Auckland renters struggling with mouldy, damp homes and no sense of security

Auckland renters say they are struggling with costly, damp and mouldy homes that are taking up more than half of their weekly income.

According to data released this week from TradeMe, rents have fallen by $5 a week in the region from August, but remain higher than a year ago.

Renters in the city said they had not felt any relief, despite the government's claims in March that landlords being allowed to write off their mortgage interest would lead to lower prices for renters.

Alexandra Andrews, 27, has rented since she was 18, and said each property she had lived at left a lot to be desired.

Together with her former flatmates, she took her last landlord to the Tenancy Tribunal, and won, after they were given notice to leave after refusing to pay a rent increase of $100 a week.

"We said that wasn't in line with the market and were then given notice to leave. Soon enough, we saw it listed online as a rental with the higher price.

"We won $3000 in damages, but the landlord has now appealed that and is taking it through the district court - it's been a big waste of my time."

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• Top 5 reasons people go to the Tenancy Tribunal

Her current rental property in St Heliers, for which she and her partner pay $550 a week, was better, but "freezing" in winter, she said.

"When we moved in 18 months ago, there was a hole in the front door. It was only fixed this week, so the last two winters were very cold and there was a draught that came in through it."

Andrews kept the windows open all day, but the mould was impossible to eliminate, she said.

"We've been told it's compliant with healthy home standards, but whenever I move furniture I find new mould and have to clean the curtains every week."

Ally Kingi, who is in her 50s, rented in central Auckland and said she spent more than 60 percent of her income on rent.

"I've been there five years and the rent goes up and up. And I've just been told it's going up again, which is kind of the opposite of what the government has been saying would happen when landlords got their relief."

Kingi paid $430 a week for rent, but that was increasing by $30, which would come out of her food costs, she said.

"I love living in Auckland and being an Aucklander, but I've been looking at what my future will be and it's a bit grim at the moment.

"I'm in my 50s and working fulltime now, but won't be doing that forever and I don't know what that void ahead will look like."

Home ownership was not an option, Kingi said, as she had nothing left to save after paying rent and food.

Frieda, who did not want her last name used, called herself a "generational" Auckland renter - at 50, she expected to rent for the foreseeable future.

"My parents rented all their life, and so have I - I've noticed there's a lot more scrutiny now for renters, which is stressful.

"You have this feeling of not being able to keep items long-term and my two kids were never able to have a pet that wasn't hidden."

Frieda said she wanted to be able to put things on the walls, and create a garden and have a sense of security about where she would be living.

Her current rental did not meet healthy home standards, but it meant she paid only $350 per week, she said.

"It's comfortable, but there's no heating or insulation and we have black mould growing on the ceilings in some places.

"But I've taken that compromise to be able to have a nicer landlord who isn't constantly on my back."

People saw renting as a temporary thing, Frieda said, but it was becoming more common for people to rent their entire lives.

"I've done my darndest to try and change my life and it hasn't worked out that way for me."

Kingi said she would love to see the rental system in New Zealand overhauled.

"I'd love to see us implement a system like they have in Germany where a long-term rental feels like a home you can't just be turfed out of.

"The rental market here is not fair."

Frieda agreed with this and added she would like to see rent control to give renters a sense of security that they could stay in their home long-term.

Greens housing spokesperson Tamatha Paul - herself a renter - said letting landlords write off mortgage interest was not helping tenants.

"A lot of the claims that are being made in favour of these pro-landlord policies are not backed up by evidence," Paul said.

"I want to see more positive policies which improve the lives of renters."

Paul said the Greens wanted to see policies that included a rental warrant of fitness, along with mass building of houses and rent controls.

ACT party leader and Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour said he stood by his comments that tax deductions for landlord would help renters.

"Rents have increased dramatically in the last three years and since we've restored mortgage interest deductability, rents have fallen for the first time in three years."

Although rents were still high, the reductions were a sign of the Government's action working, Seymour said.

Underlying reforms to make it easier to build a house would bring more relief in the future, he added.

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