Issue 04 ✦ Home

1 2

C ontents

Editorial ✦ Etita

Letters ✦ Pū

The News ✦

Kawe Pūrongo

05. “It Really Sucks”: Freshers Fed Raw Chicken and Mouldy Eggs in VUW Halls

06. Escort Agency Targets Students with Misleading Job Advertising

07. Wellington Bustastrophe Leaves Student Commuters “Frustrated” Over “Crammed” Buses to Campus

08. OPINION: If You’re Gonna Be My Landlord Then I Want Your Reference Too

09. OPINION: Auckland Transport is Giving Absent Father

09. Hot Takes in the Hub

10. Headline Junkie

Ahurea 4

Arts & Culture ✦

11. Hug Your Loved Ones, Especially When They Let You Down: A Review of Aftersun Takuma Ohashi

12. CORE Confronts Young Love and Young Realities Madeline Kain & Hattie Salmon

About Us

Salient is published by, but remains editorially independent from, the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA). Salient is funded in part by VUWSA through the Student Services Levy. Salient is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA).

The views expressed in Salient do not necessarily reflect those of the Editors, VUWSA, or the University.

Complaints

Complaints regarding the material published in Salient should first be brought to the Editors in writing (editor@salient.org.nz).

If not satisfied with the response, complaints should be directed to the Media Council (info@mediacouncil.org.nz).

14. There's No Place Like Halls: When Your Hall Experience Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up to Be Lauren Pemberton

17. When the Problem is Inside the House: Coping With Creepy Flatmates Bridget Scott

22. Living with Mum, or Preparing to Slum Kiran Patel

25. Let’s Fix Renting Together Éimhín O'Shea

27. The Down Low on Moving In With Strangers

Maia Ingoe

Find Us

Twitter: @salientmagazine

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www.salient.org.nz

Salient Podcasts

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E ditorial

Let’s Make This House Our Home

Making a home away from home gives us a sense of belonging and safety. When we moved into the Salient office, we had to make it ours. We brought in plants, revived a struggling peace lily, and made a lounge of couches and crochet blankets. It’s not just our office now, it’s our second home.

Over the past three years, we have been stuck inside a fuck tonne. If you weren’t a homebody before 2020, you now at least have an appreciation for the WFH lifestyle. Over this time, we either thrived or almost died from boredom.

Week-long Covid-19 isolation periods have taught us how valuable having a space to call your own is (and also that Fran looks funny in her gel mask over FaceTime while we are writing this). But making your space a home is challenging when you're a renter—moving every year to a new space and dealing with shitty landlord after shitty landlord. How do you make a house a home when it’s mouldy and you aren’t allowed to have an emotional support cat? What if your flatmates are creepy, or you just don’t vibe with them?

Our advice is, and we know this as children of divorce: make a little sanctuary out of the parts of your environment and surroundings that feel like home! For Aunty Vic’s advice on why or why not to romantically pursue your flatmate, hit up page 33.

To quote our wonderful designer Bella, “Fran’s bedroom is constantly cast in a sparkly pink tint from her pink lace bed canopy and disco ball.” Maia has her trestle writing desk facing the window, surrounded by plants. After a few years of flatting, and moving between family homes before then, we know a thing or two about nesting. We love a good pillow, plushie, or blanket fort. Sometimes even the space under your desk can be a cosy refuge from hours of study. Don’t you worry, we are experienced hermits. This ain’t Maia and Fran’s first enclosure-time rodeo. That’s what Salient is for. Cut out our illustrations and centrefolds to cover the mould stains and paint peels on your walls. We can confirm, cosy comfort can be found within a good cup of kimchi noodles and a flat Married At First Sight Australia sesh.

But no matter how many stolen city posters cover your walls or how many candles you burn, sometimes you can’t get over the fact that most of Wellington's student housing stock are shitholes. Renting is cooked. That’s why the “Home” issue is focused on advocacy.

We’ve teamed up with Renters United to bring you first-years a guide to renting basics—get to know your rights. Bridget asks what to do when you’ve got a flatmate that oversteps your boundaries, Lauren reflects on how halls sometimes aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, Kiran weighs up living at home in a cost of living crisis versus flatting, and Maia writes about the rollercoaster that is moving in with strangers.

In the news section, Niamh brings you her opinion on why landlords should provide references too. Ethan probes the sub-standard pink chicken catering of VUW halls, and takes a look into the overcrowded uni buses.

That’s all from us folks. Enjoy covering your walls with this issue and thrifting blankets to make your space more cosy we all need a hideaway.

Catch us on:

News the

20 March 2023

Food provided in Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Halls of Residence is once again causing a stir as freshers are served kai of a questionable quality, posing significant risks to health and safety.

In previous years, Salient has reported on slugs, mould, maggots, hairs, and feathers making an appearance in meals, an experience now being shared by new residents in 2023.

On Instagram, @kathyjcuisine has been documenting some of Katharine Jermyn Hall’s (KJ) culinary misadventures since 2018. This year, the account has posted images of mouldy cheese, raw chicken, and boiled eggs with a patchy green hue.

Katherine Jermyn Hall costs residents $494 per week, a situation one resident calls “quite shit”.

Ethan, who moved into KJ in February, told Salient he’s had “way too many experiences [of] partially cooked huge clumps of mince [...] in an ambiguous liquid.”

“I think the quality is far too inconsistent for the amount we’re paying. It's not uncommon that I end up buying food from out of the hall to deal with it. It really sucks having to spend that much when I'm already paying thousands for food,” he said.

Another first-year student from Weir House was recently served a completely raw chicken tender. “I’m not sure how they managed to come out with something completely raw like that [...] a lot of times things are cooked unevenly,” they said.

“I couldn't really complain apart from a few random instances, but my standards might just be a bit low.”

The resident also said they had been served “spoiled yoghurt”.

Compass Catering operates the food service in seven of VUW’s thirteen halls. Describing themselves as “the world’s leading food and support services company”, their 2022 annual return detailed an operating profit equaling $2.9 billion NZD.

When approached for comment by Salient, VUW’s Acting Chief Operating Officer Simon Johnson said, “Accommodation Service works closely with Compass Group to ensure the catering this company provides is of a high quality.”

“For the large part, the food served in our halls is well received and enjoyed by our residents.”

“We urge our residents to let us know of any concerns about the food they are served. Residents can provide live feedback to the kitchen via their Time2Eat app or speak to a member of staff,” they said.

“It Really Sucks”: Freshers Fed Raw Chicken and Mouldy Eggs in VUW Halls

Words by Ethan Manera (he/him)

Escort Agency Targets Students with Misleading Job Advertising

Words by Zoë Mills (they/she)

Suspicious posters erected throughout Kelburn campus advertising part-time roles at an unnamed “nightclub” were actually recruiting for full-service sex work roles at an escorting agency in Wellington Central.

The posters, which have been removed, exclusively asked for “female” applicants. The advertisement did not describe the role further than “nightclub work”, but emphasised the high pay rate of $250 per hour and $150 per half hour. “Pay for the resources you can't afford, Bus Fares, clothing, Mobile top ups and more,” the poster read.

VUWSA did not give approval for the posters to be put up on campus. “If they're putting [the advertisements] on the VUWSA notice boards, they need to ask us. We [approve] them for reasons exactly like this,” Olivia*, a representative of VUWSA, told Salient

Olivia contacted the company and received multiple emails back from a recruiter, which she describes as “suspicious”. Salient understands that the contact information on the poster was linked to a recruiter hired by the agency. The recruiter clarified to Olivia after a few emails that the role was for full-service sex work.

Olivia says that the lack of clarity of the actual role in the first place was “insidious, and very sus.” Olivia belives that not being explicit and clear in advertising a sex work role is “preying on young people” who are financially struggling and unaware of the reality of the role.

The escorting agency has denied knowing that the recruiter was advertising at the university, calling the incident “embarrassing” after Salient reached out for comment. “We have spoken to [the recruiter] about this and [they have] agreed not to circulate any more promotional literature,” they said. “We understand the university stance on this kind of advertising and apologise for any stress and anguish such information in the ads might cause to young women on your campus.”

Salient contacted the recruiter by posing as a student seeking work at the club. Over the phone, the recruiter avoided stating what the actual role was until we asked for clarification.

Dame Catherine Healy, a spokesperson for the New Zealand Prostitutes’ Collective (NZPC), says that the misleading job description was “creepy”.

“It's really important when you're considering sex work to know what it is you’re considering,” she said. “It's unfortunate, I think it would be much better if they were able to be explicit [in advertising the role].”

Healy says that recruiting for sex work at the university has been a debate on campus for years. She added that the reasons recruiters cannot be explicit in describing the nature of the sex work roles are multifaceted. “Universities might say [that] we don't want this kind of work advertised to students who can be financially vulnerable. They might make that kind of parental decision on your

behalf to protect you from clubs that advertise and seek to recruit people under sex work.”

Healy recalls speaking to sex workers who had previously responded to vague, non-descript ads of a similar nature, and says that many of them had no idea that they were entering sex work.

