Pair may be on street by Thursday

Queenstown housemates Peter MacKay (left) and Bob O’Connor have to move out of their Fernhill...
Queenstown housemates Peter MacKay (left) and Bob O’Connor have to move out of their Fernhill rental home on Thursday. Photo: Guy Williams.
If Bob O’Connor and Peter MacKay cannot find a rental house by this Thursday, they will be out on the streets, they say.

The two friends, who are in their early 60s, were given notice by their landlord in June after living in a two-bedroom townhouse in Fernhill Rd, Queenstown, for the past 19 years.

Their landlord — who put the rent up $150 a week six months ago — had got divorced and  wanted to sell the house,  Mr MacKay said.

Their mission to find another home in the resort’s hot rental market had become a nightmare, they said.

Although they  could afford to pay $600 a week, the asking rents for the houses they had seen  were either "ridiculously high" or the properties unlivable.

A two-bedroom place in a "cold, sunless" part of Sunshine Bay they viewed earlier in the week, advertised for $580, was no more than a "flophouse", Mr MacKay said.

"I wouldn’t let my dog sleep in there in case he picked something up."

They have been advertising weekly for the past three months, but have received no offers.

Although model tenants — "we’re quiet, peaceful, non-partying, non-drinking types" — their landlord’s rental agency  would not give them more time.

Mr MacKay said he could not work because of illness, and both  had health issues which  were being exacerbated by their predicament.

"I’ve known stress — I’ve been married twice and lost a child. This is different; this is homelessness.

"Bob’s been having nightmares."

To make matters worse, their shared car broke down a month ago, restricting their ability to visit houses and move their possessions into storage.

Massive rent hikes had become commonplace in the resort, putting people under intolerable financial pressure, Mr MacKay said.

A couple who rented the house next door had to move into a relative’s place a month ago because of the high rent.

Mr O’Connor, who works full-time on  TSS Earnslaw,  said he considered buying a house some years ago, but decided against it because his job was not secure at the time.

Now that it was, it was too late to buy because of the resort’s soaring prices, he said.

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Tourists escape third world for Lakes holiday: "These homeless on the streets, we might as well have stayed at home".

 

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