The Big Dogs Rat Kings

The Rat Kings are perhaps the most well-known and notorious breed of landlord. While all landlords are in the business of exploiting capitalist structures of power inequality, no other breed does it more obviously than the Rat Kings. Critic Te Ārohi spoke with a group of girls on Castle that had the misfortune to end up in a flat owned by one such vermin. The flat had all the classics: black mold, holes in the floor (which also happened to be rotting away), glass everywhere, failure to meet Healthy Homes Standards, etc., etc.

To add to this, the place was a mess when they moved in. When they contacted the property manager, they were told: “Clean it yourself.” Now, Critic Te Ārohi is no expert, but that sure does not sound legal. So, we consulted one. Janet Robertson, previous Tenancy Tribunal adjudicator and current adjudicator of the Disputes Tribunal, told Critic Te Ārohi, “The Residential Tenancies Act requires the property to be ‘reasonably clean and tidy’ and ‘reasonably maintained’ [before tenants move in].”

Another student flatting on Fredrick told Critic Te Ārohi that they were “welcomed in true Dunedin fashion with mold, water damage, zero insulation, a floor so cold that shoes indoors was essential to avoid frostbite, a tiny office turned ‘bedroom’, and a room we were literally locked out of due to not being earthquake safe.” Nice.

Of course, there are still some classic dirty Dunners flats owned by the capitalist elite. But for the students lacking that sweet, sweet intergenerational wealth, it’s really the only option. One student on Grange was pretty open about the fact that his flat is “a bit of a shithole” for a place costing $150/week per room.

From a practical point of view, being dragged through Tenancy Tribunal is admin for landlords as well as students, so owning over 20 properties comes with a certain amount of responsibility. One student Critic Te Ārohi spoke to on Grange said, “I don’t know about the economics, but from a personal perspective the landlord is good.”

Critic Te Ārohi’s theory is that, since the biggest landlords are deep in the business of property management (*cough* hoarding wealth), they make it their full time job. One student on Leith told Critic Te Ārohi that “the flatting culture is greedy in Dunedin,” adding, “you’re forced to sign flats at least three months before moving in.” The student mentioned that her brother in Pōneke Wellington has had a much better time of it. “The culture [in Pōneke] is better because you start paying when you move in,” she said.

These experiences are hardly uncommon, but that does not mean that they should be the standard. “It feels bad to complain, as it’s hardly a unique experience for Dunedin students, and one that’s just as commonly celebrated with a ‘gotta have a shit flat once’ attitude,” said the Fredrick Street resident. Critic Te Ārohi recommends that you should complain.