Wellington Community Law lawyer Kate Scarlet says that while advertising for sex work roles is completely legal, under the Fair Trading Act 1993, “all statements made about the job to the prospective employee [must be] accurate.”

According to Scarlet, advertising of sex work employment must be clear in the nature of the role and “not be misleading or deceptive” under section 12 of the Fair Trading Act 1986.

“The university has the ability to create policies for its governance and management. Looking at the VUW policy page, there is a procedure regarding the promotion of alcohol on campus, but nothing to address sex services or sex employment,” Scarlet said.

“Generally, it is illegal to put up posters on someone else’s property without their permission (see s 33, Summary Offences Act 1981). Consideration would have to be given as to whether the university has given individuals or businesses permission to put up posters in this manner.”

For students considering entering a line of sex work, Healy suggests visiting organisations like the NZPC to educate yourself on the industry. “It's suitable work that's work that we don't necessarily equate with being undignified.” Healy also recommends finding support through discussing the industry with other sex workers. “Find out about ways in which you can be a sex worker, the different models, [and] different practices that you need to be familiar with.”

*names have been changed

Wellington Bustastrophe Leaves Student Commuters “Frustrated” Over “Crammed” Buses to Campus

Words by Ethan Manera (he/him)

With the start of the in-person university year well underway, Wellington’s already overrun and understaffed bus services are facing additional strain.

Students are experiencing “crammed” trips up to Kelburn campus, and say that Metlink needs to act urgently to increase the volume of buses for students.

Ruby, a third year Sociology student, travels to Kelburn campus on the number 21 bus most days during the Trimester. But she says that the current overcrowded state of the buses makes her feel unsafe.

“It's just dangerous. Everyone is standing shoulder to shoulder and there's nowhere left to hold on. It's literally packed to the brim and dangerously over capacity.”

Another student took their frustration to Facebook, with a post on VuW: Meaningful Confessions titled

“Speaking of bus bullshit” describing the number 18 service as a “crammed ass bus.”

Ruby was turned away from her recent bus home after waiting for 15 minutes. “We were waiting in the rain and so many people got turned away,” she said.

Thomas Nash, chair of the Transport Committee for the Greater Wellington Regional Council, says he's “sorry” to commuters that the bus service hasn't delivered.

“This level of service is not what people deserve right now. It's not the level of service we want to be providing.”

Nash said that March is usually the busiest month for public transport. He's looking at ways to alleviate the strain that the start of the university year is having on bus services, including adding additional buses along busy routes, but says the current bus driver shortage has caused significant pressure on Wellington's public transport.

OPINION: If You’re Gonna Be My Landlord Then I Want Your Reference Too

Words by Niamh Vaughan (she/her)

If you’re reading Salient, chances are you’re not a homeowner, and you’re all too familiar with the flat hunting gauntlet: scramble together a group of flatmates, sift through endless listings on Trade Me and Vic Deals, and attend countless flat viewings. You finally get through to the second round of the application process, but now, you’re getting asked for references. The property owner is diving into the unknown and they want proof that rent will always be paid in time, otherwise they’ll scrap your application.

They’re not the only ones facing the unknown. If I knew that my potential landlord has a habit of showing up at the house unannounced, or that the last tenants were evicted because ‘family was moving in’, I would rethink the application too.

References are the closest thing to proof of somebody being trustworthy and dependable. Why aren’t renters afforded the same courtesy? A landlord has far more effect on the lives of their tenants. Your housing situation has a serious impact on your mental wellbeing and, in some cases, your physical health. Ending up with a shit landlord can severely impact your quality of life. It’s only fair that we begin to level the playing field. It’s time landlords start providing references from previous tenants.

Landlords are really just glorified nits: lazy parasites who lounge about sucking the lifeblood of those forced to do the actual work, laying laying nepotismbaby eggs (because that’s the only way the younger generation can break into the housing market). But I’m not trying to get sociopolitical here. I just want a better understanding of the hands I’ll be putting my livelihood into for the next 6-12 months.

No one can deny the power landlords have over renters. Tenants are often too scared to speak up against their property owners out of fear they’ll lose their home. If we start getting our could-be landlords to give us references, we’d get a teeny-tiny piece of the power back.

I’m not saying that I shouldn’t have to give my landlord proof of my reliability, or complaining about the stressful rental process. I’m not even complaining about the inaccessibility of the housing market, despite my previous nit comments (though, if supermarkets can ration their egg supply so no one misses out during a shortage, surely the government can put a stop to the Wellington equivalent of Mr Burns buying all the property during a housing crisis).

All I’m saying is that a lack of mutual references is a lack of equal exchange.

References should go both ways. There is no doubt in my mind that the only people who would be resistant would be those who have something to hide. I’m sure the landlord whose negligence led to the damp house that exacerbated my friend’s chronic illness would be terrified of any legislation enforcing some kind of accountability. For every pinhole in my bedroom wall that my landlord wants to know about, I want to know about every patch of black mould they’ve painted over. For any stains in my carpet, I want to know how good they’ll be at fixing dripping taps and leaky ceilings. If you want to know how well I’ll look after your house, then I want to know how well you’ll look after my home.

OPINION: Auckland Transport is Giving Absent Father

Words by Maia Ingoe (she/her)

With Metlink, I thought I’d seen the worst: overcrowded buses too full to stop, late buses rounding the corner just after you’ve ordered an Uber, one empty number 2 bus crawling directly behind a very overcrowded number 2 bus.

Then I went to Auckland.

I could talk for hours about my hatred for roads, highways, and car dealerships (apologies to Hamilton for getting most of this). It’s clear to anyone reading this that Auckland's reliance on the private vehicles for transport has resulted in a human-engineered trap of urban sprawl and skyrocketing fuel prices.

But I’ve got a bone to pick with Auckland Transport.

When Auckland Transport announced that a key portion of its Eastern Line would be closed for 10 months,

I got the sense it was bad. When Elton John concert goers were left stranded in the midst of severe flash flooding after Auckland Transport begged them to drive rather than train, I knew something was seriously up. But it took travelling to Auckland to realise the abandonment of Auckland Transport by local government.

It took two hours, catching two buses and a train, to get from the airport to my mate’s flat. We waited for an hour, watching peak hour traffic crawl by, for a rail replacement bus that never came. This resulted in a 40-minute walk to Mt Smart Stadium. Fumbling through feather boa chaos to leave after the Harry concert, we caught a rail replacement bus – to the station south of where we needed to go. This meant a 20-minute journey turned into two hours: catching a train to Britomart and another bus back out again. Rail replacements, you were nowhere to be seen.

Metlink, please take me back.

H OT T AKES

What are your past experiences with landlords?

Ruby (she/they)

Geology & Education

Instead of it being a nice easy discussion, it ended up being quite an aggressive conversation. It was like the energy of, 'if I’m speaking louder than you I’m gonna win this argument.'

Ashira (she/her) Law

There was a drainpipe outside my window and it started pouring out… they were like oh, yeah, someone will be out to fix it! They didn’t come for like two weeks.

Jade (she/they) Film & Anthropology

They were stubborn on strange things that don’t matter, as well as being really unhelpful when things do matter. I’ve literally had a landlord tell me that he doesn’t care about the issue, he just wants the rent.

Riley (he/him) Criminology & Religion

[My landlord is] my friend’s mum, so if there's any issues with the flat or any qualms, it’s like, I’d be taking that up with my friend’s mum.

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HEADLINE

MADELEINE CHAPMAN CHALLENGES CHLÖE SWARBRICK TO A “ONE-OUTS” FOR FIGHT FOR LIFE

Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick is keen to enter the ring for Fight for Life, and The Spinoff Editor Madeleine Chapman has accepted the challenge to take her on. The NZ Herald reported that Swarbrick, with seven years of karate and two years of muay thai behind her, has no opponents brave enough to take her on for the charity event. Heather du Plessis-Allan, Jessica Mutch McKay, and Tova O’Brien all declined the offer to meet her in the ring. Then, Chapman entered the chat, posting on Twitter a response to Swarbick’s 2020 tweet challenging her to a “one-outs”. “I will fight Chlöe Swarbrick if she wants to fight someone so badly,” wrote Chapman for The Spinoff. At the time this issue went to print, a fight date had not been confirmed.

WILLOW PROJECT APPROVED

US President Joe Biden has approved the Willow Project, an $8 billion oil drilling project in Alaska. Over 30 years, the project will produce 576 million barrels of oil and 260 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, becoming one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions in the US. It has been met with fierce opposition by both environmentalists and Indigenous Alaskan communities. In their 2022 report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change urged all nations to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, to limit warming to 1.5°C.

MICHELLE YEOH WINS OSCAR FOR BEST ACTRESS

The Oscars happened last week, once again providing a glitzy showcase of the world's biggest stars and intoxicating wealth with their $126,000 gift bags. One stood out from the rest on the not-red carpet: Michelle Yeoh made history as the first Asian woman to win the coveted Best Actress award for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once Yeoh, who was born in Malaysia, dedicated the award to all the “little girls and boys who look like me.” She also added, “And ladies: don’t let anybody ever tell you you are past your prime.”

