Tenant’s television racket kept neighbours awake

A Nelson tenant has been told to change his anti-social ways and turn down his TV after it was so loud it kept neighbours awake.

Lee Walters appeared before the Tenancy Tribunal facing eviction after neighbours at his flat complex called the police because he refused to lower his TV’s volume and abused those who complained about it, adjudicator Jenny Robson said.

Walters often had his TV playing loudly from 6.30am until 2am the next day, neighbours claimed.

When the police were called, he only turned the television up louder afterwards, they said.

He also sent threatening texts and threatened to beat his direct neighbour’s head in with a stick, they said.

Walters said he was partially deaf and had to play the TV loudly.

He also said he never knew his loud viewing habits were a problem until police showed up on his door.

He said he couldn’t “understand why it was he who was taken away by the police and not the neighbour”.

However, adjudicator Robson dismissed Walters’ claims about not knowing playing his TV loudly was a problem, saying he had been handed a letter directly about it and other anti-social behaviour.

The tribunal heard there was a long history of Walters’ anti-social behaviour. Most affected were the tenants of an adjoining flat.

Robson warned Walters to change his behaviour.

She said if he committed further anti-social acts within 21 days it was likely his tenancy would be “terminated immediately”.