Landlord arrested after ongoing dispute with tenant

A landlord who breached lockdown rules by repeatedly trying to move into his rental property unannounced has been arrested after an alleged altercation with a female tenant.

Mark David Philip was taken into custody after tenants claim he again turned up uninvited at one of his two Mt Eden flats late on Saturday night.

The alleged altercation left the woman angry and shaking.

But Philip denies doing anything wrong. He says the police action is “a joke” and anyone who doesn’t like living with him should move out.

“If they feel unsafe I don’t give a damn.”

The Herald can reveal that Philip, who sleeps at both properties on and off against flatmates’ wishes, is currently under investigation by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s tenancy compliance and investigation team.

He is accused of a raft of failures as a landlord and has faced several Tenancy Tribunal applications by aggrieved tenants.

The female tenant, who asked not to be named, told the Herald Philip arrived at the Onslow Rd flat on Thursday last week and began sleeping in a spare room, despite being told he was not welcome.

The woman said she was concerned for her safety so gave notice.

She says Philip later arrived at the property and let himself in, entered her bedroom and took her keys, and demanded access to the recently vacated room of another tenant.

She was loading boxes into her car on Saturday night when Philip arrived at the property and let himself in.

When the woman went inside she said Philip had entered her bedroom and taken her keys. She claims he pushed her.

Police said they responded to a trespass complaint at the property early on Sunday morning and that one person was taken into custody but that no charges had been laid.

The matter remained under investigation.

The Herald reported in April that Philip repeatedly tried to move into his other Mt Eden rental on the first day of the level 4 lockdown.

The flatmates called police and he was taken away in handcuffs and warned about breaching lockdown restrictions.

Philip had claimed it was his house, there was an empty room, and he was just going home to his “bubble”.

The tenants of both properties are filing Tenancy Tribunal applications against Philip, alleging failure to lodge bond payments, failure to adequately maintain the properties, breach of quiet enjoyment and harassment.

Philip told the Herald he had done nothing wrong. “It’s my house . . . it’s a flatmate situation.”