CHIPPY AXES POLICIES FOR CLIMATE AND TRANSPORT

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins axed a suite of policies last Monday to cut costs in the face of the cost of living crisis and Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up. The deferred policies include the container return scheme, the clean car upgrade scheme, limiting public transport initiatives to five major cities, alcohol advertising reform, state highway speed limit reductions, and legislation to lower the voting age in general elections. "It will give ministers and wider government more bandwidth to deal with cost of living issues and the cyclone recovery," Hipkins said. The container return scheme has been a five-year project for the Green Party, and was a commitment in the Labour-Greens coalition agreement. Green Party Co-Leader James Shaw said, via Newshub, “It’s clear that the Prime Minister is very keen to win the election and he’s prepared to do just about whatever it takes to do that.”

Hug Your Loved Ones, Especially When They Let You Down: A Review of Aftersun

Words by Takuma Ohashi (he/him)

Recommended Viewing Method: With the friend whom you have plenty of DMCs with at house parties. Perhaps avoid watching on a first date.

Aftersun is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking, set in the 90s at a Turkish middle-class resort. Paul Mescal, best known for his leading role in Normal People, shines as Calum, a divorced father. Frankie Corio has an impressive debut, as Calum’s extremely-mature 11-year-old daughter Sophie.

We notice Sophie subtly, and later overtly, demonstrate her awareness of her father’s financial difficulties. We are heartbroken for Calum as we witness the extent to which he tries (and occasionally fails) to shield Sophie from his personal struggles. In several instances, director Charlotte Wells uses split screen framing to show the contrast between the positivity Calum exudes to his daughter and the inner turmoil he reserves for himself. We see him try to teach her self defence, encourage her to play water polo, and take her to enjoy mud baths and saunas. Calum is a father who gives his all, but nonetheless, he falls short. No parent is faultless.

For those of you classified as Gen Z, you may find that Aftersun gives you insight into how my fellow Millennials and I grew up. Back in my day, on holiday, we had to entertain ourselves with whatever was in our surroundings. That meant picking up the boring-looking magazine in the hotel lobby, or immersing yourself in the C-grade live hotel entertainment, both of which Sophie does during the holiday.

What makes Aftersun so devastating is that we are being shown lightning-in-a-bottle vacation happiness, and we get the sneaking suspicion that it won’t last. Sophie says she’s happy the sun is the same everywhere in the world, because that helps her to feel close to Calum. We can infer that she has spent a lot of her young life without him.

A lot of the film resonates with me deeply. I spent some time in resorts in the 90s with my siblings and our out-ofthe-picture father, getting escorted by flight attendants around airports. Equally, I think a lot of the film resonates with people who have family or close friends struggling with mental health. I’m sure those with special bonds with their fathers will cherish Aftersun as well.

There are so many moments that I want to spoil, but I suppose you will just have to take my word for it and go see it for yourself. Watching a father unreservedly apologise for bad behaviour had me in tears. Watching a daughter rest her head on her upset father’s shoulder in a way that says: ‘I love you, and I’m willing to accept blame here because it’s you’, had me in tears once again. These are the moments that make life beautiful.

Aftersun simmers; a movie where nothing happens, but everything happens. You will leave the cinema feeling a chasm open in your soul, wanting to hug loved ones and let them know that you love them just because.

Where To Watch Aftersun: In cinemas now. It’s popular, so book tickets to avoid missing out.

CORE

Confronts Young Love and Young Realities

Words by Madeline Kain (she/her) and Hattie Salmon (she/her)

CORE is a two-person play set entirely in a Wellington apartment, capturing the raw and bittersweet relationship between Asa (Thomas Steinmann) and Erika (Hattie Salmon), a couple in their early 20s.

CORE began in a playwriting workshop at the IIML, where playwright Hattie Salmon and director Madeline Kain were paired together as feedback partners and quickly became friends. Hattie wrote this play over six hyper-focused months. Since then, the script has continued to evolve through rehearsal (even now, less than two weeks out from opening night).

The set, designed by Sid Williams, explores the idea that a bedroom can encompass someone's entire world. Asa and Erika’s bed is at the centre of the stage, including the audience in their private and cosy environment. Loose sheets hang over the bed, creating a slumber party mood; a shelter under a makeshift fort.

Williams utilises repurposed and upcycled materials for a handmade, lived-in look that represents the realities of student living. The set is completely stripped back, true to the essentials of a student apartment: a bed, a window, a chest, a random collection of books, and some other trinkets and treasures.

As students, the CORE cast and crew don’t have an abundance of time or money. A simple and carefree atmosphere felt authentic to our lives, as well as those of the characters.

Main character Asa is a recent graduate of architecture school and likes the idea of design and space reflecting the inhabitants. He thinks the stacked up apartment blocks housing students illustrate their realities.

“Think of it like levels. Down the bottom, you’ve got the students who don’t need the sunlight. They’re paying a lot less. But they don’t care [...] Then on those top floors you’ve got bird people. Fly-highers. The ones that will pay that little bit more than the rest of us just for a tiny sliver of sunlight at 5 p.m. every day, a half hour of inspiration […] It’s not unnatural. It’s all stacked up like the real world," says Asa.

Without giving too much away, an intersecting plot-line throughout the play follows a homeless woman and her baby. They sometimes sit outside the supermarket and will catch the bus round the city to avoid the harshness of mid-winter Wellington weather.

Erika fixates on them, unable to shake the feeling that she can’t do anything to help, that she and this woman have something in common despite never having spoken. This is a feeling indivisible from being a student in Wellington during the housing crisis. It’s wherever you go; on your walk to university, outside the clubs and bars of Cuba Street and Courtenay Place, on bus rides, supermarket runs, and even sometimes at your front doorstep. How much of yourself you are able to give can be upsettingly limited.

Erika is not a saint, nor is she particularly selfless. Desperate as she is to love and live in this city, she finds the inhumanity of it impossible to ignore.

"It pisses me off, all this anti-homeless stuff—the sprinklers in alleyways, the weird shaped benches. We make living so expensive I can’t even imagine. People struggle just feeding themselves and she’s out there with this little thing, and the least I can do is say something kind," says Erika.

CORE is showing from 30 March-1 April at BATS Theatre.

RENTING 101: A Guide For Dummies

Renting is fucked—especially in the midst of a heavy housing crisis that is seriously felt by students. Navigating your first flat, complete with its own tenacious landlord, can be tricky and super confusing. Salient has teamed up with Renters United to bring you this Renting 101 guide, aimed to equip you with the know-how when it comes to advocate for your rights, and making it through your tenancy with your bond intact and your belongings mould-free.

Before You Move In :

Pay your bond (and make sure it’s paid right!): A bond is a flat fee you’ll have to pay prior to moving in. This covers any damages you make to the property during your tenancy.

The bond can’t be more than four weeks rent. You’ll get your bond back at the end of the tenancy, provided there are no big damages.

You should sign a bond lodgement form, and you should pay your bond to Tenancy Services, not to the landlord directly.

Take photos: Record any damage you see when you first move in by taking photos of everything. Email these to your landlord to timestamp them. This protects you if your landlord tries to withhold your bond over damage you didn’t cause. It’s the best way to make sure you get your bond back.

Check out the healthy homes standards: The healthy homes standards are the minimum standards for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage, and draught stopping in rental properties.

Your landlord must tell you in writing if your house meets the standards. If it doesn’t, they must fix it within 90 days. You can use the checklist on the Tenancy Services website or pay $75 for Sustainability Trust NZ to conduct a compliance check.

Sign your tenancy agreement: This should have the personal details of all the tenants and your landlord, the rent, and the type of tenancy.

If it’s a fixed term tenancy, it’ll have an end date. If it's periodic, the tenancy will roll over. Make sure your name is on the tenancy agreement. Without it, you have almost no rights. At the end of your fixed term, you are automatically entitled to a periodic (better, with more rights) tenancy.

Do not sign onto an additional fixed term out of pressure.

During Your Tenancy :

General maintenance: You are responsible for daily maintenance: replacing smoke alarm batteries, light bulbs, cleaning, and sorting your rubbish. Your specific tenancy agreement will have more details on this. If something needs to be repaired, such as a leaky window, it’s your landlord's responsibility and their cost.

Property inspections: Most landlords will perform routine inspections to check for damage, or report to their insurance provider. Inspections must be done between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., and you must be given at least 48 hours notice. Inspections must be at least 4 weeks apart.

Rent increases: Your landlord can increase your rent once every 12 months at most. Increases can’t be higher than market rate.

Getting Outta There :

Provide notice: If you have a periodic tenancy, you’ll need to give your landlord 28 days notice before moving out. For fixed term tenancies, if you wish to leave before the time period is up, you’ll have to break your lease. This can only be done if the landlord and all tenants agree in writing, and you may be charged a reasonable fee to cover costs of ending early.

