‘HORRIBLE’
Renter lives in daily fear of getting kicked out
More of us are renting — and for longer. Data show homeownership rates have fallen across NZ as residential rental numbers hit a record. One rental agency owner says renter demographics are also changing as more people can’t afford to buy a Home. Reporter Carmen Hall speaks to tenants about the realities of life in the rental market. ‘Please don’t kick me out’
A mother paying $750 a week for rent in Tauranga says she faces “fear and anxiety” every day that she will have to move out.
NZME spoke to her on the condition of anonymity because of health issues and she did not want to embarrass her family.
“Renting is horrible. I only got this house through a friend-of-a-friend days before nearly becoming homeless when my last tenancy ended.”
She said every time she reported an issue to her landlord she worried about being kicked out.
She was unable to work because of her health and was left with $150 a week to live on to cover power, Wifi, and food after rent.
“It’s really stressful. I’ve had to use the foodbank and I realise people who are working are still struggling so I’m grateful for the support I get. But it is still hard. Every day it is touch and go.”
Her comments come after it was revealed last week that New Zealand had a record number of residential rental properties.
Government Tenancy Services data showed a big upswing in the number of active rental bonds deposited, indicating more places were being rented.
By November 1 last year, bonds were lodged on 410,904 residential rental properties: townhouses, apartments, flats, units and standalone homes — up 38 per cent from 2010.
The 2018 Census showed more than 1.4 million people lived in rental housing.
Meanwhile, Trade Me data released in January showed Bay of Plenty rents overtook Auckland’s in December to become the country’s priciest area for tenants with a median cost of $670 per week — $700 in Tauranga and $645 in Western Bay of Plenty.
Buying a home out of reach
Jayden Jarvis has accepted owning his own home in Tauranga is probably out of reach.
The 22-year-old father, who works in the hydraulic industry, said he was not overly fazed about whether he could ever afford to buy a home.
“I’d rather have a fun life and allow my kids to enjoy the good things in life rather than stressing about paying for a house first.
“In Tauranga, you are looking at least $750,000-plus for a decent
It’s really stressful .... Every day it is touch and go.
—Anxious mother and renter
was missing from his home address. Again indicating that the male is David.”
Searches were carried out in the area near where the footage was taken without success.
At the time, police said they had received 30 reports from members of the public about Holland but none of them led to any positive lines of inquiry.
Up to 148 volunteers and staff from police, LANDSAR, Surf Lifesaving NZ and Coastguard spent 612 hours looking for Holland in an expansive land search.
More than 22km of the coastline from Mount Maunganui to Maketu¯ was searched, including sand dunes and reserves, pockets of bush, areas less travelled, private property and in and around Holland’s home.
No electronic footprint had been found since he was last seen at his home — no emails, phone calls, texts, credit card or banking transactions.