Uni leases Castle St flats

The University of Otago is making more central campus flats available to short-stay international students next year, through a head-leasing deal with a private landlord.

A recent article in the Otago University Students Association magazine Critic suggested the eventual leasing of 14 flats in Castle St to international students was part of the university's "ongoing war against the `Scarfie' drinking culture".

The Castle St flats, a further six in Cumberland St and one more in Howe St, have been leased from Signal Hill Flats Ltd for next year.

In recent years, the university has taken many steps aimed, at least in part, at improving student behaviour and safety on campus: including the introduction of Campus Watch security patrols.

University officials last week denied transferring the flats for use by mainly single-semester international students was also designed to counter the excesses of student culture.

The flats had simply been selected for overseas students because the accommodation was convenient and within easy walking distance of the university, officials emphasised.

University authorities have also predicted that international full-cost student numbers will rise 10% this year, the first such increase at Otago since 2005.

University accommodation services director James Lindsay said the university accommodation office managed about 150 flats - some university-owned, and some privately-owned and head-leased - for international students.

The university also operated, as a "key pastoral care service", a small amount of extra accommodation for postgraduate international students and international families.

Single-semester undergraduates formed the largest international student group the university catered to for accommodation.

"It is difficult for these short-term students to find short-term leases on the private market, and which are close to the university," he said.

Officials said that a non-resident community support person would be appointed for each flat, and that it was hoped that a "Kiwi" host flat mate, where possible, would also live in each flat to introduce international students to Otago student life.

Mr Lindsay said that, at this stage, the overall number of flats the university leased to international students was likely to remain about 150.

This could mean that the university reduced the number of flats that it leased in areas further away from the campus, he said.

john.gibb@odt.co.nz