Last rent payment: Ask your landlord when your last rent payment is due—you can even ask the landlord for a record of all rent paid so far. They are required to keep a ‘rent book’ by law.

Exit inspection: Have a final viewing of the property with your landlord to record any damage. The property must be in a reasonably clean and tidy condition, but it doesn’t need to be professionally cleaned.

Check out Renters United’s website for more information on renters’ rights: rentersunited.org. nz/help. If your landlord is violating your tenancy agreement and their obligations, get some advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau, Tenancy Tribunal, Community Law, or VUWSA advocates.

There’s

No Place Like HALL S

When Your Hall Experience Isn’t

All It’s Cracked Up to Be

Words by Lauren Pemberton (she/her)

It’s February 2023, and something strange is happening in Pōneke. Young and fashionable people have suddenly spawned all around the streets. Colourful liquor boxes are being carried to and fro. The city is painted with a fresh layer of youthful spirit. It’s those fucking freshers again.

I take out my phone and check the date. It’s O-Week. Realising this, I can’t help but think about my time in halls. Suddenly, I’m there too: dressed in my toga amongst the jungle of twisting bodies and neon lights that adorn the Hub. But in the darkened corners of my treasure trove of photos, a drunken smile from an exfriend is always lurking somewhere. They decorate most of the memories I have of that time, and it’s become impossible to avoid for the second year in a row.

When I talk to people about my time in halls, a simple ‘let’s not go there’ or ‘the middle of the year was a bit rocky’ still doesn’t manage to erase everything that went wrong. For just a moment, my life refuses to resume, but agrees to rewind. I lose myself in the endless ‘what ifs’ of my first year, and I stay there in the darkness until O-Week is over.

Halls are sold to us on the premise of a fresh start. The overly saturated photos and videos of students happily socialising together promise the shiny, golden prospect of meeting the Cher to our Dionne, or finding our own Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants As we excitedly apply for our first taste of adulthood, it’s easy to forget that the experience might not be like an early 2000s rom-com. Maybe some of the people we encounter won’t be Mother Teresa either. The reality hits that we’ll have to live (*ahem* suffer) with these people; no Cher or Travelling Pants in sight. Sorry to burst your bubble, freshers.

The honest truth is that many people don’t look back on their time in halls with much fondness, and that’s not new. Upon asking a few veterans about their experiences, there were no five star reviews to be found.

“I don't think halls are bad. In fact, I think they’re a wonderful place to meet people,” said Chad*, a 2021 Weir House resident. “I just think they are what you make of them. [But] I was too naïve and inexperienced to make the most of the opportunity [and] I never truly fit into my friend group at my hall.”

Olivia*, a resident at The Cube during 2019, recounted that her hall experience was “very strange [because of] the people that I lived with, and the management.” When it came to the living space, Olivia said, “My view was like concrete [and] I looked out to like, nothing, which was extremely depressing, regardless of anything that happened.” On the immediate friends and sense of community that halls are sold on, Olivia explained, “My floor didn't really have that kind of sense of community that I had heard [it would have]. Everyone was quite isolated.”

An ex-resident of Te Puni during 2021, Abigail*, also said, “Everyone pictures life at uni to be some extremely life changing experience, and in many ways it is. But the environment you enter isn’t always a positive one, and it can take a while to navigate how to be the author of your life.” As you can tell, halls don’t really live up to all the hype they get. But if you’re after a means to navigate the adulthood that you’ve been signed up for since the beginning, then you’re certainly onto something.

If you’ve gotten this far and are feeling Pessimistic™, don’t worry, bestie. In many ways, the hall experience is still very rewarding. Olivia wishes she had moved out of her hall earlier. “I felt like, because I had gone through the whole process, that meant I had to stay for the whole year,” she said. “That's not true. You can get out at any point. Yeah, it might be a bit of admin, and they may have to work through refunding you, and they might not be able to restart the whole thing. But honestly, if it's not a good fit for you, it's okay to get out. You are not ever stuck.”

The one promise that halls fulfill (regardless of all the fuck-ups you experience along the way) is providing a space to learn about ourselves. We get to be independent af, which can be good for some and not others. Olivia mentioned that “it was a really good learning experience. And it was a really good buffer for me too [because] I learned a lot more about myself and the types of people that I could live with and the types of living situations that were good for me. I also learned a lot about tolerance, and I think that's something that you have to learn when you start living with people.”

Abigail's advice is to “dive into as many things as possible, meet as many people as possible, and then be picky as to people you keep close to you. Everyone’s experience will be different. I didn’t meet my best friends until the last two weeks.” I guess that means we really do get our money’s worth… eventually.

To be quite frank, this entire article is just a longwinded way of saying that halls aren't for everyone. A nice hall doesn’t mean nice people, and it is perfectly normal not to have a wonderful time. Don’t get me wrong, many people enjoy it, but it seems that trouble and disappointment are all too common. If you’re feeling that way right now, I see you. It’s also inevitable to encounter people who (for whatever reason) just suck, and a fresh start doesn’t always equate to a good start. It’s important to have an open mind.

Sorry to go against your wisdom, Dr Taylor Swift, but sometimes you’re not the problem. You’re not doing anything wrong by recognising that people are awful, and it is certainly not your fault if the people you live with are total nutjobs. As much as we try to see the good in people, sometimes there isn’t any good to see. It’s honestly okay not to have your coming-of-age romcom, because most people probably didn’t have that either (if you did, please give your therapist my number). Just know that there are still incredible people out there who would love to be your friend. One bad year in a hall doesn’t mean there will be more bad years to come. Learn, grow, and mature from those struggles. Keep chasing after that romcom. I promise you’ll get there eventually.

*names have been changed

" It’s honestly okay not to have your coming-of-age romcom , because most people probably didn’t have that either

( if you did, please give your therapist my number ) . "

When the Problem is Inside the House:

Coping With Creepy Flatmates

Words by Bridget Scott (she/her)

CW: Harassment

First flats are a magical time of gremlin living; ripe for romanticising an uninsulated shitbox, stealing posters off the street, and hanging the brightest fairy lights Kmart has to offer. Ruining the good time are those creepy flatmates who take it upon themselves to make others feel uncomfortable. When you’re stuck sharing a space with someone less-than-ideal, it’s hard to know where to turn or what to do.

Living in Wellington means sacrificing our dignity on the altar of Vic Deals and housing Facebook groups, while dreaming of a place that has four walls, a roof, and is under $300 a week. Once those objective facts are established, hunters are posed with the more challenging task: determining the social dynamics of their potential new digs. The impossibility of this task leaves students rolling the dice on living situations with invasive flatmates, preventing their new home from being the welcoming place they deserve.

This was the experience of Kylie*. After starting a lease at the beginning of 2022, she discovered her new room unlocked and stinking of stale beer. It had clearly been used for partying in her absence. Despite immediately feeling “agitated” and unwelcome within the space, “the rent was expensive and I had already signed, so I just had to bear it because I was too anxious I wouldn’t find anywhere else.”

As the year went on, one flatmate revealed themselves to be a particular problem. Broadly described as “the worst manifestation of an Andrew Tate stan” (he would listen to the podcaster, currently imprisoned for human trafficking, over his morning coffee), the flatmate in question quickly became an entitled, grandiose nightmare. Arguments about cleanliness lead him to declare that he was the “standard” that Kylie should aspire to. Meanwhile, he bombarded the flat groupchat with dozens of messages harassing her for being a “lazy, disgusting uni student who didn’t study anything real.”

As the situation escalated, Kylie took to avoiding the flat she was paying rent for entirely—heading to uni at 6 a.m. and returning at 11 p.m., or relying on the generosity of friends and whānau letting her crash on their couches for weeks at a time. Eventually, it became clear that “he was taking over [my] life”, and after months of being “in a state of freeze, because if I left the spot I was currently in, I would essentially be out on the street”, she found another place.

Leaving meant finding someone to replace her in the room, which she had intended to do. But horror stories kept flooding back to her, and the guilt of placing someone else in the room was too much to face. Until early 2023, Kylie was paying double rent of up to $500 a week, waiting for the lease to finally end. She no longer lives in Wellington.

“he acted like a nice guy”

When Jane* first met the flatmate she would go on to describe as “incel vibes”, she thought he was totally lovely. She declared to her boyfriend, “I think we’ve found a man more gentle than you.” Things continued to seem relaxed, and even his irritating behaviours—hanging around aimlessly in the kitchen, insisting on chatting constantly— seemed typical and innocuous. Until suddenly, it was “fucking impossible to get a moment alone.”

As time passed, things got weirder. When showering with her boyfriend, she’d find her flatmate walking up and down the steps outside the bathroom window. This gave Jane the sense he was spying on them. When a flatmate had a friend over, he cornered the friend alone and asked her to sleep with him, without any prior indication of interest whatsoever. A different flatmate found him peeping through her window while she hung out with a guy in her room. When confronted about these behaviours, he’d deny they occurred, offering laughably flimsy excuses.

