A resident who lives near a house at the centre of a homicide investigation in Hamilton says it was a surprise to hear arguing from the home.

Emergency services were called to Vernall St in Nawton around 5.10pm on Monday following reports of an altercation.

Hamilton City area commander Inspector Andrea McBeth says despite efforts from medical personnel, a 37-year-old man at the address was unable to be revived and died at the scene.

Police have launched a homicide investigation.

'A homicide investigation has commenced to determine the circumstances of his death.”

A scene guard was in place overnight and the scene will be examined in the coming days.

On Tuesday morning, people were seen sitting in chairs on the footpath inside the cordon. Police tape was wrapped around the property and there was a police car at the scene.

Nearby resident, Billy Taitoko told Stuff, as far as she's knew, two men and two children live at the home.

'One of the children is in my son's class,” her son is 9-years-old.

'We walk past the house all the time to go to the park, the family would always greet us. There were always kids playing in the front yard.”

Taitoko was walking to the shop on Monday when she noticed it was taped off.

'It's sad seeing the tape up, you think stuff like that only happens in the movies. It's only a few doors away, I feel for the whānau,” she said.

'I heard arguing, but I didn't think it was them. It's not normal to hear noise from that house.

'They're pretty quiet.”

Taitoko has lived in the Nawton home for three months and said the only arguing comes from a neighbour further down the road.

Another resident, who lives close by to the house, who didn't want to be named, said they noticed a lot of sirens on Monday evening.

He counted five police cars and two ambulances and the house cordoned off between 5.30pm and 6pm when he went to The Base.

He lives behind Vernall Street - and has been in Nawton for six years and hasn't seen anything like this before.

He didn't hear anything unusual before the police turned up. "I thought I heard yelling, but this is Hamilton.”

At least 13 people have died in suspicious or homicidal circumstances in New Zealand so far in 2022.

At the same time last year there had been 10 suspected homicides. Last year's toll closed at 72.

On average there are 71 homicides in New Zealand each year. The rate of 1.3 homicides per 100,000 people is above the OECD median of 0.95 per 100,000.

The Homicide Report's data is provisional and may change depending on the outcome of investigations and court cases.

-Stuff/Chloe Blommerde and Jo Lines-MacKenzie.