Standards Not Met, Lease Not Renewed: AUT's Exit from WSA

With the building now run by UniLodge, questions remain over student wellbeing, social support, and whether AUT has enough housing to meet growing demand.

NEWS | PUORO O AOTEAROA / LOCAL MUSIC

Written by Evie Richardson (she/her) | @evi3m4y | NEWS EDITOR

The lease on one of AUT’s largest student halls, Wellesley Student Apartments (WSA), was ended last year after it failed to meet the university’s accommodation standards.

“The decision to end the lease of the Mount Street` hall came after the owners of Wellesley Student Apartments declined to comply with improvements the facility required to meet AUT's quality standards for student accommodation” an AUT spokesperson told Debate. 

“WSA residents were informed on 17th July 2024 the lease was coming to an end and all residents would need to vacate at the conclusion of their residential agreement.” 

In 2025, the hall looks similar and operates much the same, but is no longer leased by AUT, instead by UniLodge. 

The real mystery however, is who are the owners who refused to comply? 

According to UniLodge, the building is strata titled and managed by a body corporate, with individual apartments owned by various private investors.

The body corporate manages the shared spaces, like hallways and common rooms. 

While UniLodge declined to comment on why the facility no longer met AUT’s standards, it said it is confident the accommodation is safe and compliant.

“We can confirm that UniLodge is ensuring all apartments meet the Healthy Homes standards required under the Residential Tenancies Act.”

“We are happy to report that the apartment owners have supported any work required to achieve these standards.”

The closure of WSA leaves AUT with just two halls of residence: Te Āhuru Mayoral Drive in the city and Akoranga Student Village on the North Shore. The 502-room loss brings total capacity down to 1,199 students.

The shortfall  now means only around 13% of students from outside Tāmaki Makaurau—and just under a quarter of first-year students—can be housed in AUT-run accommodation. The decision to let go of WSA has tightened an already limited housing pipeline at a time when students are grappling with a national cost-of-living crisis and rising rent.

According to AUT, the decision to not replace WSA with an equivalent offering was based on historic low uptake of on-campus accommodation. AUT says it “monitored demand” since August 2024 and had plans to advise students on alternate options “if required.” In semester one of 2025, there were still 61 rooms available across the remaining halls.

But for students, the loss of WSA goes beyond just numbers—it represents a drop in social connection and campus community.

Former Mayoral Drive resident Grace Symanns says her experience felt isolating compared to friends in more traditional-style halls like Uni Hall or O’Rorke.

“I actually didn’t choose to be in Mayoral Drive,” she says. “As a more social person, not from the city, I would’ve preferred to be in WSA but my scholarship was only applicable for Mayoral Drive.” She described the experience as lacking community, and says most of her friendships formed outside of the hall. “I had multiple RAs that year and I couldn’t tell you a single one’s name,” “There were no specific floor events, no bonding. I spent most of my time in other people’s halls.”

Lucy Horsnell, another past Mayoral Drive resident, echoed the sentiment. “There was only one common room, so I never got to know the people on my floor, which felt like a missed opportunity,” she said. While she appreciated the independence that came with halls, she added she made most of her friendships outside of accommodation. AUT says students who want a stronger sense of community can still opt for Te Āhuru Mayoral Drive or Akoranga Student Village. “A residential care and residential life programme is operated [by AUT]  at both these facilities.”  However, both options have limitations, Mayoral Drive lacking a sense of traditional halls community, and Akoranga being a 40 minute commute to the city campus on public transport. While AUT maintains that student housing demand has not exceeded supply, critics say this fails to consider the quality of the experience offered. As Symanns puts it, “WSA just had better systems and a layout that made making connections much easier.”