For Jane, the most distressing thing was that “he acted like a nice guy”. It was hard to understand or reckon with his creepiness. “Because of the way he reacted, we’re always going to be gaslighting ourselves into thinking that maybe it was someone else, or maybe we were just seeing things.” Ultimately, it blew up, and the flat’s relationship with him “completely dissolved”.

The situation was made worse by the overall shortage of housing within Wellington. It left Jane experiencing “so much pressure, to either stay where [I was] or just accept the flatmate’s behaviour, because you can’t really send them off somewhere else.” In the end, she came out of the experience much more cynical. “It made me lower my expectations. I should have gone into it with more preparation for things not going perfectly.” She warns that even flats that initially seem cool and social can result in “living with weird people”.

The harm caused by creepy flatmates occurs on a spectrum—from genuinely abusive and dangerous situations through to those that are uncomfortable or unpleasant. For anyone who finds themself in an urgently unsafe situation, the Tenancy Services website has a form that allows anyone “who experiences family violence during a tenancy” to withdraw from a tenancy “by giving the landlord at least 2 days written notice

in the approved form (with qualifying evidence of family violence) without financial penalty or the need for agreement from the landlord.” This form is found easily online and provides further information about the available options. For emergency accommodation and support, women’s refuge can be contacted via their crisis line on 0800 733 843.

VUWSA’s advocacy services are able to support students on a whole range of challenges. They can do everything, including providing an independent perspective on a situation, working through issues with landlords, and helping flatmates to repair relationships. Advocate Erica Schouten notes that competing communal dynamics can make flatting really complicated. She wants to assure students that “if you’re experiencing something, and it doesn’t feel okay by you, then it’s not okay.”

For those who find themselves in weird flatmate situations, Erica encourages students to address issues head on or seek advice on the next steps to take. Bystander intervention can be a particularly powerful tool, especially in larger flats. Naming specific behaviours and encouraging others to stand up to them helps a completely unaware person understand when they’ve crossed a line.

Getting in touch with advocacy services is as easy as making an appointment through the form on the VUWSA website. Erica emphasises that advocates are employed by VUWSA rather than the university. Any information shared is confidential, allowing them to provide students with independent advice or connect them with appropriate services. For those looking for more information on tenants’ rights generally, she recommends visiting a new website created by the Citizens Advice Bureau—tenant.aratohu.nz—which focuses solely on supporting renters, not landlords.

Every flat has its moments of tension and strain; it’s the nature of communal living. But the pressure of our housing market, combined with a few people who insist on behaving maliciously, can create some truly toxic living scenarios. If you find yourself in this position, you should know that it isn’t your fault, and support is available. May the Vic Deals gods be ever in your favour.

*names have been changed

LIVING WITH MUM, OR PREPARING TO

SLUM?

The student wellbeing crisis feels less like a crisis and more like the expected tariff on studying in 2023. Furthering our education must come at the cost of immense suffering, society seems to be saying. But we keep swallowing that red pill.

Trying to find accommodation in the middle of a rental crisis feels like the universe is straight up laughing at us. With weekly median rent in Pōneke being $600, you may be questioning whether the cost of flatting freedom is worth the cost of just surviving.

Living at home, however, isn’t always the comfortable, stress-free experience it’s chalked up to be. And while the thought of flat hunting might trigger yet another mental breakdown, flatting has its own benefits in the long run.

Let’s weigh up a few things you might want to consider while figuring out your 2023 living situation.

Freedom!

The newfound, adult freedom of leaving home for the first time that the university years offer can be overwhelming. Suddenly, every mandated commitment you’ve had since the age of 5 is stripped away. In a matter of months, you’re plopped in the middle of a lecture hall with complete strangers, wondering what the hell you’re supposed to do.

At the same time though, it’s intoxicating. Parties, yardies, cones and the unknown—the side quests of university life are finally at your fingertips.

Flatting with mates creates core memories and lifelong bonds. You get to thrive in your own space with some of your fave people, all without having to face interrogation poorly disguised as friendly banter from your parents about what you got up to last night.

However, be prepared to compromise.

While the promise of emancipation tastes sweet momentarily, the bitterness after a doom scroll though Vic Deals begins to set in. I don’t think anybody has their expectations set that high for a Pōneke flat. Even then, trying to find a flat that meets your basic needs is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The relationship between a reasonably priced place, a lack of mould, and good flatmates is, unfortunately, never symbiotic.

Putting it bluntly, landlords are bastards. The ‘freedom’ of flatting comes with the wrath of capitalism, unethical behaviour, and compromising on basic human rights. Perhaps your dismal flat prospects could be the sign you need to appreciate living with your family. Home can get a little claustrophobic, but having a dry, comfortable room and a built-in support system may be your saving grace during the tough times.

Words by Kiran Patel (he/they)

Bills, bills, bills.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t fantasised about moving back home every time my rent payment puts me back in overdraft. These fantasies grow even stronger with each passive-aggressive message sent to the flat groupchat, or when I’m the one buying rubbish bags for the third time in a row. “This wouldn’t happen if I lived at home,” I facetiously tell myself, high-key ready to enter my boomerang adult era.

I miss not flinching when the power bill shows up in winter. I miss not having a minor breakdown at the supermarket over the price of tomatoes. I honestly miss being taken care of.

With freedom comes responsibility, and having to make a choice between buying toilet paper or food is as depressing as it gets. If you’ve read Chris Hipkins’ welcome letter in the “Expression” issue, you’d know that the Prime Minister wants us to focus on our education without stressing about all the other stuff. But we’re all feeling pretty stressed, Chippy.

Unless you have a lucrative side hustle, or you’re prepared to scratch and claw at the walls of StudyLink for an inkling of additional support, flatting may not be a worthwhile investment for your finances or mental health.

Maybe it’s time to grow, babes!

Okay, yes, living in a shitty flat just so you can struggle to make ends meet isn’t a great prospect. But to put a sanguine spin on it, this could be a chance for character development. Having cooked meals and long showers is a dream, but it might be a great time to challenge yourself and live outside your comfort zone. Learning to flat provides the perfect slow sail into the messy hellscape of adulthood.

Living away from home for the first time can be scary, but riding the wave of independence with your friends as you figure out a cleaning roster and organise themed parties makes the hardship worth it. You’re on the journey together, and that’s a beautiful thing!

It could also be the perfect opportunity for you and your partner to grow your relationship by having places of your own. Testing the aptitude of your relationship could save you many problems later down the line, including whether your partner’s dishwasher-stacking is a deal breaker.

Most importantly, be clear on your priorities.

The question “what are your goals in life?” may invoke a particular sense of existential dread that you’re not ready to address. However, I believe having a general idea of where you see yourself in 5-10 years will help to inform the decisions you make now.

Saving up for your cottagecore dreams or a place on the property ladder? That’s awesome! Keen to live out your Friends fantasy and put your cohabitation skills to the test? Good for you! Understanding your long-term priorities will help dilute any momentary feelings of FOMO or wishful thinking.

Don’t let societal pressure or coming-of-age tropes dictate the way you should be living, because there truly is no right way. You can always change your mind. With more 18-24-year-olds moving between home and flatting throughout their lives, you certainly wouldn’t be the only one. Try to find a healthy balance between looking out for your future self and embracing the uncertainty of this era in your life, and you’ll be set.

Let’s Fix Renting Together

Renting is cooked. Like, really cooked. Your rent is too expensive; your home is damp, mouldy, poorly insulated, and literally making you sick. Few are able to afford to stay in the same home long-term. You’re not equipped to assert your rights, and even if you can, rules are rarely enforced.

There is a reason renting is this way. For a long time, renting was seen as a temporary stage for young people, or those who’d made bad financial decisions. It’s becoming more obvious than ever how untrue this is. We’ve been left with a society and a legal system that is deeply weighted against renters, and privileges property over people, time and time again.

But it can (and should) be better. There’s no silver bullet to improving someone’s wellbeing, but building stable and healthy housing is pretty close. If we make renting better, we can improve our health, our costs of living, our environmental impact, and so much more. That’s where Renters United comes in.

For the last eight years, we’ve been working to change what it means to rent. In that time, we’ve seen improvements. You’re now automatically entitled to better tenancies (a periodic lease rather than fixed term) and to make minor alterations to your home, and you can access funded advocates through Community Law and the Citizens Advice Bureau. Last year, Wellington elected its most pro-renter council ever. When we work together, we can make things better.

When we first set out, we noticed that there wasn’t a real vision of what renting could be. In 2018, with the help of ActionStation, we held a bunch of meetings in town halls where we heard what our communities had to say about renting in Aotearoa. From there, we worked with a team of policy thinkers to develop a programme to make solutions happen. Our Plan to Fix Renting was born—a comprehensive list of policies that we believe would (you guessed it) fix renting!

