Walking into 13 Garrett Street in the Wellington CBD, you're welcomed by a wallpaper of gig posters over concrete walls, a display of the home's legacy.

But no more posters will be added, as a complaint to Wellington City Council has forced the cancellation of all events, and the tenants will be exiting to make way for redevelopment.

The home nearby Cuba Street shops has been the place for gigs, markets, poetry readings, movie nights, and more since as early as possibly the late 90s.

The three story building is set to be turned into offices on the upper floors, and a new venue space on the bottom.

The tenants of the home who will be leaving in November - all 16 of them - say the Capital is losing a space for community.

The Wellington City Council received a complaint alleging that the building had been hosting paid live events, which it did not have the permits for.

A pillar of music and arts scene

Flatmates Ollie Warren and Sarah Lee sit on their couch remembering their time hosting.

"It's become quite a pillar of what Wellington music and arts community can look like," Warren said.

A floor to ceiling shared wardrobe sits in the entrance hall, by the front room full of murals and speakers, along with mismatched vintage furniture.

A wooden stage stands at one end of the room, which while it looks peaceful in the daylight, comes alive at night.

In just the past four years, the flatmates said hundreds of people have performed.

In its history of performances, names like Mac Demarco pop up, Welly band Heavy Chest, and founder of music collective Eyegum, Joel Cosgrove who they say had his first gig there at 17.

"Garrett is a place for people to be prototyping and sharing things that aren't quite ready," Lee explained.

The flatmates said they made no income from the events, and any money from ticket sales went to the artists and organisers.

They said they always tried to operate events with safety in mind, and they respect the council trying to keep everyone safe.

"Obviously the council were going to catch up on us at one point," Warren said.

The group has had to cancel over a dozen events planned for this year as a result of the complaint.

Wellington City Council said it had set out its vision and partnership with the creative sector on supporting groups and artists, and providing access to new and under-utilised spaces to host events.

However, it said this support still needs to comply with building and planning regulations, for safety reasons.

Music journalist Martyn Pepperell remembered going to the flat as a teenager in the late 90s.

He said the music changed with each group of tenants - from techno, drum and bass, electro punk, new rave, to indie dance.

Pepperell said people would team up and do multi-level shows, even on the roof.

He compared its closure to if the famous Cuba Street Bucket Fountain vanished.

"For some people this has just been part of the fabric of their life for decades."

Now, Pepperell said the building was at a crossroad moment, and Wellington would have to wait and see how the new venue fit into its history.

"In 10 years time, we may find that that's just another chapter in the bigger story of 13 Garrett Street."

Owners' plans

The owners of the property, Emily and William Broadmore, bought the building late last year with the plan to earthquake strengthen it for redevelopment.

They said the top half of the building will be turned into character offices, and the bottom half will be a venue.

The owners are working with DJ and promoter, Jack Parry, and architect and interior designer Allistar Cox, to develop the bottom floor of the building into an official venue.

The owners said they always knew the home was a party flat, but not that events were being ticketed and publicly advertised.

"This is not how we wanted the end of the era for them."

While the owners said an end of the tenancy was always planned for earthquake strengthening and redevelopment, they said they had to begin this conversation sooner than anticipated because of the complaint.

"They always knew this day would come. It's just a real shame that it came as a result of a complaint from council."

With earthquake strengthening starting on the upper floors, the owners said it's possible that lower tenants - thrift shop Dirty Laundry and coffee spot Pour & Twist - could stay slightly longer.

Neighbours say the flat was never a problem

Speaking with neighbours, they say the party flat never bothered them.

Victoria Court Motor Lodge - a hotel next to the flat - said the noise was never an issue.

Owner Liam Wang said the noise didn't worry him, as the city was noisy regardless, and other music venues like The Rogue and Vagabond are close by.

However, he said if the home didn't have the right permits, it was fair for the council to shut it down.

Neighbour Dan Craig said he went to a gig at the flat 20 years ago, and felt it was a real shame it had been shut down.

"That's pretty rank bro."

He said it was part of the fabric of Wellington.

"It's like a little hidden secret, it's a shame."

Could the legacy continue?

While 13 Garrett Street itself is closing, the tenants hope the idea of it can continue at a new address.

The flatmates said they want to continue living in large numbers, and are looking for houses with six-plus bedrooms, where they could continue to host.

Sarah Lee said: "What we really hope for is that we can find physical spaces that can continue to hold some of this legacy and some of this community together so that we can continue."