Michael Pearce: "damage and unpaid rent claims untrue"

Michael Pearce, the man who along with his partner Fiona Knapp is accused of failing to pay thousands of dollars in Queenstown rent, and extensively damaging another property, spoke to Crux today at the door of his latest luxury rental house in Jacks Point.

Refusing to answer detailed questions, Mr Pearce accused Crux of publishing "damaging untruths" and said that he would deal with those issues through his lawyers. 

He added " I am working, trying to recover from the damage you and others have caused me."

The $3 million Jacks Point house where Mr Pearce is currently staying has no house number and no front door bell - just a dark smoked glass door with an electronic lock. Mr Pearce was the only person in the house when Crux visited. The house is not visible from the road. 

Another property owner has spoken to Crux this week describing not just unpaid costs from Pearce and Knapp but extensive damage to his brand new house in Kingston.

"They were a nightmare from day one" Brisbane based property owner John Goedemans told Crux. Mr Goedemans rented to Pearce and Knapp via Airbnb in September 2023 and says the problems started with a towel rail that was damaged and then a claim that a cupboard had somehow "destroyed itself." 

The couple were only the second tenants to rent the brand new house but the damage went on to include a bent out of shape oven door which Mr Goedemans says can only have been caused by "someone standing on it." He also says that a locked, private area of the house was broken into and wine stolen.

Mr Goedemans also said that Michael Pearce attempted on many occasions to get a reduced rent by circumventing the Airbnb system. He says the couple left a trail of destruction so great that Airbnb actually paid compensation in an attempt to cover repair costs from the tenants.

In the end Mr Goedemans says Pearce and Knapp overstayed and then left the property, throwing the key onto the lawn rather than leaving it in the Airbnb lockbox.

"'I've never met a bigger a**hole. He's basically a con man, and a deads**t criminal."

Mr Goedemans made a formal complaint to the police and is still owed around $2,000 after the Airbnb compensation. Queenstown police have confirmed to Crux that they are still working on the case.

Another property owner, Suzie Bognar has told Crux that she is still owed around $12,000 for unpaid rent on her Speargrass Flat Road property and has told Crux that court bailiffs had already visited the Jacks Point property to chase that debt but found no property or vehicles  belonging to Pearce and Knapp that could be seized.