You can find the full plan on our website but its four focuses are:

Stable Homes

A secure and stable home is essential for wellbeing. You should not withhold reporting problems for fear of unreasonable eviction. You should be able to make your rented property a home. It’s time to change the perception of renters as visitors in their communities who can never put down roots. We advocate for something called ‘security of tenure’: the right you have to remain in your home and that there should be a good reason for you to be compelled to leave. Sick of going to 50+ flat viewings every January? This is how we fix that. Having security of tenure will help renters find stability in our city. Introducing security of tenure will reduce transience (how often you have to move), strengthen community engagement, improve educational outcomes and give renters the protection needed to raise the quality of our homes and the housing stock in general.

Fair Rent

Everyone should be able to afford a decent place to live. Renters should not face frequent and unpredictable rent rises that compromise your ability to realise your right to a home. Instead, renters should know that our rent has been set fairly and that it isn’t the result of landlords exploiting supply shortages or other factors. The fact you and your friends are spending more than 2/3 of your student allowance just on rent to study in the same city as your university is due to deliberate choices to overcharge and exploit housing shortages, at your (literal) expense. Rent prices should be set based on mutual affordability, not on what the absolute maximum a property owner can extract from you is.

Words by Éimhín O'Shea (he/him)

Safe & Healthy Homes

All rental housing should be warm, healthy, and safe. Much of our private rental housing stock is cold, draughty, and poorly maintained— something Wellington students will be well aware of from personal experience. Even where legal standards do exist, the burden of enforcing these standards falls on individual renters. Poor-quality rental housing makes renters sick and costs our health system millions of dollars every year. We need higher standards that are properly enforced, ensuring that the burden does not fall on renters themselves.

Meaningful Enforcement

The system to sort out tenancy-related disputes must be fair, timely, and well-resourced. The current system relies on there being endless time and energy to sort out problems. If you’re reading this, you’re probably studying full time, and you’re also probably working to make ends meet. You don’t have the time to be in the Tenancy Tribunal representing and advocating for yourself. Your landlord does. The system is not weighted in your favour. We need better mediation services, a Tenancy Tribunal that enforces the law, and proper regulation of property managers and landlords.

Housing is a human right, and human rights should not be bought and sold for profit.

Renters United will continue to fight to improve individual pieces of legislation, to ensure our elected representatives listen to our communities, and to reframe what we as a society think renting is.

Renting can be better. We need your help with all the kinds of activism we undertake. Whatever your capacity, skills, or specific passions, we have something for you! This year is an election year, and it’s crucial that you take the time to look at what your vote may mean for your housing situation and those around you.

If you’re keen to get amongst our mahi, or to learn more about Renters United, head to our website: rentersunited.org.nz. You can also find us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, or email us at eimhin@rentersunited.org.nz.

Renters United, in collaboration with Lawrence & Gibson, recently published a special edition of the novel Rat King Landlord by Murdoch Stephens. It features 16 new illustrations and a healthy amount of pro-renter resources. This week, you can grab a free copy from the VUWSA reception.

THE DOWN LOW ON MOVING IN WITH STRANGERS

Words by Maia Ingoe (she/her)

Large sunny room available!

One room to fill – AVAILABLE NOW!

Single baller or couples room available ASAP. Looking for a flatmate –

1 bedroom available in a 3 bedroom townhouse!

These words are all too familiar for anyone who has spent copious hours scrolling Wellington’s flatting Facebook groups, searching for a new home. Whether it’s on Vic Deals, Flats & Flatmates-Wellington, or Flats and Rooms for Rent Wellington NZ, the outlook is the same: single bedrooms in existing flats, searching for someone to move in ASAP.

With a housing market under pressure, flat hunting is a gruelling process made worse when entire flats are few and far between on Facebook. Trade Me doesn’t offer much better. At the time of writing, there were 85 listings for 4-5 bedroom rentals in central suburbs with rent less than $1250. Trade Me’s flatmate search function had 54 listings for rooms less than $250 a week.

Rather than organising a group of mates to hunt through the meagre offerings, more students are opting to move into a single room in an existing flat with people they haven’t met before.

Moving in with strangers is a bit of a gamble. On one hand, you might end up getting to know people you would never usually cross paths with. You could find new friends and experiences outside of your hall circle. On the other hand, you could end up with flatmates that bring all kinds of problems into your living space. It’s hard to tell which way it will go just from a Facebook post.

When I was an innocent first-year, full of hope about my flatting future and untested by the gauntlet of

Wellington flat hunting, I panicked at the thought of being left on my own to find a flat.

I scrambled together a group of friends to flat hunt, ending up in an overpriced icebox without a living room. A year later, after the stress of flat hunting with a group of friends who all have different desires and were studying at different campuses, we went our separate ways. I was left in the same position: scramble a group or jump into a new flat for a fresh start?

I went with the latter. I was offered a room and I jumped, unwilling to scour the Wellington housing market once again. I knew one friend there, but the other three flatmates were completely new to me. I had to learn how to live with three new people, at the same time as (hopefully) becoming friends with them.

Now that I was living with new people, I had to seek out time with my existing friends, make plans, and stick to them. I learnt to balance friends, flat dynamics, study, and work all together. It helped me build up a sense of self and independence that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

When Teresa moved to a new city without any connections there, her only option was to move into a flat with strangers. She found a place on Facebook and met the flatmates over Zoom before moving in. Teresa doesn’t rate her experience highly, but says it’s her fault: “I really should have met everyone before I moved in, rather than just the head tenant.”

“There was definitely a divide in the flat that I didn’t know about before I first moved in, so it wasn’t the best flat dynamic,” Teresa said. “Although everyone was clean [and] had general flat courtesy, which was nice in comparison to some of the student flats I’ve lived in previously.”

Teresa’s first experience living in a flat of strangers hasn’t put her off it completely, having now moved into a new flat. Again, she doesn’t have any prior relationships to the flat. “My advice is to meet everyone before you move into the flat, if you can,” she said.

Whether there are existing problems in the flat can be hard to predict before moving in. And, honestly, it’s out of your control—especially when you’re offered little choice by this dire housing market. Your best shot is to get to know your flatmates names before moving in. Trust me, it helps avoid awkward introductions while shifting a mattress through the hallway, screaming “PIVOT!”

Jess moved into her current four-bedroom flat after a prolonged hunt left her with no options. “I was living in my uncle’s basement for a month, because I couldn’t find a place in time before my tenancy ran out on my old flat. I was still flat searching, while essentially homeless for a month. I was applying to as many flats as I could that were in my price range and my location.” When she was offered a room in a flat from a Facebook post, she grabbed it as soon as she could.

Jess didn’t meet any of her flatmates before moving in. She has seen multiple flatmates move in and out over the course of the year she’s been there. “It got to the point where I just don’t bother [getting to know anyone], and I’m moving out in two months, so [there’s] no point.”

She describes her flat dynamic as “complicated” and “dysfunctional”, lacking in communication about basic flat issues. “We’re all in our rooms, [and] only communicate to each other through a group chat. But even then, messages still go unread,” she said.

“There was one flatmate that lived here, and we got along really well and did stuff together. But after she moved out, I didn’t really wanna be here anymore.” Ultimately, Jess doesn’t recommend the ‘living with strangers’ gig. When asked if she’d do it again, her reply was: “Fuck no! I have to at least know one person.”

Sometimes rolling the flattie-dice doesn’t work in your favour. But sometimes, you find genuine connections. This was Lillias’ experience. After finding a flat through Facebook, she moved in after a brief viewing, having only talked to the existing flatmates about logistics.

While she doesn’t live there anymore, Lillias reflects positively on this flat. “I’ve made super cool mates from it, and some of my favourite nights out have been with the community I formed at that flat,” she said.

“I moved in with people I didn’t know because I was looking for a warm and cozy flat where I wouldn’t get sick from mould, and to be closer to [uni],” Lillias said. The flat having a diverse group of people at different life stages—from students to yo-pros and tradies— contributed to its success.

“It was so great to make my own friends, especially since, in my first year of uni, I didn’t go into halls. I didn’t have those same social opportunities,” Lillias said. “Moving in with strangers gave me an opportunity to socialise without relying on connections from the friends I had already.”

Moving in with strangers is intimidating. It means jumping into the unknown and having no idea where you’ll end up on the spectrum of best mates to toxic weirdos. Despite some of this article being a cautionary tale, my advice is to hold your breath and dive right in. The housing market might not give you much choice anyway, and regardless, it’ll be a life experience. If you end up with shitty flatmates, just know you’re not bound to your flat. You can always ask your landlord to install a lock on your door!

P ODCASTS

Hobbled Together: The First Podcast Studio I Ever Knew

When I got my start podcasting, I mounted my dad’s microphone on top of a chest of draws that just about reached my desk height. My desk was too cluttered with my gaming PC, because podcasting just wouldn’t be enough. I was already a super cool teenager.

We moved houses shortly after I started making podcasts, and our new place had a strange room that sat between my bedroom and a staircase. I decided to turn this into my studio, which you can see pictured on the next page.

