Nice work if you can get it: $12 to change a lightbulb

How many Unilodge employees does it take to change a lightbulb? One, provided you pay them $12.

This is the joke told by Canadian student Graeme Clarke who was not forced to pay only $6 to replace the blown lightbulb in his former bedroom but also a $12 "installation fee" after leaving his $275-a-week room at Unilodge, in Auckland's inner city.

The 26-year-old Media Design School student, who came to New Zealand to complete a one-year creative advertising course, said he was stunned to learn of the charge, which was deducted from his $900 bond last month. "I looked at the bill and it was $18 short and I said: 'What's the $18 for?'," he told the Weekend Herald.

"And she said: 'The light bulb'. I said: 'Don't you think that's a little bit crazy - $18 for a light bulb?' And she went away and got the paperwork and she came back and said it was actually $6 for the light bulb and $12 maintenance or installation. It's ridiculous how they're ripping people off like that.

"There was no maintenance required at all other than screwing it in," he said. "I don't really mind, it is only $18, but it's the principle, I guess."

Unilodge customer services manager Jan Ngatae said the rooms were managed on behalf of private landlords and the $18 charge was much cheaper than calling an electrician.

"It's usually about $60, we've found, when the electricians come in externally," she said. "It's a pity he didn't come and talk to us because I could have explained this to him as well. He would have then realised he actually got very good value from somebody coming down for under $20 to come and fix it for him."

Asked whether Mr Clarke could have replaced the lightbulb himself, Mrs Ngatae said students could opt to buy them for $3 each from Unilodge. Whether they could fit them was another issue.

"It depends where it is, whether he could reach it or not. If they stood on a chair they could fall off and hurt themselves."

Mr Clarke would have been told he needed to replace the lightbulb when his room was checked before he left and would have signed a waiver authorising the lightbulb's replacement.

* A 100watt Homebrand lightbulb from Foodtown costs $1.10