15 December, 2025

Council probes property’s use after residents flee Sunnynook blaze

A dangerous building notice has been issued after a council inspection of a fire-damaged home in Sunnynook.
“We are currently investigating the use of the property as a boarding house,” said Auckland Council compliance manager Adrian Wilson.
Residents safely escaped the daytime fire at the property on Salamanca Rd on 25 November, which was brought under control by Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
Community members told the Observer they were concerned that many of the home’s occupants seemed to be immigrants with limited English. Despite offers of assistance, more than a dozen women who gathered in a nearby park seemed reluctant to engage, said one local woman.
The Observer asked council about the property’s status, but was told there was no requirement to register boarding houses, so council did not know if this or other Sunnynook homes were being used for this purpose.
“There is no maximum number of people that can occupy a residential property in New Zealand. However, if a property is occupied by six tenants or more with individual tenancy agreements, then it is considered to be a boarding house,” Wilson said.
Although boarding houses did not require a licence or registration, he said they may need a resource consent.

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