Despite growing up in the Minecraft-over-Skype generation, I found recording online very difficult. I still do. I hate the way a little bit of lag can totally throw off the flow of a conversation, or a dropped call can ruin the vibe for the rest of the recording.

Using my dad’s old computer, my co-host Luke and I set up our studio to optimise recording for two people. There were two microphones set up opposing each other, plenty of space for laptops for notes, and two moderately-comfortable office chairs. We thought we were ready. We recorded our first in-person episode the next weekend.

It was an unbearable mess of echoes. We went right back to the drawing board and realised our issue— the room’s ceiling was at an odd, slanted angle, and needed to be dampened. Professional sound-proofing

is expensive, so a DIY solution would have to do. We took a spare duvet inner and attached it to the roof with velcro tape. The quality of the audio improved noticeably, and the sheet only fell on us a few times. The studio worked. We recorded there for over a year. I adapted it to work for solo recording, and even for up to four people.

Eventually, as Luke approached the end of his high school years and his coursework took over, the room stopped being used for podcasting. It eventually became a space to run my Dungeons and Dragons games.

I’m not the only podcaster at Salient Podcasts who started at home. One of our newest shows, the politics podcast How to Lose a Girl in 10 Days, made their start at home before hopping into the Salient studio.

“We had a PreSonus AudioBox and Shure microphone that we borrowed from my flatmate (she’s a musician). We sat in my bedroom and closed all the curtains and doors to absorb as much sound as possible, and we pulled up chairs really close to the mic to record. Because there was one mic and two people, it was very hard to get the audio balance right! We never quite figured it out unfortunately, and just relied on Hollie’s minimal audio editing skills. That was the main issue we ran into, but it could have been way worse!” said Hollie, Co-Host.

Words by Alex Markinovich-Josey (he/him)

If you want to start your own podcast at home, there's a few things you should consider.

You’re going to have to find a way to record. It can be as simple as a headset microphone and a laptop, but if you want to get that crispy clean audio, it's gonna have to go a bit beyond that.

To closet or not to closet? There's a long-upheld belief that all the best audio recording takes place in a podcaster’s closet. I’m gonna burst that particular bubble. They’re cramped, cluttered, and not conducive to something I feel makes podcasting work best: comfort! The best podcasters are prepared and good presenters, but they’ve also got to be relaxed. No one is relaxing if they’re stuck between mouldy coats.

Instead, put up a blanket! You don’t have to attach it to your ceiling, but trying to position one on walls where your voice might bounce into the microphone will have a huge effect in a particularly rough room.

You’re going to need headphones to monitor your voice. Scary, I know! One of the hardest parts of starting a podcast is getting used to the sound of your own voice. However, having headphones to

monitor how the microphone catches your voice is key to maintaining good audio quality throughout the recording process.

Finally, a good microphone means everything. But having a good microphone is less important than actually giving it a go! You’re not going to need the most expensive equipment. Once you’re sure you want to give it a go, you can do some shopping around. For now, even just the good old standard Apple headphones would make for a good start.

If you want to avoid all the admin, cost, and being smothered by falling blankets midrecording, the easiest way to start your own podcast is to send a pitch to Salient Podcasts. We’ve got a full studio here, complete with four microphones, soundproofing, and audio mixers. Recording a pilot episode with us is the best way to get that crispy, clean audio editors froth.

Don’t record at home. Send your podcast pitches into podcasts@salient.org.nz!

Moving out had always been a goal growing up, especially if you shared a room with your siblings your whole life. Imagine having your own space and eating whatever you want, whilst not having to worry about your teina sneaking their hands into your kai. One could only dream, right?

That is, until we’re faced with homesickness, outrageous rent prices, insane food prices, and crazy flatmates (Kia ora Huy!).

Coming from a big whānau, I can confidently own my homesickness struggle. My sister and I were attached by the hip, and while I was so excited to get my own room and space, part of me felt as if I were diving in too deep too early.

Don’t get me wrong—it has been great seeing my food untouched in the fridge. But I can’t help but miss those sibling arguments.

Another thing I have missed dearly is mum's cooking, or more so the not having to cook for myself or pay for the kai. Mum's cooking is always better because it’s free. The price of food

these days is insane. I am not about to spend $15 on cheese, e hoa mā, and I really cannot live on noodles for another week. Thank you Countdown for your 3-for-$20 indomie noodles, you understand me.

No matter how insane the price of cheese gets, rent prices take the cake on outrageousness. If there are any future landlords reading this, please, please, please don’t make anyone pay for a broken oven, and just let your tenants get a cat. On all levels, the audacity of giving your tenants a broken oven is frightening af.

Ahakoa, besides all of the strife and stress, moving out really has been the opportunity I needed to strengthen parts of myself. I owe my success of moving out to my matriarchs (yes, including my hangry little sister), but also to my friends who keep me sane whenever Huihui storms into my room singing his waiata.

My advice to anyone thinking about moving out soon or later is:, bring fly spray for the annoying flatmates, and have fun. It’ll always be stressful in the first month, but the memories really do be irreplaceable.

Words by Grace Muldrock (she/they; Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Te Atihaunui-a-Pāpārangi)

Pasifika Students’ Council

Words by Rebecca Soloi (she/her)

For this issue, I talked to some of my Pasifika peeps who resided in halls last year about the good, the bad, and all the terrible catering in between.

Victoria House

“I stayed in Vic House last year. At first, I was excited because I got to meet new people and explore new things. Unfortunately, there was very little to explore in my hall, and even if there were activities held, we would have been the last to hear of it because of the lack of communication. I felt as if I couldn’t express myself as a Pasifika student. I was happy to have my own space, even though it was small, and most of the time, the food was just not it.”

Weir House

“I was at Weir House in Trimester 2 last year. The RAs were very friendly and welcoming, the residents not so much. I would like to think it was because I had moved in halfway through the year and everyone had their own thing going on, not because I was one of the few Pasifika who resided there. One other difficulty I faced during my stay there was the Food4ME app. It was used by the residents to reserve food or to view the menu. The menu was outdated and food always ran out, even though the app said there was still some left. The food was great though ngl.”

Te Puni Village

“We stayed in Te Puni Village, and it was great most of the time. The rooms provided enough space. The people were friendly, the staff were very helpful, and it was a close walk to uni. The only downfall was the food. It was unseasoned most of the time and barely edible. Who doesn’t know the way to our Pasifika hearts is mostly through our stomachs?”

Katharine Jermyn (KJ)

“I stayed in KJ Hall last year and it was nice. I had my own space, and the food was great. Everyone was friendly. Only problem I had was it was a tad bit expensive. But all in all, it was nice, despite the price lol.”

Not everyone has the same experience when it comes to staying at a hall. At the same time, we are pretty much in halls for one reason: because we came for school. With the cost of living rising, we as Pasifika students find it a tad bit hard to adjust, especially when some of us are far from home and cannot really rely on anyone else for financial help. Hopefully, these recounts of Pasifika students’ experiences in halls help others get an idea of what to expect.

RS over and out.

Dear Aunty Vic

So you’re thinking of doing New Girl cosplay? The old Nick Miller or Jessica Day fiasco, huh? My advice? Don’t bother. Is your life an American TV sitcom? I mean, are you really that funny? No, you probably live in a mouldy, overpriced flat with your mates in Aro Valley. All I can guarantee is that if you pursue this relationship, you will most definitely disrupt your living situation.

The real question is: is it worth the risk? Only you can decide this.

Before you make rash decisions, I encourage you to reflect. How close are you with your other flatmates? Do you value their friendships? Are you stuck in this living situation for a while? And most importantly, do you truly like this person or just enjoy the thrill of sneaking around? I encourage you to dive deep and reflect on what you really want.

Why the need for self-reflection? Well, for one, there’s a lot on the line here for you to fuck up. Also, realistically, if you and this significant flatmate are keeping things under wraps, I doubt you have confided in someone who has a true understanding of your living dynamics. As a rule of thumb, flatmates are off the cards, so I presume you’ve been bottling this up. Bottled up issues lead to overthinking, melodramatic feelings, and spiralling. It’s time to talk to someone you can trust and run through all the possible outcomes. Switch off your emotional brain and flick on the rational. It’s time to analyse the shit out of this one babes!

.A.QIf the rational conclusion is that this person is worth the chaos, the next step is to communicate. You may reach this point and think ‘we love each other’ and ‘our relationship is our business, why should we care what everyone else thinks?’ Queen, because everyone else has to live alongside the trials and tribulations of your unfolding relationship. It might feel like it’s just the two of you, but don’t forget that it’s your flatmates’ home too. Thus, whether over a cup of tea or a text with lots of emojis, communication is key.

Once you have communicated where you and your lover are at, it’s your turn to listen. Listen to your flatmates’ concerns (if any), boundaries, or questions. What happens if you break up? I don’t want to be involved in your relationship drama. If you’re dating him, does that mean we can convert your room into storage space? Conduct this with respect and empathy, and be prepared to compromise (like not having shower sex everyday).

