Vladimir Zvegintsev and Tatiana Zvegintseva face having to leave their Housing New Zealand home of 18 years.

Seatoun Housing New Zealand tenants Vladimir Zvegintsev and Tatiana Zvegintseva are being kicked out of their home of 18 years and they don't know why.

The couple, who moved to the house as Russian political refugees in 1998, received a letter from the Ministry of Social Development on February 9 informing them they no longer qualified for their two-bedroom house.

Vladimir, 58, said he was confused because they earn well below the maximum threshold of $864.30 for a couple.

He said he suspected they were being evicted because their son no longer lived with them, making the house technically too big for them.

In 2014 the Government's "house for life" policy ended.

Since then tenancy reviews have been taking place and many like Vladimir and Tatiana, who pay near market rent, have no longer been eligible for housing.

Vladimir said it left him and others not being able to find an affordable home and having to leave the community.

"People have no security in their houses," he said.

"We made this our home. For us it was important to build relationships with our neighbours and over the years we have built a sense of community around us."

In Russia, Vladimir was a teacher and his wife was a computer programmer.

Now they get by on a meagre income from Tatiana's fulltime work as a bookkeeper and Vladimir's part-time work as a special needs support worker.

They said they had been model tenants, had always paid rent on time and had never even had a broken window.

"We are not young people," Tatiana, 61, said.

"This has been horrible. I'm in such a stress right now. I've developed a fear of receiving letters. If we are evicted from this house it will ruin our lives."

Ministry of Social Development deputy chief executive Carl Crafar said he could not comment on the the case because the couple had requested a review of the ministry's decision that they were no longer eligible for social housing.

"It is not appropriate for us to comment until this review is completed," he said.

Vladimir and Tatiana said they just wanted to continue living in their home and paying their rent each week.

"We had no problems for 18 years," Vladimir said.

A State Housing Action Network Wellington branch formation meeting is being held at St John's Convention Centre, March 30 at 6pm.

The State Housing Action Network tries to help the State and Social Housing tenants in difficult situations.