‘Profiteering’ on student flats

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32849, 24 February 1972, Page 14

‘Profiteering’ on student flats

Many overseas students are being charged exorbitant rents for flats in Christchurch and some landlords are clearly profiteering. This allegation is made by the treasurer for the University of Canterbury Students’ Association (Mr F. Huang).

“We have cases of bewil-. dered new overseas students being asked to pay as much as $4O a week for dllapitated old houses near the centre of the town,” said Mr Huang yesterday. “In one case at least the

•.students were told that they 11 could not have the house uni less they paid a year’s rent I in advance.” > Because many of the over- ; seas students concerned were new to this country, Mr i Huang said, landlords were ' treating them as gullible. Advice to students The president of the Students’ Association (Mr J. Crichton) said that the only way in which students and landlords would overcome problems of over-charging 1 and doubts over tenancy was [to ensure that a written 1 agreement was drawn up. 1 “Only when they get to- > aether in this manner can ■ the whole thing be properly ! policed,” he said. From yesterday, Mr Crichton said all students were bei ing issued with directions on > flatting. This should help I overcome some of the prob- ; lems of setting a standard for 1 cost and facilities, he said.