One house, eight rooms, 20 tenants
An eight-bedroom share house in Queenstown with 20 people is not that bad, the tenants say.
An increase in the resident population is driving land and house prices up while available rental stock is drying up amid a tourism and construction boom.
In some cases, ‘‘slumlords’’ are taking advantage of the Queenstown accommodation crisis, according to one councillor.
But not everyone is unhappy about their living conditions in the resort’s ageing rental stock.
In the Queenstown suburb of Fernhill, with views of The Remarkables and Lake Wakatipu, sits one house with 20 tenants.
The large A-frame has three storeys, a wraparound deck, two woodburners, a garden and eight bedrooms, each with a series of single beds and bunks.
Tenants hail from Ireland, England, Scotland, Sweden, Germany, Israel, Canada, the United States and New Zealand.
Ten members of the household were home when Fairfax paid a visit. Many work hospitality jobs or at one of the ski fields, which means a mix of day shift and night shift workers who barely see each other. Each tenant pays between $100 and $130 a week for a bed.
Rent of about $2000 a week includes utilities.
House ‘‘boss’’ Dan Rose, of Ireland, said a Facebook page was set up so all the flatmates could easily communicate.
Rent depended on the number of beds per room but was not more than $130 per week, cheaper than a weekly rate in budget accommodation. The largest bedroom in the house contains a bunk and three single beds. ‘‘There’s no half measures here. ‘‘All the utilities are included, power, toilet roll, washing powder, wood. We just had a wood delivery and they’re going to renovate after winter.’’
Alex Franck, celebrating his 25th birthday, arrived at the beginning of winter after quitting his job and selling his truck in California. He said the house was a melting pot.
His mate was already in town and helped out with accommo- dation and job hunting.
‘‘We just had four [tenants] leave. It’s not that bad and it’s only when you’ve a day off you see all the people on shifts.
‘‘People are here during the day and people are here at night.
‘‘I don’t see half the people in this house.’’
The house was bought in March by landlord Perry Noyce, owner another Queenstown rental, and he inherited the 20 tenants.
Overheads were considerable, especially power in winter, despite generating rent of more than $2000 a week and he rejected any accusations of ‘‘slum-lording’’.
‘‘I don’t seem to have any trouble with retaining tenants . . . it’s the market.’’