Tenants tough on state houses

Last week it was revealed that damage in the 2003-04 year cost $18 million, a figure that has risen by 68 per cent in the past three years.

The Herald has learned that 36,700 of Housing NZ's 63,500 properties, just over half, were classified as damaged.

Housing NZ says that "damaged" also includes cases where work was done to bring vacated properties up to scratch for re-letting.

A former handyman who used to repair Housing NZ homes said there were countless incidents of intentional vandalism every day, some on almost unbelievable levels.

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