Now, I understand I'm pessimistic. Why? I strongly believe ‘don’t screw the crew’, and have only witnessed crew-screwing morph into a blackhole that sucks each and every flatmate into a mucky void of relationship drama.

But, I also strongly believe that your flatmates (if they’re kind) will want you to pursue what makes you happy. After all, if you two have great chemistry, it should be clear to them already. No one wants to hinder their friends' pursuit of love. Just don’t be a love-blind, self-centred flatmate.

If you love someone, that’s special. Go for it. But please, don’t set a bomb off in your flat for no good reason. Remember, you’ll either get married, one of you will die or you’ll break up.

I am in love with my flatmate. We have great chemistry, but I'm afraid to pursue it and risk disrupting our living situation.

Manawa Ora

OPTIMISING YOUR LIVING SPACE FOR YOUR WELLBEING

Words by Cileme Venkateswar (she/her)

It may seem obvious that the state of your living space can have a huge impact on your wellbeing. But it’s often hard to realise you’re in a less-thanideal environment until it’s too late. Having a sucky first flat is heralded as a rite of passage for uni students—because of the house’s quality, or because flat dynamics unravel into intense passive (and sometimes not so passive) aggression. Everybody has a hectic flat story!

As funny as these can be, we shouldn’t overstate the genuine distress, trauma, health issues, and effects on study that bad flatting situations can cause. Would we not rather have nostalgic stories about the great times we had with cool flatmates in the homey places where we grew into fully-fledged adults?

Of course, this is easier said than done.

While wanting to live with your best mates is amazing in theory, I’ll be honest with you— there is a risk of destroying friendships. You don’t have to live with the people you love. Sometimes, it’s better to live with friends you’re not as close with, but whose personalities and living styles are more attuned to yours.

With the Game of Thrones-esque fight-tothe-death of finding a flat in Wellington’s housing crisis, it’s easy to be cornered into taking the first ‘good’ one you find. Do your research and compare flats in the area with your own. Think about your lifestyle, and your flatmates’, and assess whether this flat fits into it. Are you messy people who need a dishwasher to keep the kitchen clean?

Will you need a dryer when the weather gets wet? Does everywhere in the house get sun, and if not, can you be sure there won’t be a mould problem? It can be overwhelming to think about, but being aware of your pros and cons is a million times better than getting sucker-punched by a deteriorating flat situation. If you’re ever unsure about your options, you can always chat to VUWSA advocacy services.

Managing life admin with study is deceptively difficult, and will often leave you wondering how your caregivers ever did it. It pays to be more intentional about setting up your space when you also have to manage your time, finances, habits, cleanliness, and routines. Sure, you may have a chore wheel for the flat, but do you need one for yourself too? Can you arrange your bed where you’ll get morning sunlight to wake you up? If you have a desk, can you create a space dedicated to work, away from your bed, and separate from downtime? Do you find it easier to get ready in the morning if your clothes are on a clothes rack rather than in drawers?

While every little thing can seem small and inconsequential, together, these can create unsettled living conditions that will affect your mental health, physical health, and your study. Going from adolescent to adult can very much be a ‘you don’t know until you know’ type deal, but not everything has to be! We’ve all been through the flatting trials and tribulations so that you don’t have to. Slow down, take a breath, and the next time you make decisions about your living situation, be sure you’re making them thoroughly.

Scrolling through Instagram has inspired you. You want a glow up and you have so many ideas. Pins are being pinned and ambitious routines are being created. You won’t stick to them though. You’ll be back to your old ways in a day.

Double check any essays you send in this week. You’re definitely going to send in something worth an A+ but get marked down to a B because you accidentally sent in a first draft.

Gemini, you’ve been experiencing the worst of the world recently. Luckily, your pent up energy is finding a place to go! You’re going to find direction and purpose. As my boyfriend would say, “everything’s going to be all tickety-boo!”

I hope you like stress because it’s going to be taking over this week. We’ve only just finished the third week of uni and you’re already overwhelmed. Drop that extra paper, babe. It needs you more than you need it.

Pluto is moving (this only happens every 30 years!) and it’s fucking shit up. This is your sign to break up with your boyfriend. Subconscious forces are at work. The outcome is out of your hands. Surrender to the universe.

Why is everyone moving like snakes? Virgo, you have sooo many secrets. It’s actually kind of ridiculous. I would tell you that the truth always comes out, but knowing you, you’ll be taking whatever this is to the grave.

I have absolutely no idea how to write your horoscope in a PC way. Your astrological energy this week is… interesting. It’s giving sex ritual. It’s giving occult orgy. I can’t say your mother’s proud of you.

Work is getting you down aye Scorps! It’s time to expand those horizons, read up on how to pair your outfits to the moon, or some other life sculpting shit. I know you’ve had dreams to start a passion project or side hustle, this is the time to do it!

Something that happened in high school is coming full circle. Maybe you’re finally making up with the best friend you fell out with in Year 10, or maybe it’s just an old classmate trying to get you to join their pyramid scheme.

This goes against all your Capricorn stereotypes, but you’ll be in a silly mood all week. Seriousness is out and playfulness is in. I’d tell anyone else off for such neglect of responsibilities, but fuck it. You need a break.

Watch out for creepy crawlies coming to get you. This week your fruit bowl will be targeted by flies, your ceilings by spiders, and mozzies will be buzzing by your ears at night. You have been warned.

The person you’ve been seeing is going to end it with you. They’ve found out about the second person you’ve been seeing. Don’t worry, your second person was going to end things anyway, since they found your secret Tinder account…

What I’ll Remember

Words by Phoebe Robertson (she/her)

the duck bit you and I laughed then the swan tried to bite me and you did. We both liked the Pūkeko that let us give it scratches. When I pushed you in the trolley, my shoe broke. When I got out of your car, I lost my lighter. The graveyard was a moment of peace. Sometimes, I wonder if I am a good person then you remind me about the night that I walked you home for an hour. This makes me try to believe that I can be better. Today, a girl told me that I glowed and I credit the Pūkeko. Sometimes, I think that there are more reasons why we should not feed the birds together than why we should.

Then I remember photographing you singing, and how I gave you the flowers and how you showed them to your friends (who became my friends) and it all becomes necessary. Eventually, there will be a time when we no longer know each other.

Peculiar Birds

ACROSS

1. 1993 Julia Roberts film based on a John Grisham novel, after 'The' (7,5)

9. Former First Lady Trump (7)

10. Temporary inhabitant; newcomer (7)

11. Tempts; some fishing tackle (5)

13. German city where Albrecht Dürer was born (9)

15. Rich colour associated with a Cluedo character (7,4)

18. Ones getting the devil out of there? (9)

21. Third dimension (5)

22. Brings into oneness (7)

23. Prizes; recompenses (7)

25. Classic orange paperbacks (7,5)

DOWN

1. Total antithesis, like north to south? (5,8)

2. Acronym that can precede 'cable' or 'party' (3)

3. Line of mountains or links (5)

4. At no point (5)

5. Looked like (9)

6. Kitesurfing, sandboarding, and... powerbocking? That's a thing, right? (7,6)

7. Poet Dickinson or Bronte (5)

8. Creatures like Kermit (5)

12. Hunting (for) (9)

14. '____ Gems' (2019 film) (5)

16. Bone with a length normally about a quarter of your height (5)

17. Spectre; ignore (5)

19. Food made with a rice known as sumeshi (5)

20. Smallish woody plant (5)

24. '___ Are You' (1978 hit for The ___) (3)

✦ NGĀ MIHI ✦

THE TEAM

CO-EDITOR

Maia Ingoe (she/her)

CO-EDITOR

Francesca Pietkiewicz (she/they)

DESIGNER

Bella Maresca (they/them) @cupids.kiss

NEWS EDITOR

CHIEF REPORTER

SOCIAL

SUB-EDITOR

Tessa Keenan (she/her)

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Bridget Scott (she/her)

STAFF WRITER

Pippi Jean (she/her)

PODCAST MANAGER

STAFF WRITER

ARTS & CULTURE WRITER

Phoebe Robertson (she/her)

EDITORIAL SUPPORT

Joanna Fan (she/her)

CONTRIBUTORS

Ruby Millichamp (she/her)

Cileme Venkateswar (she/her)

Grace Muldrock (she/they)

Takuma Ohashi (he/him)

Hattie Salmon (she/her)

Rebecca Soloi (she/her)

Éimhín O'Shea (he/him)

Renter's United Puck (Cross/Word)

CENTREFOLD ARTIST

Niamh Vaughan (she/her)

Jessica Arndt (she/her)

WRITING

INTERN

Willem Koller (he/they)

VIDEO CONTENT CREATOR Seren Ashmore (he/him)

MEDIA MANAGER

Alex Marinkovich-Josey (he/him)

Ethan Manera (he/him)

NEWS EDITOR Zoë Mills (they/she)

Niamh Vaughan (she/her)

POETRY