Tenants quit death home

Ravneet Sangha and her 2-year-old daughter were stabbed to death inside this Tauranga property. Photo / Christine Cornege

The memory of a mother and daughter stabbed to death at a Tauranga property last year has proved too much for a second set of tenants, who have moved out after only three months in the house of horrors.

Now, it is being advertised for rent again - but seems likely to attract only ghouls or those who don't know its history.

Ravneet Sangha and her 2-year-old daughter Anna died in June last year.

Deepak Nagpal, 23, a fruit packer, has pleaded guilty to their murders. He admitted stabbing Ravneet Sangha more than 100 times. He also stabbed the little girl to death before hiding her body in the washing machine, where it lay undiscovered for two days.

While other houses with such gruesome histories have been torched or bulldozed, the owners of the house in Tauranga's Ngatai Rd chose to rent it out again.

But the first tenants moved out after only a few months.

In October, new tenants - a couple with a teenage son - moved in. But Peter Harrison and Tareena Tawhara said they were initially not told about its gruesome history.

Instead they learned the tragic story from the taxi driver who drove Harrison to the property. Harrison then confronted the property manager who told the couple the story.

Tawhara said people thought they were crazy for living at the house and sometimes she felt "pretty freaked" as people stopped and stared inside the property.

She also said she had trouble sleeping when alone in the house and described it as deathly quiet at times.

Just over a week ago, the couple and their 14-year-old son moved out with nothing but a quick word to the neighbour over the back fence.

"We had a bit of a chat before they left," said neighbour Graeme Allen. "They put their head over the fence to tell me they were moving on but I thought they were staying there for the year."

The house is advertised for rent on Trade Me for $220 a week - but the owners are also trying to rid themselves of it entirely. "It is well priced at $220 down from $290 as it is now going on the market for sale," the advertisement reads. "This lovely property has an internal access garage and is fully fenced. We may be negotiable on a dog."

The owners, who also live in Tauranga, could not be contacted and are believed to be travelling overseas. Their house is also advertised for sale by Westbay Real Estate, which would not comment.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES