Otago Polytechnic Students’ Association president Ezra Tamati and Otago University Students’ Association president Michaela Waite-Harvey said a decrease in the number of flats on offer meant many students were struggling to find rental accommodation for next year, despite starting their searches earlier this year. ‘‘Students will be students, so landlords are getting sick of that as well.’’Ms Waite-Harvey said that for that reason, some groups of male students were being turned away from flats because many landlords wanted women only. ‘‘It’s desperate out there.’’Cutlers Ltd managing director Matt Cutler agreed there was a shortage of rental properties in popular student areas, but he believed it was because of other factors. But the main reason was an increase in the number of families willing to pay more for rental properties. In the past, there were a lot more students living in North East Valley, Opoho, Maori Hill and St Clair.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 31, 2021 16:30 UTC