Landlords fined after poor conditions led to child’s rheumatic heart disease

Landlords of a Christchurch house have been ordered to pay nearly $39,000 after the Tenancy Tribunal found poor conditions led to a child contracting rheumatic heart disease.

Anne and Roger Stocker were found to have breached the Residential Tenancies Act by failing to maintain their property appropriately.

The substandard conditions are believed to have significantly contributed to the child developing rheumatic heart disease which will have a continuous impact on their life.

The conditions affected the family in many ways including rooms being unusable due to their condition and possessions having to be destroyed due to mould and dampness.

Tenancy compliance and investigations national manager Steve Watson said the poor condition of the property shows Anne and Roger Stocker demonstrated deliberate wilful non-compliance as landlords.

“There is no justification for the poor behaviour of the landlords, which amounted to serious exploitation,” he said.

“The landlords were aware of the condition of the property yet failed to take any steps to prevent harm to the occupants and showed no concern for the serious health implications on the young child living in the house.”

The couple breached the Act by failing to complete general maintenance, not appointing an agent while not residing in New Zealand, not lodging bonds, and not complying with smoke alarm requirements and insulation statement requirements.