Different Landlord Breeds of

An Ecological Guide to Dunedin’s Most Invasive Species

By Zak Rudin and Annabelle Parata Vaughan

Nestled throughout the sprawling ecosystem of Dunedin lies perhaps the most pervasive pest of all: the landlord. They come in all different shapes and sizes, marking territory in their own unique and equally infuriating ways. With each species of landlord comes a different experience. Critic Te Ārohi decided to launch an ecological investigation into the different breeds of landlords and compile them into a comprehensive list, so you know what kind of pest you’ll have to control the moment you sign your lease.

It’s fairly ubiquitous how shit the Dunedin flatting experience is. Cold, damp, and moldy flats are common stories amongst students. You might assume that these tips are managed by landlords who have too many properties to be attentive, but the results from our investigation were surprising. Turns out the Big Dogs, the ones who own upwards of 20 properties apiece, have some of the nicest properties in North D.

A lot of the flats owned by the Big Dogs along Leith, Grange, and Hyde are cookie-cutter new builds or ones that have recently been “refurbished”. However, having a nice flat that actually feels like a home comes at a pretty penny. Students from one such flat on Grange owned by AJ Hooker said that they were paying $900/week for 3 bedrooms. Ouch. The most common price range seemed to sit around $175 to $200/week per room. One student on Leith said they were “paying less [than last year] for a better flat.” What’s more, most of the Big Dog landlords actually seemed to get shit done. This could be down to the fact that owning a newly built flat means that, generally speaking, they’re pretty low maintenance. But still, having a communicative landlord is definitely a win.