"They have a proven history of paying their rent on time and keeping the place immaculate. Because of these good references, by lowering the rent we hope the place will be looked after and cared for."
He said the tenants had indicated they would like to stay long term which was always good news for a landlord.
Prior to the new tenants moving in, Mr Knowles ensured the house was in good condition - hanging up net curtains, checking fire alarms, chem-washing the deck and servicing the heat pump.
While some of these actions were in keeping with mandatory regulations he said he wanted to make sure the place "was somewhere nice to move into".
When asked about the Trade Me figures showing the median rent price advertised had decreased, Mr Knowles said he would "take it with a grain of salt". He said there were reasons rents went up, due to rates increasing or other contributing factors.
"People can't expect rent prices to stay the same ... when the house is empty it puts a strain on our other finances."
