Avoid 52A Carton Gore Road, Grafton, Auckland at all costs

• $620/w is an insult to your intelligence
• Paul and Esther Ling are Slumlords
• Fergus Salmon and Josh Kelly are very poor property managers
• Sandaru Weerasinghe gets a solid 6/10

This is my review of the property

Constant Leaks in the Ceiling

September 2025 - Upstairs Shower Water Leaking into our Hallway + Mice!

On 2025/09/04 we noticed a leak in our hallway ceiling. After contacting our property manager, a plumber was sent out and had to cut a large hole in the ceiling to fix the leak. We were informed that the water coming through our ceiling was shower water from the upstairs flat. The hole in the ceiling revealed Pink Batts that was an ugly shade of brown. We were assured that this hole would be patched up after the insulation had dried out.

More than a month passed, and I contacted Barfoot and Thompson to ask when I could expect the repair. In that month, we had a new property manager (Sandaru Weerasinghe), who rang in complete confusion. He was completely unaware of the leak and that there was a gaping hole in our ceiling. Adding to my own confusion was his accusatory tone and implication that the hole in the ceiling might have been damage I had done to the property. ????????

More than a week later, we noticed a family of mice peering out from this hole in the ceiling. I couldn't get in contact with the property manager or Barfoot and Thompson, so I reached out to the landlord directly. An exterminator was sent the next day, and the hole was patched a few days later.

July 2024 - Water coming through light sockets

In July 2024, we heard a buzzing sound coming from the light sockets in our bedroom. Soon after, water started dripping through this light socket and we contacted the property manager. After speaking with the occupants of the upstairs unit, we found out that a pipe had burst on the second floor, leaving it completely flooded for multiple days. I feel like we should have been told about this a bit earlier. Fortunately, a plumber and electrician came to fix the leak and disconnect the bulb. The house is very poorly lit, so I definitely bumped into the bedside table a couple times over that next week.

Consistent Leaks during heavy rain

In heavy rain, there is a leak in the ceiling which lands on the kitchen floor. This has been the case since the start of the tenancy as was not resolved in the 2 years of our lease. When the roofers come to repair the leak, they tell Paul Ling that the roof needs replacing, Paul Ling doesn't listen. We've had a total of three patch jobs on the roof, which have done very little to stop the puddle of water on the kitchen floor when it rains. We eventually decided it was easier to place a bucket under the leak when the forecast was bad.

There are massive bubbles of water under the paint in the kitchen and bathroom full of rainwater. Expect some serious water damage.

Other Nonsense

• The park across the road occasionally becomes a homeless encampment
• The place was infested with ants on the day we moved in
• Despite having two tenants at the property, we were given one and a half sets of keys. I had to get keys cut just to get into my own house
• One of the smoke alarms was broken for months. I told Josh Kelly and he never replaced it.
• Arranging the end of the tenancy was incredibly difficult as the landlord doesn't check his emails
• The property was advertised as pet friendly. The landlord never responded to our request for a pet.
• There is a hole in the deck, try not to fall in
• The hot water cylinder will make screeching noises if you look at it the wrong way
• There is a window in the toilet room that doesn't shut. I made my trips quick when it was raining, otherwise I'd get wet
• The noise isolation between the units is extremely poor. Upstairs likes to vacuum at 10PM and stomp down the stairs. They have a literal bongo drum that they play late into the night on the weekend. Recently, they left a smoke alarm going for more than an hour (they were home), prompting the fire department to arrive.
• The paint peels off of almost every surface
• Zero privacy. The windows at the front of the property are visible from the road and the rest are visible from neighbouring properties
• The shower head doesn't stay up and the floor has sharp cracks in the plastic (they hurt). I notified Josh Kelly of this and nothing was done
• The curtains were in a shocking state. Josh Kelly said that he would get these replaced. They were not
• There are significant gaps in exterior doors, which invite slugs and other adorable creatures inside
• The amount of mail I received addressed to previous tenants beggars belief
• Half of the windows are painted shut
• At the start of the tenancy, the landlord would show up on an almost fornightly basis without notice
• Good luck finding a carpark within a block of the property
• Good luck receiving a package over the 2m fence
• The oven has two settings. 0C and the surface of the Sun
• There is a tree outside the property that drops kilograms of leaves onto the entryway. These get tracked into the house, inside shoes, in the car...
• The landlord was kind enough to leave a dehumidifier under the stairs for when the house leaks
• PENTUPLE GRAMMAR ZONE
• Entertainers delight. Your guests are mould spores and mice.