Has One Landlord Built a Mouldy Monopoly Over Student Housing in Palmerston North?

With over 20 rentals and 100 tenants, one landlord grips the Palmerston North student housing market with bargain flats. But some past and present tenants feel he is a “nightmare landlord”. Jessie Davidson investigates. 

From mouldy homes, rubbish dumped on properties, to unannounced visits, some current and former tenants believe students should stay away from landlord Michael Noaro’s rentals. 

But Noaro denies the complaints. With many properties, he says he just can’t please everyone. Some tenants we spoke to had no complaints and were happy with Noaro as their landlord.   

In June, two anonymous posts on the Massey Confessions Facebook sounded the alarm about an unnamed landlord in Palmerston North. While neither post named names, some of the comments assumed it was Michael Noaro. Some suggested it’s simply a student rite of passage to sign a lease under Noaro’s watch. 

Speaking to five of his past and present tenants, most tell a similar story of mould, and visiting without notice. 

Emma* has been a tenant of Noaro’s for several years now. She said she along with her flatmates confronted him after repeated unannounced visits, letting himself into the house, and storing rubbish in their backyard without consent. 

“[Noaro] just laughed when one of my flatmates brought up the fact it was making him uncomfortable and suggested he give us warning before coming onto the property, as he is legally bound to do.” Here, Emma references the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), which says landlords must give between 24 to 48 hours written notice before visiting a property, except in emergencies. 

Despite this, Emma said the cheap rent is why she and so many other students have ended up staying in his properties. Her flat of five pays a total of $600 a week. With prices like that, she feels Noaro has a “monopoly on cheap student housing”. 

“So many people are left no choice but to stay in one of his flats, because there are so few affordable alternatives.” Other tenants interviewed shared similar sentiments, saying students will rent out Noaro’s properties because of their cheap appeal – regardless of their quality. 

Former tenant Eden* said Noaro’s surprise visits began a few months after moving in. “He told us that as long as he wasn’t inside the home, he could be on the property.” 

Among four out of five tenants interviewed, four said mould was a common issue. 

Whenever tenants raised concerns, Noaro simply told them to ventilate. Eden said, “We would open the windows and ventilate, yet still mould would persist.” 

Landlords must maintain a reasonable standard of repair to meet healthy homes standards, according to the RTA. This includes heating, ventilation, and moisture control. 

Eden claimed when she replaced a mould-damaged shower curtain, Noaro charged her $30 in damages. Sarcastically she said, “I guess he wanted his mouldy shower curtain for himself.” 

Sarah* flatted at Noaro’s property on Ferguson Street for two years and said the house — raised on piles — was freezing and mouldy. 

“I used to clean the shower twice a week with a shower witch to reduce the mould, but it was terrible and we used to leave the windows open all the time to air it out,” Sarah said. 

A particularly costly incident occurred for Sarah when roadworks outside the flat caused a leak, making the hot water bill overly expensive. According to Sarah, Noaro initially refused to pay it. If a water leak causes heightened bills, and the leak is not the tenants’ fault, the landlord is responsible to handle it according to the RTA. 

Upon calling Noaro to get his perspective, the 71-year-old landlord was happy to talk. He denied any complaints about mould have been made to him. 

“It’s the tenants’ responsibility to ventilate the place ... If they keep all the curtains shut and windows closed, that’s their problem.” 

Upon visiting his rental properties, Noaro said he informs tenants when necessary, but believed certain outdoor work doesn’t require notice. Noaro believed he’d only visited properties unannounced for urgent situations, such as checking gutters or potential squatter activity — when someone illegally occupies a property without permission. 

Noaro said he had been taken to the Tenancy Tribunal once in his 45 years as a landlord. He said this came from knocking on a tenant’s bedroom window and giving a bad reference. 

He stressed this was the only time he faced the tribunal. 

He said he tries to make life easier for tenants, supplying light bulbs and fixing small issues at no cost. But because he has over 100 tenants, he believed it’s impossible to please everyone. 

“I can’t keep everybody happy, but that’s my policy … I always tell my tenants when they move in to tell me if they have a problem. Just tell me.” 

He spoke of student residents happy in his rentals, “I’ve got a tenant who is a Vet student who advertises my flats because he likes living in them so much.” 

 Senior property lawyer Chris Ashton, who was contacted to comment on tenancy law, noted landlords must generally give 48 hours’ notice, though it can be 24 hours for certain tasks like installing smoke alarms. 

“Although not acquainted with the facts of this case, leaving personal property and rubbish on the property would normally not be allowed. Repeated, unannounced visits are a classic example of a breach of tenants’ quiet enjoyment.” 

When it comes to mould, Ashton said both landlords and tenants have responsibilities. The landlord must ensure the property is free from mould or dampness upon moving in, though latent issues can appear. But tenants should ventilate and manage moisture. 

“Tenants should ventilate their property and take ordinary practical steps to manage excess moisture in the home, and should clean mould when they see it.” Repeated mould problems may indicate issues landlords should address, the lawyer said. 

But not all tenants are unhappy with Noaro – particularly non-students. Speaking to Sylvie, who’s lived in one of Noaro’s properties for a few months now, she said she’s had no issues with him. 

“It’s a little cold, but we have a heater,” she said. Sylvie said that while living at Noaro’s property, they’ve only had one maintenance issue with their back door which Noaro fixed the next day. 

For many students, Noaro’s flats offer an affordable roof over their heads where student accommodation is in high demand. Yet the experiences of past tenants show that cheap rent doesn’t always guarantee comfort or ease. For students navigating Palmerston North’s tight housing market, understanding their rights and inspecting a property thoroughly remains as important as ever. 

*Names changed for anonymity. 

Resources for students seeking tenancy advice: 

Massey student rights advocacy 
support@tetiraahupae.ac.nz  

Tenancy Services 
0800 836 262 (0800 TENANCY) 

Citizens Advice Bureau  
0800 367 222 

Renters United 
rentersunited.org.nz