Browse Forums General Discussion Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 22Jan 07, 2009 5:58 pm It must be a really common issue because when we moved into our first rental the agent said to us that when completing the condition report be really really picky, no matter how small the issue, write it down. You should have seen how detailed our report was, same with this second one. I really appreciated that the agent gave us that advice. Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 23Jan 07, 2009 6:09 pm enigma_brennan, the agent and landlord conducted the final inspection together and we weren't there.
I spoke to the agent again this afternoon and told her the lawn will be re-mowed tomorrow and we will try and remove some of the weeds from the bark, but outlined my case re the tile and floor and said I would take the matter further if any deduction is made from our bond. I guess I was pretty naive and actually expected that when I heard from the agent they would give me a pat on the back for being the tenant of the year or something. I think more than anything I am insulted that someone has questioned the way we keep our house - even though I know they've done so only for their own gain. Hopefully the landlord sees sense - If worse comes to worse, we have a detailed condition report and photos. It sounds like this renting caper is fraught with danger (no doubt for both landlord and tenant) Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 24Jan 07, 2009 7:01 pm I think it's fair to say that the problems are both ways - the owner and the renter. But I think it could start with the real estate agents treating renters with more respect and maybe they would do the same.
My business partner needed to rent and I helped find a place - wow was I surprised.... real estate agents . They treat you like you are peasants AND those that have a separate entrance for the rental department, well that wouldn't pass final inspection that's for certain... thread bare carpet and just tatty. Don't they realise that today's renters are tomorrow's buyers who come through the front entrance???? I told them what I thought and complimented the only one which showed respect. Shape up real estate agents... look at the car rental market - they know how to treat a renter... Ed Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 25Jan 07, 2009 7:24 pm we had a bad experience renting while building the house we move into was a big pen we moved out everything was clean better than when we moved in.My parents cleaned it they once cleaned rentals for a living.We had to have the carpet cleaned and pest. The carpet cleaner walk on the bathroom floor so he wanted that mop before releasing the bond and also the stove was not clean enough for him we never used it for that reason also their was a streak on one of the windows. The agent organised for a cleaner to come and fix it cost $100 I bet that was the best job they had done about 10 minutes work he then release the money. Not before he send as a bad letter as our term was up we wished to stay
but because of the following he didnot want so as his tenants anymore 1.we would not stay home from work and lose paid to show buyers his house which was for sale 2. we had used his plush carpet to store boxes the carpet was clean under as it was not walk on we also had a problem he turned up on sunday going on about star pickets were missing from the property and also why were we paid our rent fornight now instead of weekly we had been paying this way for months. We rang the tenants union we add to take a form around to him personal and give it to him because he could not shown up there was a joke he came and was very scare he was going to do something to us but we had to go to his house and personal give him a form We did find out just before going he was being sold by the bank he owned $20,000 in unpaid mortagee very dog has it day and the house sat for 6 months before being sold We it was better to lose the $100 then go to court finished building 40 square home on 5 acres with perry homes.working on the landscaping just finished pool deck with ://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=2217 Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 26Jan 07, 2009 8:54 pm When we moved out from our rental in November, we got in some cleaners (as we couldn't face it ourselves), steam cleaner (as required in our contract), and then went and touched up some items inside the house that we were worried about. Agent was really happy with the house itself, but we came unstuck on weeds in the garden beds, just like you! I frankly couldn't be arsed pulling out weeds all over quite a large garden, and ended up wearing the cost of them getting a gardener in to do it.
In the end, it comes down to a call as to how much emotional capital you want to spend on a place you'll never see again, versus real dollars that you could spend on something for your new house... I guess God didn't use subbies... Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 27Jan 07, 2009 9:07 pm Yup MrT. sometimes you are just so over it. The firs time we rented we did a lot of work cleaning, ourselves but the owner did all the inspections etc and had no idea. Last time I rented I hired the cleaner the rental agents used and did a lot of the work before hand so it wasn't too expensive. i also hired the same garden contractors they did to do a swift clean up of the yard. This time we'll be doing it. Not looking forward to leaving here as we have heaps of woodchipped yard and they did not use a weed mat first before laying the chips. It's an ongoing battle. Dh tries to keep on top of it with sprays and we both(him mostly) spend time pulling weeds. Internally it's going to be a pain. . Every mark will show given that it's a brand new build. Blog http://wherethehearthis.blogspot.com/ Build https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=6634: Yard https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27687&p=378401#p378401 Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 29Jan 07, 2009 9:17 pm It is true you are treated like a peasant if you rent. Our real estate sent me out a letter for inspection. I called them up as normal to reschudle to a day I can be there as I would never let them in without me present.
Anyway this time they decide they don't want to change the day and just said to me we will use the office keys if you are not there. Which I know they are entitled to do but they still don't have to be pig headed about it. So I reminded him that the house we are in has been on sale for the last 5 months and we have allowed you to come in at less than 24hrs notice. So I said if you don't want to be flexible then you can start sending letters to us when you want to bring someone through and give us the 24hrs notice. He soon changed his tune and could now move the date which he stated earlier could not possibly be done.. Our last place we rented the landlord was great. As any problems he just came out and fixed them him self. We had some minor marks on the wall but got our full bond back. We did spend a bit on dry cleaning as when we got robbed the police got fingerprint dust everywhere all over the carpet!! (that is why we moved out.. robbed twice in a week was enough for me.. we lived right near the croydon station!! ) Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 30Jan 08, 2009 7:51 am I hope it's all resolved soon, Sharee - who needs this sort of stress?
Surely it's the agent's responsibility to point out to the owner what he can and can't do under the law, and what is reasonable? Fair wear and tear covers minor scuff marks and scratches etc, and they would be well aware of that. Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 31Jan 08, 2009 8:26 am I sometime think it's the real estate that make the decision on if you get your bond back. I have had many fights with them about the state we moved in to a property compared to the state of how we left it.
The property is supposed to be inspected within 24 hours of you handing back your keys. 1 week is not acceptable and you shouldn't be responsible for any damage that may have occured during that time. if you have it all listed on the condition report then they don't have a leg to stand on. you poor things first the caper with your builder and the logo and now this. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There's no use being a damn fool about it. W.C. Fields Brought Established. Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 32Jan 08, 2009 10:02 am Michelle Always good to document and take photos while the agent is with you showing you the home to start with. Make it quite clear that you are writing everything down and taking photos of every discrepancy that could come back to you. The agent will be on their toes if they rent to you, and the land lord will get told good and proper the minute you move in. IF a land lord wants every little thing fixed and done when you move out……..then best he do the same before you move IN! Having documentation of it all certainly helps when they start to jump up and down. Sharee……got some roundup? That should sort out the lawn for him……………………….. We did every time and it saved our arse every time. Here in WA you have, I think, two weeks to amend the property condition report and we would go through each house with a fine tooth comb. no matter how trivial. take photos of everywhere and in particular the faults documented. we always left the garden better than it was. I won't live in a house with a bad garden Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 33Jan 08, 2009 10:03 am oh, you should go round there and install a particular "s" stamped door on there Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 34Jan 22, 2009 12:28 pm Sooo we are getting every cent of our bond back (deservedly so) Several discussions with the agent and the promise that we would take it further should we need to have resulted in the just outcome Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 35Jan 22, 2009 12:52 pm Sharee So last we handed back the keys to the rental we were occupying while we built. To set the scene the place was very rundown (to put it nicely) the floorboards are buckling in the middle, the kitchen is on a giant lean, there are giant cracks appearing all over the walls and the garage roof is literally falling down and has no door. The landlord had done alot of his own handywork including retiling the wet areas - he didn't do a particularly god job and alot of the tiles have come loose. The backyard is fairly large and had basically been levelled and bright red tambark dumped on top (no weed matting underneath) when we moved in weeds were alredy sprouting through the tambark and we made sure to take photos and list it on the condition report, knowing it would be impossible to keep this large area weed free. We paid our six months rent upfront and obliged any request the landlord made to enter the backyard (as he eventually intends to build another dwelling out back), these requests were often made at short notice and once simply by the landlord knocking on the door. Now I take great pride in the way I keep my house - I wouldn't let my son live in substandard conditions, and we left that property in a cleaner state than we found it (my husband even patched up some holes that were in the walls when we moved in and painted them, we added and left shelves in the cupboards that had none when we moved in and I had bought a gaurd for the gas heater, which I asked the landlord if he would like us to leave (which he did) So it has been a week since we returned the keys and I chased up the issue of our bond with the realestate agent today and was told the landlord wants the lawn remowed (we mowed it the beginning of last week), all of the weeds removed from the tambark and wants to deduct money for the loose tile and an apparent scratch on the floorboard (that I am unaware of and given my fastidious nature couldn't be too large) We have never rented before so maybe I am over reacting but this has really given me the sh*#%s. l've heard this story before! We were renting and our lease ended few months before we moved into our new house anyway, we did the final clean, it was how we got it, our agent rings up and said not giving you the bond back because of these reasons, they were things like Front porch wasn't sweeped (we had sweeped it live across the road from a park you can do the math !), the windows had spider webs on them, we had done the windows a week before, last time l checked spiders make webs over night, oh and our bathroom shower screen had one streak on one side on it, so went back cleaned it again, then they call again with the same three issues...We spoke to the Consumer And Tenancy Enquiries and threaten to take it further with the agent, the only way they would drop it, they knew they didn't have a case, can't hold bond for those items, for damages and a really dirty place not minor things like that! If anyone else gets into trouble with an agent, heres the number to call, and well done Sharee, i feel your frustration, they make you feel dirty and doggy when your not! Pretty much let them know my thoughts on them after, hope l will NEVER be dealing with an agent again! Consumer And Tenancy Enquiries 1300 558 181 Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 36Jan 22, 2009 2:16 pm Great to hear you're getting back what is rightly yours, Sharee!
Have to say, we had no trouble at all with either the REA, or LL. Handed the keys back, they inspected, LL inspected the next day, got a phone call on the Monday to say 'All good, bond will be refunded"! Phew!!! Oh, and I DID scrub the place from top to bottom, so was expecting nothing less.......but still, after Sharee's experience, I was a little nervous! Solidarity, not solidity.......The Lexicon of Life Re: Sharee's whinge for the day.. 37Jan 22, 2009 4:53 pm Congratulations! You stood your ground (again!) and got the outcome you deserved. A win for the little guy/gal
I think many of these agents and landowners just try it on because (A) it costs them nothing to do so and (B) many people don't have either the time or werewithal to challenge them. 'We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.' - Winston Churchill 4 6823 you need to understand the breakdown of warranties. 90 warranty is considered as minor defects rectification period where as the longer ones are more major/structural… 1 5339 Yes you are correct, unless there are outside works which form part of the contract such as landscaping or driveways, and importantly, the work delayed is on the critical… 1 3523 |