As Wellington bedsit asking $420 pw draws anger, we compare offerings around NZ
Thursday, 13 January 2022
When Auckland University lecturer Sarah Bickerton saw an advertisment on Trade Me for a small bedsit in Wellington for $420 a week that asked for applicants’ flat hunting CV “to get a head-start on everyone else”, she thought it was satire.
Her disbelief seems to be shared – one man who tweeted about the property joked the proximity of the bed to the kitchen would make it easier to make a cup of tea at night, while another said flats in the area were always overpriced.
Others online said the rental was a symptom of a market that had recently experienced record rent hikes.
While it hit a nerve with current and former Wellingtonian renters, the property manager defended the listing when contacted by Stuff.
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Landlord responds
The manager, who asked not to be named, said he asked viewers how the bedsit compared, and feedback this year was it compared favourably, and was priced appropriately, given couples would be paying $210 each.
“Comments range from it is in a lovely location at the end of a quiet street, is a five-minute walk to the city, is a good size with built-in wardrobes and cupboards, a good-sized bathroom and has all the whiteware, and nice clean kitchen,” he said.
“In particular, it is not a damp flat and is not a cold flat.”
The bedsit was about 45 square metres, which he said was about average for a studio flat. He said during 15 years renting it out there had been no negative feedback.
“We have had previous tenants – couples – who have left this flat, move to another city, then move back to Wellington and asked if the flat was available to move back into,” he said.
He said about 80 per cent of applications would have a rental CV with photo ID and rental references, and asking for this information was common practice.
A converted Wellingtonian
Bickerton lived in the capital for a decade before moving to Auckland in 2020, and she said the renting options in New Zealand’s biggest city was far better.
She was currently living in a studio on the edge of Myers Park in the heart of Auckland, and in February would move to a new apartment on Union St, which she said cost less than the Wellington bedsit.
“I’ve got an in-unit washer and dryer, I’ve got wood floors, I’ve a view that looks out over Ponsonby and Grey Lynn, I’ve got a rainfall shower in the bathroom.” she says.
Bickerton said there wasn’t a remote chance she would find a comparable apartment in Wellington for the same price.
Bickerton said the offerings might be particularly good in Auckland because of the absence of international students, workers and holidaymakers, but the greater number of apartments meant you generally got more bang for your buck.
Stuff compared what kind of one-bedroom apartments you could get around the country – all one-bedroom, all central city, all advertised at $420 per week.
Christchurch
The South Island’s largest city is increasingly attractive for its comparably-cheap house prices, and the rental situation seems to follow a similar thread.
On Trade Me, there are multiple modern apartments in the city centre, including this one on Madras St.
The flat comes unfurnished, has a separate bedroom, and enough space for a couch, TV, and small seating area inside the open-plan kitchen.
The agent for the property, John Lee, said the building was about two years old, usually was rented within 10 days, and was pretty representative of what you could get for $420 in the city.
Dunedin
Looking in Dunedin, Stuff immediately found this one-bedroom furnished flat in the heart of the city for $420, which comes with the option of a secure car park for an additional $40 a week.
The flat is managed by Harcourts, and spokeswoman Sarah Warhurst said Dunedin had historically had a limited supply of apartments, so properties of this type were limited.
“The market has lifted considerably over the last two years so whilst the price point may have been a factor in previous years, I believe, based on market feedback, that Dunedin is no longer seen as “cheap” for accommodation,” she said.
It was a little easier to find a place at the moment, Warhurst said, because border closures meant fewer people competing for central apartments.
Auckland
In the heart of the city, a fairly typical offering is this flat advertised on Trade Me, located in the Waterloo Quadrant.
It may not be the most spacious, but its comes furnished, with access to the spa and gym in Quadrant Hotel, and free hotel Sky channels.
It’s managed by Excella Property Rentals, and property manager Avant Ong said before Covid-19, the flat typically had a vacancy gap of fewer than five days, but it could take longer to rent now.
He said renters were usually working professionals, who took the flat for the convenient location.
Mapua
For those who have been driven further afield by the rental crisis, we looked at what was available around Nelson, and came across this furnished studio.
A few minutes walk from shops, a nice outdoor area, and with water, fibre internet and Netflix included, it might have enough to tempt some city-dwellers who are able to work remotely.
The owner, Fernando Hurtado, said the only drawback of the place was you had to cook outside – not such a problem in summer, but a drawback in winter.
In the past, Hurtado said the studio was used for short term rent during the holiday season, but with Covid it was more often rented long-term. It’s a couple of minutes from the pretty Mapua wharf.
Wellington
For the same price as the bedsit, Wellington also has a handful of central-city studio apartments.
An example is this option on Trade Me, located on The Terrace. It’s fully furnished, has a washing machine and has a Juliet balcony.
The property manager told Stuff the flat was popular with inner city professionals due to its proximity to the CBD.