Kiwi House Rules

There are some things you need to know about renting in NZ: 1. Cello tape ( clear tape) is not permitted at any time on any surface. 2. If you want to hang up pictures, think again! Only those no mark 3M hangers will work. Picture hook nails will cost you most of your deposit to repair. 3. The house is always cold. Single pane glass and no central heating means it always feels like camping indoors. Wear a sweater and a blanket for breakfast. 4. Weeds grow like crazy in the NZ climate. Be prepared to learn how to garden, or else the backyard will become an overrun jungle. 5. Your house needs to be sparkling clean when you move out. Carpets must be steam cleaned and 10 hours of professional scrubbing must occur to restore the floors to a spotless gleaming state. 6. Kids and cats will damage stuff that you will end up paying for. The classic operation "De-wallpaper" the rental house cost me 800 in Palmerston North to repair. 7. Moving islands costs like crazy, so you should choose north or South Island and remain there in NZ. Alternatively, you can sell off everything on Trademe and just take the $300 ferry ride inter islander. 8. Toilets and bathrooms are not the same. A toilet will just be like a closet with a toilet in it, and a bathroom will have sink, shower, and bath, but no toilet. Puzzling.... 9. Houses lack screen doors on windows, and this is OK. Very few biting insects can fly in NZ. 10. Kiss your deposit goodbye- in the last 3 moves in NZ, I have yet to only receive $400 total back from my thousands of dollars of deposits. Sigh. They inspect for damages and cello tape infractions every 3 months, so be prepared to do a deep scrubbing every 12 weeks. In NZ, the landlord rules over you. Best just to accept this and move on.