Today was meant to be a good day. I was meant to be getting all the answers to my queries, signing a lease and finally getting a house. Not so.
The trouble with a university town is that it has university students. Stating the obvious I know, but it also means lots of student lets. What does that mean? Lots of shabby houses and frustrated landlords who are unwilling to play ball. I honestly did not think that it was this hard to find a half decent property that didn’t have paper falling off walls, holes in the garage roof and stains on the carpets, and that’s only for starters.
When I do find one, I get a landlord who would rather tar me with the same brush and stick me into the same stereotype.
Some of the unreasonable unfair comments so far:
- No he won’t put the gates back on the property (that he has stored in the garage) to help make the garden more private, tenants before have not treated them with respect and damaged them. But I am more than welcome to make my own if I wanted to.
- No I cannot have a veggie garden, and he doesn’t believe me when I say I will put the grass back at the end of my tenancy if he wants me to
- Refused to accept the agents recommendation that I was a good character, and does not trust me because I have no credit history.
If it wasn’t for the fact that I am actually struggling to find a house that DOESN’T fit the initial ‘student let’ description I would tell him where to go.
So what did I do?
Went back to the agent and asked for other rental properties to view. They were alarmed to say the least. I told them I was really rather cross that immigration who vetted me more than any other tenant he will ever clap eyes on, decided I was trustworthy enough to enter New Zealand and work, yet he doesn’t think I am a suitable character for his stupid little house.
I wish the cash that is tied up in my house would hurry the heck up, so I can tell these silly landlords to get stuffed.
I need a cup of tea. Or perhaps a trip to Liqorland.
