Wellington residents self-evacuate damaged buildings

Wellington residents are "red stickering" their own homes, due to concerns they are not safe to live in after this month's magnitude 7.8 earthquake.

Dylan Moran is one of the residents who has vacated the building he lives in after discovering visible damage.

"I've noticed since the quake that there has been some pretty massive cracks growing in our stairwell, which is our only way out of the building if there's another quake or if there's a fire," Moran said.

"After seeing what happened in 2010 when people went back into their buildings only to see them come down in 2011, I just worry that if something else does happen that those stairs aren't safe and we shouldn't be there going down those stairs."

When asked if the building has been assessed, Moran said it is a bit of a "murky area".

The building had been looked at after the quake, marked by a notice in the foyer saying that engineers had been through.

"Then another notice went up, end of last week, saying the building as a whole hasn't been assessed yet but will be eventually," Moran said.

Moran said he wants more information from the property owner, particularly in relation to the stairwell which they said was going to be fixed and is being supported by scaffolding.

"It's a waiting game with a roof over our head that might fall in.

"I've self-evacuated...I don't feel safe being in that building. I don't have many options. I can't end the lease I can't get myself out of there and I don't feel safe moving out and putting someone else in there."

Moran is still paying rent while he waits to hear the fate of the building.