Residents are fed-up with this unruly house

Residents of a Darwin street are at their wits end, claiming the occupants of one house are ‘ruining people’s lives’. Read the details.

A Ludmilla street is “fed-up” with one unruly house whose occupants are “ruining people’s lives”, according to a nearby resident.

The resident and their partner, who asked not to be named out of fear, detailed to NT News the horrifying reality of living near the neighbours from hell.

“I get woken up multiple times every night with people fighting, music blaring, or people doing burnouts,” they said.

“I have to wear closed shoes when mowing the lawn because of needles on the street.

“There’s a constant stream of cars coming and going.

“These are horrific people.”

NT Police confirmed they attended a violent home invasion at the house late last year. Picture: Gera Kazakov

The house was the scene of a violent home invasion late last year.

The resident told the NT News issues from that address had plagued the street long before that attack.

“There was a car on fire in front of their house,” they said.

“12 months before that there was an attack with machetes.

“The whole street is fed-up.”

The house is part of the Northern Territory government’s public housing network.

The NT government employs Public Housing Safety Officers to deal with difficult tenants. Picture: Christine Ansorge

The neighbour said they had made multiple complaints to the police and the Department of Housing about the occupants.

“I don’t understand how Territory Housing can condone a resident living in their housing who is dealing drugs and making everyone’s life hell,” they said.

“It would make everyone’s life better if they were moved on.”

A Department of Housing spokeswoman said illegal and anti-social behaviour was not tolerated.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own home and we take all safety concerns about public housing tenants very seriously,” she said.

“Anti-social and illegal behaviour caused by public housing tenants, or their visitors, is not tolerated and we have a Red Card policy to address this.”

NT Police declined to comment.

The CLP government announced public housing reforms in March this year, with Housing Minister Steve Edgington promising “no more slaps on the wrist”.

Minister Steve Edgington said the reforms would crack down on problem tenants. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The key reform areas would see powers increased for public housing officers; improving processes to deal with complaints, fine recovery, and serious tenancy breaches; updating the tenant damage policy; introducing statutory breach notices to manage anti-social behaviour; and increasing accountability under the current ‘red card’ system.

Criticism of the proposed reforms were swift, with chairs of both the Central and Northern Land Council labelling them “draconian” and “heartless”.

For the neighbour of the house, the reforms could not come quick enough.

“I support these new laws,” they said.

“I think in our case it would make everyone’s lives safer.”

Originally published as Residents are fed-up with this unruly house