although it was unclear from the decision whether pets were allowed.

The offensive odour remained, and the flat was deemed unsuitable for habitation.

In a statement, Kāinga Ora said it could not comment on individual tenants or their properties.

Claire Baldwin, acting regional manager for Counties Manukau, said its role was to provide people with a stable, healthy, and safe home.

Baldwin said the agency expected tenants to meet their responsibilities in return by looking after their home, managing their rubbish appropriately and being considerate neighbours.

Baldwin acknowledged that there were times when tenants faced circumstances that made it difficult to look after their homes.

In these instances, the agency worked with tenants and connected them with support agencies, she said.

If a tenant refused to engage with them or the issues remained unresolved, Baldwin said the agency took steps under the Residential Tenancies Act.

Last month, adjudicator Melanie Feist ordered that Sharma’s tenancy be terminated and returned to Kāinga Ora immediately.

The decision noted Sharma had failed to remedy four breach notices and that the property’s condition was deteriorating.

Catherine Hutton is an Open Justice reporter, based in Wellington. She has worked as a journalist at the Waikato Times and RNZ. Most recently she was working as a media adviser at the Ministry of Justice.