New Zealand’s student accommodation providers should be prevented from profiting from residents and should follow a not-for-profit model as Otago does, the Otago University Students’ Association says. Over the Level 3 restrictions and Level 4 lockdown, thousands of students across New Zealand left their tertiary student accommodations. During this time, of the eight universities across the country, four (Massey University, Waikato University, Lincoln University and Victoria University of Wellington) decided against charging students for unused rooms. The University of Otago returned an estimated $3.7million to up to 2300 Otago students. But the relationship between students as tenants and their colleges or halls of residence as landlords remains under the spotlight.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 17, 2021 15:33 UTC