Key Takeaways
- A tenant, Rosie Elaine Palmer, was evicted from her apartment in Auckland’s CBD due to repeated breaches of her tenancy agreement.
- The breaches included hosting loud parties, allowing guests to engage in antisocial behavior, and failing to ensure their safety.
- The Tenancy Tribunal ruled that Palmer’s continued breaches were not capable of remedy and terminated her tenancy.
- The landlord, Edward Meili, reported that Palmer’s rent was always paid on time, but the complaints from neighbors began soon after she moved in.
- Meili alleged that Palmer left behind thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to the apartment when she moved out.
Introduction to the Eviction Case
The story of Rosie Elaine Palmer’s eviction from her apartment in Auckland’s CBD is a cautionary tale of the consequences of repeated breaches of a tenancy agreement. Palmer, who rented a unit in the boutique apartments known as The Cube, was warned by the Tenancy Tribunal in July 2025 that if the landlord brought another claim, termination of her tenancy was likely. Despite this warning, Palmer continued to breach her agreement, hosting a birthday party in November that resulted in police arriving and arresting two of her guests for parole violations. The party also prompted several neighbors to complain about loud music, offensive language, and intoxicated people, with some even requesting security guards in the building for the weekend.
The Tenancy Tribunal’s Decision
Following another application to the Tenancy Tribunal by the landlord, Edward Meili, a hearing was held, which Palmer did not attend. However, she did provide a statement to Meili, claiming that there had been no loud music playing during the birthday party and that only eight people had attended. The tenancy adjudicator, Michelle Pollack, found that Palmer’s version of events did not match the police report filed, and that her continued breaches were not capable of remedy. Pollack ruled that Palmer had done nothing to ensure her guests did not engage in antisocial conduct and behaviors that were "worrying, distressing and concerning" to others in the neighborhood and the apartment building.
Incidents Leading to the Eviction
The incidents that led to Palmer’s eviction were numerous and disturbing. Two weeks after the birthday party, two of Palmer’s guests were arguing on her patio, and a distressed woman was seen escaping a man by climbing over the balcony and scaling the side of the building to reach the front. The woman was reportedly "super high" and "almost fell," and the police were called again, resulting in the man being taken into custody. Other incidents reported to the landlord included one of Palmer’s guests graffitiing the inside of the building and another bringing a dog into the apartment. These incidents, combined with the birthday party and the subsequent police visits, demonstrated a pattern of behavior that was unacceptable and posed a risk to the safety and well-being of others in the building.
The Landlord’s Perspective
Edward Meili, the landlord, reported that he had advertised the apartment for a month with no interest before Palmer contacted him and said she could move in the next day. He checked her references and found that her rent was always paid on time, but the complaints from neighbors began soon after she moved in. Meili alleged that Palmer left behind thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to the apartment when she moved out, and he was not hopeful that any funds would be recovered from her. Meili, who owns and manages several apartments in the Auckland CBD, noted that the industry had changed over his career, with more people vacating apartments in the CBD to either leave the country or move to more "serene areas." He expressed concern about the impact of antisocial behavior on the community, stating that he had to walk past at least 50-60 homeless people a day and wondered what cruise tourists thought of the area.
Conclusion and Advice
The case of Rosie Elaine Palmer’s eviction serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting the terms of a tenancy agreement and the rights of others in the community. The Tenancy Tribunal’s decision to terminate Palmer’s tenancy was based on her repeated breaches and failure to take responsibility for her actions. Meili’s experience as a landlord highlights the challenges of finding good tenants and the need for landlords to be vigilant in ensuring that their properties are not used for antisocial purposes. As Meili noted, "Good people are hard to find, so cherish them." This advice is relevant not only to landlords but also to tenants, who must recognize the importance of being respectful and considerate of others in their community.