Garage Rent Gone Wrong | Christchurch News

Christchurch News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 30, 2026 · 2m

A garage-turned-home turned into a legal mess when Regie Caballero rented his garage to a struggling friend for $150 a week — until he secretly added $10 without warning. The tenant, living in a cold, drafty space next to a noisy chicken coop, fought back and took him to the Tenancy Tribunal. The judge sided with the tenant, ordering Caballero to repay half the rent ($2,775), plus $1,500 in exemplary damages and another $1,500 for emotional harm — all because housing laws weren’t just broken, they were blatantly ignored. Even though Caballero claimed he was being a good guy, the tribunal made…