21/01/2026
D Dahya
[FYI request #33123 email]
Tēnā koe Mr Dahya
I write in response to your request dated 4 December 2025, for information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act). I have summarised your request below:
•
Cause of the fire at 199b Mungavin Avenue and tenants required to find own alternative
accommodation
•
Actions of electrician and Kāinga Ora following the fire
•
The unanswered FYI request about house fires
•
Community renewal housing project – “done cheaply” and was wiring replaced?
•
Disruptive behaviour complaints
•
Rent payment frequency
I note that under the Act, Kāinga Ora is required to provide information that is held. The Act does
not require agencies to form or provide opinions, create new information, or engage in speculation.
Accordingly, we are not required to comment on matters that would require providing an opinion.
Regarding the cause of the fire at 199b Mungavin Avenue, I can advise that the cause was an
electrical fault. If you require additional information, you can ask Fire and Emergency New Zealand
(FENZ) for a full report. You can contact FENZ a
t Contact us | Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
Under the Act, I am not required to provide an opinion on the actions of the electrician.
Following the fire, Kāinga Ora took the following actions:
• A work order was issued immediately after the event to secure the dwelling, including
boarding up the damaged windows.
• The property was deemed uninhabitable. The Housing Support Team engaged with the
tenant and took possession of the property on 17 November 2025.
• As the property was constructed in 2019, it is not considered an asbestos risk building so
no asbestos testing was required.
I attach a copy of the “unanswered” FYI request referred to that was sent to the requester on
5 September 2016. Some information has been withheld from this document under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act to protect the privacy of natural persons. In making this decision, I considered the public
interest in the information withheld does not outweigh the need to withhold this information.
Under the Act, I am not required to provide opinion on the Community Renewal Housing project.
No information is held on whether the wiring was replaced during this project. I am therefore
refusing this part of your request under section 18(g) of the Act, as the information is not held.
We have no record of call logs from 2007, therefore I am refusing this part of your request under
section 18(g) of the Act as the information is not held.
Regarding rent payments, Kāinga Ora systems charge rent to a tenant’s rent account on a weekly
basis, regardless if they opt to pay weekly or fortnightly.
Kāinga Ora requests that tenants keep their rent 'in advance' and this is stated on all tenancy
agreements. The amount of 'rent advance' depends on payment frequency. For example, if a
tenant pays weekly, we would require that they remain one week in advance. For fortnightly
payers, this means being two weeks in advance.
A similar approach was taken in 2005 for most tenancies. Each agreement is individual, with any
variation stated on the individual tenancy agreement.
Your other comments are noted.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. There
is information about how to make a complaint at
https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by
freepho
ne on 0800 802 602.
Please note that Kāinga Ora proactively releases some responses to official information requests
where possible. Our response to your request may be published
at
https://kaingaora.govt.nz/publications/official-information-requests/, with your personal
information removed.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Rachel Kelly
Manager Ministerial Services
