A makeover is on the cards for the iconic Big Red Castle Street flat. In a recent Trade Me listing which put the flat up for rent in 2025, DNA Property Management described big plans to make the dingy den “into a nice place to call home [...] rather than how it looks now.” To breathas’ collective horror, the renos will include a fresh paint job – and it won’t be red.
The listing states: “Prior to the tenancy starting, the exterior is going to be painted a different colour and double-glazed windows installed in the bedrooms. There will be new floor coverings. The interior walls will be painted. The bathroom will be renovated. The courtyard is currently shared with the neighbouring flats, but next year each courtyard will be fenced and separate.”
Current Big Red flatties are less than pleased at the news. It’s not the meeting of Healthy Homes standards that current residents have begrudged – they’re pissed at the potential implications for the flat’s street cred. One flatmate, Tom*, argued to Critic that the proposed separation of the courtyard and landlord attitudes are part of a deliberate plan to “to kill student culture, and without the culture, Dunedin is just a shit Palmerston North.”
Part of the so-called “death of student culture” on Castle Street has included gender-based flat signings, according to the Big Red boys. “They are definitely trying to target a specific group of people to get into this flat,” said one flatmate Andrew*. “They’re pretty insistent on it being girls.” His flatmate Charlie* added, “We have been trying to get our mates into it and we were basically told they wouldn’t get it.” Flattie Sam chimed in, “The blokes need somewhere to live as well.” Leith, maybe?
A spokesperson from DNA Property Management denied claims of gender-based tenancy selections, stating, “The gender of future tenants is inconsequential [...] The owner is about to undertake a large renovation of these three flats. We are looking for tenants who will respect the flats after this significant investment.”
One member of the tribe, Josh*, admitted he could see their reasoning. “It does make sense from the owner's perspective. There's not really any benefit to the owner to have people in here who are going to treat the place like shit.” The past two years appear to have been a tipping point for the owners. Last year’s residents allegedly faced the Tenancy Tribunal after causing $20k worth of damages – and this year’s group hasn’t appeared much better, with Critic arriving at the flat as a door was being put back on its hinges.
The Big Red boys were also critical of the decision to cut the connection between the three flats. They reckon it's crucial for the culture of the flat, worried it would decrease chances of big hosts in the future. “If it’s three separate flats, Big Red won’t be hosting,” said Andrew. “It’s been super fun, we’ve had so many random people rock up just because they know about the flat’s reputation.” Charlie added, “I hope whoever gets it next year has that same experience.”
With regard to the colour of the flat, DNA Property Management said that “The colour is yet to be decided.” However, the boys at Big Red had heard that property managers wanted it to be “a minty sage colour, but at the end of the day it's up to the owner.”
Colour change be damned, a number of students have argued that “deliberate attempts” by landlords to form a new reputation will be in vain. One student Holly said, “They can’t change the reputation of the flat. It’s Castle Street, there is always going to be randoms rocking up.” Another student, Alice, had this message for landlords: “If you didn’t want a party flat then go buy a flat somewhere else,” suggesting the flat name remains ‘Big Red’ “out of spite”. Half of respondents to a Critic Instagram poll voted to call it ‘Bigger Red’ – also out of spite.