Suspect told landlord he was leaving flat

The alleged Christchurch terror attack gunman told his landlord he would be vacating his Dunedin flat in mid-March.

Weeks before the 28-year-old murder-accused allegedly opened fire in two Christchurch mosques, he told his landlord he would not be renewing his lease.

His landlord previously described the man as a ‘‘model tenant’’.

‘‘He kept the place clean and tidy and paid his rent,’’ the landlord, who declined to be named, said.

The alleged gunman told his landlord early last month that ‘‘he would not renew the lease’’ and he would instead be vacating the flat in mid-March – two weeks before the lease expired.

An Australian man was arrested and charged with murder in the wake of Friday’s terror attacks at two Christchurch mosques, which claimed 50 lives in total and injured dozens of others.

New tenants were to move into the property at the start of next month, but that was unlikely in the aftermath of the shooting.

Several blocks of Somerville St, in the Dunedin suburb of Anderson’s Bay, were cordoned off by police from Friday night, over fears of possible improvised explosive devices being at the property. While that cordon was later removed, the two-bedroom house remains under armed police guard.

This week, forensic staff, some armed with shovels, searched the property. Officers were seen removing bags of items from the home, where the murder-accused lived by himself.

Neighbours said the man was quiet, polite, and kept to himself.

‘‘He seemed like a loner, but a friendly loner,’’ said a neighbour who shared an internal wall.