NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business

'It was like being in a coffin': Aucklander shares experience renting in NZ's most expensive city

Anne Gibson
By Anne Gibson
Property Editor·NZ Herald·
19 Jun, 2018 09:20 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A new, low cost hotel capable of accommodating hundreds of visitors a night has opened in one of the country’s fastest growing tourist centres, Queenstown.

"It was like being in a coffin - a big one," said Aucklander Finn Heenan, 18, of moving to a Queenstown accommodation pod two months ago.

"It wasn't too great to be honest," said the builder who will next month turn student and study adventure tourism management. While staying at Jucy Snooze Queenstown, the teenager of Clevedon said he felt enclosed and his health suffered.

Finn Heenan felt like he was in a coffin when he moved to Queenstown.
Finn Heenan felt like he was in a coffin when he moved to Queenstown.

"There were no windows or fresh air and it was a bit like being in a spaceship. It cost $45/night. The air was so dry that every morning, I'd wake up with a sore throat."

Heenan, previously of Auckland's Saint Kentigern, stayed in the pod for a fortnight before finding a backpackers where he gets a better night's sleep and pays $32/night. But he has moved a number of times after arriving on April 20, having to flee another backpacker's with live nightly concerts which left him sleepless.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He is one of the many people who have moved to the southern tourist mecca only to be shocked at the cost of accommodation.

FOR MORE PROPERTY NEWS AND LISTINGS GO TO ONEROOF.CO.NZ

Today, Trade Me Property released new data showing the median Queenstown Lakes rent had jumped 12.9 per cent since January, making it the most expensive area to rent in the country - a situation that has led to younger renters relying on unconventional accommodation, such as sleeping pods.

Asked to comment on Heenan's experience, a Jucy spokeswoman defended the sleeping accommodation, saying that sleeping in a pod was not to everybody's taste and there would always be a small number of people who would find it's not for them.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Overall, we do receive overwhelmingly positive comments on customers' pod experience and the vibe in the Pod-Hostel itself on the likes of booking.com as well as directly to our staff," the Jucy spokeswoman said.

She said the pods are designed "with customer experience in mind," offering a range of amenities - including USB chargers, power points, a light and mirror - contained within the space.

"We also have fresh air flow vents into each and every room in our Queenstown property, which are on 24/7 as there are rooms without windows due to the building being built into a hill," she said.

While the accommodation may be comfortable for a short-term stay, renters like Heenan are left with few longer-term options in a city that is now $240 a week more expensive than Auckland.

Discover more

Travel

Southern Lakes: Let go of the reins

11 Jun 11:00 PM
New Zealand|politics

Developers show interest in KiwiBuild

13 Jun 01:22 AM
Business

Revealed: New Zealand's secret millionaire

24 Dec 12:00 AM
New Zealand

Twyford seeks affordable energy efficient KiwiBuild Homes

19 Jun 03:41 AM

Trade Me Property head Nigel Jerries said Queenstown rental listings dropped 18 per cent this year compared to last year.

"Housing affordability is the big driver behind this rental situation. With the average asking price for a property in Queenstown Lakes now more than $1m, most renters are put off by the sheer size of the mortgage they'd need to own a property and end up choosing lifestyle over mortgage repayments. With more tenants staying put, this means less rentals coming onto the market," Jeffries said.

The national median weekly rent rose 5.6 per cent on last year, he said. It stalled in May and remained at April's $475/week.

The Herald reported last year on a Queenstown woman and her young daughter having to share a flat with revellers, kept awake by late-night drinking sessions and the sound of people having sex, due to the city's rental crisis.

Jucy Snooze Queenstown, which offers accommodation pods.
Jucy Snooze Queenstown, which offers accommodation pods.

Itinerant workers are not the only ones being priced out of Queenstown's rental market: Long-term residents are being left without stable accommodation, too, the Herald reported last year, quoting Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust executive officer Julie Scott.

"There are examples we see all the time of families who have been renting for five, 10 years in a property and have been paying $450 a week and all of a sudden they're paying $700 a week. They can't afford it so they're having to move," she said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Business

Premium
Media Insider

'Not normal': Bare-bottom Lotto skier tops ad complaints; RNZ ratings woes - ex-news boss called in for review

10 Jul 06:04 PM
Premium
Opinion

Matthew Hooton: The case for abolishing regional councils in NZ

10 Jul 05:00 PM
Premium
Shares

Market close: NZ shares flat as Australian regulator clears path for Fonterra consumer sale

10 Jul 06:22 AM

Audi offers a sporty spin on city driving with the A3 Sportback and S3 Sportback

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Premium
'Not normal': Bare-bottom Lotto skier tops ad complaints; RNZ ratings woes - ex-news boss called in for review

'Not normal': Bare-bottom Lotto skier tops ad complaints; RNZ ratings woes - ex-news boss called in for review

10 Jul 06:04 PM

Tears as Stuff editor leaves; big ad account switches agencies; who will buy iconic mags?

Premium
Matthew Hooton: The case for abolishing regional councils in NZ

Matthew Hooton: The case for abolishing regional councils in NZ

10 Jul 05:00 PM
Premium
Market close: NZ shares flat as Australian regulator clears path for Fonterra consumer sale

Market close: NZ shares flat as Australian regulator clears path for Fonterra consumer sale

10 Jul 06:22 AM
Top 5 takeaways from Samsung's super-slim foldable phone and watch event

Top 5 takeaways from Samsung's super-slim foldable phone and watch event

10 Jul 05:00 AM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP