Eight Housing New Zealand tenants have been evicted from their state houses in the Bay of Plenty over the last year for lying to their landlord.

Another four are facing prosecution. Overall, Housing NZ regards the numbers as 'not too bad” as the Bay of Plenty extends from Katikati to Whakatane and south to Taupo, including Tauranga and Rotorua.

'While we have terminated eight tenancies in the last 12 months those convictions probably relate to tenancies ended over the last couple of years,” says Housing NZ communications officer Marie Winfield.

'Prosecuting a tenant takes time, so we don't always prosecute a tenant in the same year we end their tenancy. It's not so much a backlog, it's just the normal court system.

'We don't prosecute every tenancy that we end. There are different thresholds.

'Where we are confident we can get a prosecution through the court then we will pursue them, but that doesn't always happen.

'We don't want to spend taxpayer money seeking to prosecute where we don't feel we have enough evidence to get a conviction.”

Since July last year Housing NZ has successfully prosecuted 119 former tenants for fraud.

Sentences included three prison sentences, 22 involving home detention/community detention, 67 community work, five reparation only, one person convicted and discharged, with 21 still awaiting sentence.

'The state housing system is designed to help people in their time of need,” says Housing Minister Phil Heatley.

'It's unfair and unacceptable for people to abuse the system and commit fraud to get benefits they are not entitled to.

'People who deliberately rip-off the system deprive families in real need.”

By evicting dishonest tenants from 241 homes in the last 12 months, and 397 over the last three years, Housing NZ is helping a significant number of people on the waiting list who have a desperate and genuine need for a state house, says Phil.

Investigations found former tenants failed to advise Housing NZ about income from employment, business interests, assets, that they lived with a partner, or they sublet their tenancy.

'I expect Housing New Zealand to continue with its strong stance on the detection and prevention of fraud,” says Phil.

Examples that have resulted in eviction:

A tenant who obtained a state house in 2000 was found to also own two properties, including a holiday home in Waihi.

The tenant was convicted and sentenced to six months community detention, 12 months supervision, 80 hours community work and ordered to pay reparation of $55,146.

Between 2000 and 2008 two tenants lived together as partners in one tenancy while subletting the other. They also earned income from work.

They received over $160,000 in rental subsidies they were not entitled to. Both three bedroom tenancies were terminated and the tenants were found guilty of fraud.

A former tenant, who obtained a state house in 1998, did not declare his wife's employment. The tenant forged employer income statements and understated his income. The tenant was sentenced to five months home detention and ordered to pay $55,000 reparation.

A tenant, who obtained a house in 2002, failed to declare his partner who was employed as a civil engineer. The couple travelled frequently to Australia along with his children.

The tenancy was terminated, he was convicted of fraud and a Crown debt of $90,000 was established.

Housing New Zealand has also established $6.6 million in Crown debts for overpaid rent subsidies over the last 12 months – bringing the total over the last three years to nearly $13.7 million.