By Elizabeth Davies
I used to think that renting was a phase like wearing flared jeans or getting piercings, eventually I would grow out of it. Please forgive my naivety.
With house prices on the rise and more and more families renting either out of choice or more likely necessity, I’m forced to confront the idea that renting will be a part of my life for a very long time to come.
However I refuse to embrace it as an ideal alternative to home ownership. For me renting will always be a necessary evil. If you sense a touch of bitterness in this statement perhaps you will understand when I explain my experiences over the last month. Needless to say I’m feeling more than a little disillusioned with the rental scenario.
My partner and I moved into our house about a month ago. We had both moved around a lot and were looking for somewhere to settle down for the next couple of years while we save for our own home.
We were reassured by the property managers that the landlord had no intentions of moving in, demolishing or selling. We were careful as always and signed a six month fixed-term tenancy agreement just in case the neighbours were cooking P in the kitchen or our financial circumstances took a turn for the worse.
There were problems from week one. The shower was leaking onto an already rotten floor and all the pipes were broken meaning shower waste water was going straight onto the bare ground beneath the house.
After three weeks of chasing the property managers we managed to get a plumber around to fix the shower and patch the dodgy floor. The same day I got a call from one of the agents vaguely mentioning that someone would be coming around to look at the house in a couple of days.
I was immediately concerned and asked if the house was on the market. I was reassured that it was not.
A few hours later my partner came home and directed my attention to the man hammering a sign in our front yard. The sign informed us that the house would be auctioned in an urgent sale in less than a month and there would be open homes over the weekend.
I fought the urge to panic, thinking there was a good chance our landlord would change but nothing else would. I quickly scanned Trade Me for the inevitable listing.
There it was in black and white, the house was being advertised as a development opportunity for apartments. My heart sank.
A quick call to the tenants advisory hotline and we were assured that we can’t be evicted before the end of our six month agreement. I felt slightly better but still incredibly disappointed. My plans for transforming this house into our home were crushed.
To make matters worse when the real estate agent turned up the next day she didn’t even knock on our door. She let herself in with a key then gave us a somewhat blank look. She assumed we weren’t going to be home.
I’ve never felt so disrespected. Clearly ownership means everything and occupancy doesn’t even entitle you to the basic right of answering your own door.
I know that renting can be a positive experience. In the past I’ve always had good relationships with my landlords and appreciated the mutual benefits of having a place to live and the freedom to move on when I was ready.
However this latest experience has left a bad taste in my mouth. For the first time I’m not grateful for the freedom that comes with renting, I’m resentful of the insecurity and the fear of having my home ripped out from underneath me when least expected.
At the end of the day I’m left feeling that my financial status deems me unworthy of either communication or respect, and it doesn’t feel great.
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*Elizabeth Davies is a 23 year old post graduate journalism student at Auckland University of Technology. She lives with her partner in Epsom and spends her free time refurbishing vintage furniture and attempting to bake while fighting a daily battle against her bank balance. She writes a weekly article for interest.co.nz on money matters and financial struggles from a young person's perspective.
24 Comments
Elizabeth
What happened to you was wrong. We, the people of new Zealand, are sorry.
I hope that this experience does not harden your resolve to own as many properties as you can in the future so that you can screw as many people as possible while feeling increasingly comfortable and secure.
I am sure it wont.
Good luck.
Elizabeth - Get yourself a copy of the RTA and have a good read. The agent that let herself in without permission has broken the law. You will be awarded at least $700 by the Tenancy Tribunal for this breach. However, if you handle it right the agency and owners will probably offer considerably more by way of rent abatements. Especially when you explain there will be no open homes.
The RTA has evolved into an effective piece of legislation. Overall it offers more support to tenants than owners ie owners need to give far longer notice to vacate than tenants. If the property is to be sold for redevelopment there is considerable financial incentive for the vendors to have the place vacant. Make sure most of it ends up in your bank account.
Make sure one of your conditions is a glowing reference. Rentals are not in short supply at the moment . Your situation looks cloudy with lots of silver linings. All the best.
DING. Property manager, landlort and REA all acting illegally. I suspect it goes on a lot more than it should as they prey on tenants who're naive in the way of the RTA. Once they suss that you're clued up on it, trust me, they'll treat you with respect or you'll take them to the cleaners at the tribunal. Push back, it's your right to do so and your responsibility to others to slap these cowboys about a bit so they don't do it to others :)
However a cat and dog cant move, a person can.
This is what gets me at times when ppl complain their house isnt insulated. Neither is some of mine btw....but I own it so no one cares....
The conversation goes something like, well move to one that is.....Oh but I cant afford that. So if the landlord is forced to insulate where does he get the money from? oh he goes to the bank and gets it. OK he then he puts up the rent to cover the extra costs then what? oh he shouldnt be allowed to do that.
disconnect......disconnect...
I am a property developer so know the property market and its rules and regulations very well.
Firstly, yes there have been some breaches of the RTA which are inexcusable and you can excercise your rights in respect of them.
However, it is unfortunate that what is happening to you is ENDEMIC across this country. People who cannot afford to buy their own properties rent out something reasonable only to find in a short space of time that they are kicked out.
I don't think it is even practically possible to find a decent place to rent on a long term basis.
When we were renters we were kicked out on 3 seperate occasions. In each case we were in the property for only a year before the landlord decided either to sell or have family move into it at our expense. I have a friend who has had it happen to twice in 6 months.
The trouble is that people who invest in property are not commited to remain as landlords. They ride roughshod over people who just want to find a place to live and settle down for a few years.
I don't know what the solution to this would be.
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