Category : News
Author: Hamish McNeilly

A group of students who lived at a Dunedin party flat – where people allegedly vomited into holes in the walls – may be liable for $34,000 in claimed damages.

Alcohol boxes and broken furniture litter the front yard, windows are boarded up, and a leaking pipe, toilet paper and broken glass lie in the alleyway.

The self-described party flat is just a few doors from Castle St North's most famous flat – number 660, the birthplace of popular Kiwi band Six60.

Legal action may be taken over damage to the rear unit at this Castle St North complex.

The amount of damage remains a source of contention between the six male tenants and Property scouts​, which manages the property on behalf of the Singapore-based owner.

It is understood court action is being considered over the outstanding bill, with lawyers for both sides involved.

"'We are working through the process and arranging repairs at the property,'' Propertyscouts co-owner Bex Harris told Stuff on Wednesday.

She declined to comment further, as did several of the flatmates, who were mostly from Auckland and who were approached for comment.

One confirmed the matter was still going through a legal process.



One of the flatmates told student magazine Critic earlier this year that the flat was “probably the most notorious one for partying”.

There were holes in 19 of the walls, and two witnesses told the magazine people had vomited into the cavities.

The claim was not confirmed nor denied by the tenant.

The five-flat complex, traditionally leased to all-male flatmates, has been a source of frustration for authorities.

It is understood police have investigated whether charges of wilful damage could be laid.

The University of Otago declined to comment on the matter, referring queries to the Tenancy Tribunal.

Propertyscouts took the six flatmates to the Tenancy Tribunal in August to have the lease terminated because of the “substantial ongoing damage to the premises”.

Students work to clean up Castle St North as part of a request from the family of Sophia Crestani, who died at a party in 2019.

The tribunal agreed, ending the men's tenancy immediately.

The property was inspected several times during the year, and photos were produced of the damage, the tribunal’s decision said.

Among the vandalism was a bed and mattress that had been set on fire, numerous holes in doors and walls, and damage to the carpet, which was installed only this year.

The landlord said the repairs that had been made were “substandard”, but the tenants argued most of the damage had been fixed.

They also alleged the fire and broken windows may have been caused by others, while a hole in a laundry was due to “rotting floorboards”.

The tribunal convenor was not convinced, and found the tenants had breached their obligations by allowing others to cause significant damage to the property, either intentionally or carelessly.

“I am persuaded by the evidence that the tenants had frequent gatherings in the premises and that it is likely much of the damage occurred during these times,” the convenor said.

Castle St North is in the heart of Dunedin's student quarter.

The tribunal decision ruled the landlord had not been compensated for all the loss.

Otago University Students' Association student support manager Sage Burke was unable to confirm whether the students accessed the association's services, which included advice about the Tenancy Tribunal.

“We encourage all parties in a tenancy to be aware of the benefits and obligations involved, and to live up to these.

“We recommend that both landlords and tenants keep their own records of, among other things, the condition of the property at the beginning and end of a tenancy.”

Article: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/property/123500335/dispute-over-34000-worth-of-damage-allegedly-caused-at-scarfie-party-flat
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