Ad says ‘no Housing NZ folks’ about

An Auckland CBD apartment advertised as having ‘‘no housing New Zealand folk’’ has been slammed for being discriminatory.

The two-bedroom apartment, listed on Trade Me for $399,000, was described as being surrounded by ‘‘high-end’’ owners and businessmen with ‘‘no homeless people...wondering [sic] the streets’’.

The agent, Apartment Specialists, amended the listing after people on social media criticised the advertisement, calling it discriminatory and offensive. Apartment Specialists director Andrew Murray defended the advertisement and claimed it was ‘‘descriptive’’ and ‘‘simply pointing out what it has and doesn’t have’’.

‘‘We have an issue in the CBD where the homeless situation is causing devaluing the property.

We’ve got a situation where homeless people are sleeping at the front door,’’ Murray said.

‘‘If I ask you the question, would you want to have homeless people on your street at 10pm and be worried about your safety? I think I know the answer to that.’’

One Twitter user, Patrick Thomsen, reported the advertisement for being ‘‘discriminatory against marginalised people’’.

‘‘Incredibly despicable. But also incredibly worrying that this is what people think is okay.’’

Another said: ‘‘Not the NZ I understand’’. Murray said the advertisement had run three times before and had not received any complaints.

Murray said the company amended the listing and removed its mention of Housing NZ and homeless people because he could not guarantee there would not be any homeless people in the area. ‘‘To be honest there’s no point arguing it. If you’re selling a product you have to point out the good things and the not so good things.’’

‘‘We have an issue in the CBD where the homeless situation is causing devaluing the property.’’

Andrew Murray