Perhaps some crew with real estate experience can chime in here on a real world case i am giving some moral support on.

i have a close relative that has been renting a property for a year

A nice lady who takes pride in a property / gardens and asks for maintenance as and when the need arises -

3x1 - unit / duplex - northern suburbs of Perth $380 per week - signed on a year ago when Rents were around $350 - 360 for similar - on the verbal promise of a long term rent (i know - never take an agent on a verbal promise)

1 person in the unit (less wear and tear than a shared set up)

Rented as heated / aircon

Had multiple issues with maintenance not attended to in a timely manner

1.Reticulation not working - took 6 weeks to fix - tenant had to replace sprinkler heads at own expense.

1a.Gutters not maintained as per contract - water seeping in to gyprock ceilings

1b.no keys supplied to open window locks for 6 weeks - unable to ventilate property in summer

2. Aircon not functioning - took 6 months to replace ( a whole summer no aircon)

3. No key to allow back door to be locked - 6 weeks

4. Smoking downlight contacting insulation - 2 months for attendance to issue - no fire dome attached - just moved insulation. After 1 year fire dome arranged to be replaced - but still not in place

5. Blocked drain in shower - 6 weeks to attend to issue

5a. Damp from shower crossing in to cabinet - not attended to despite multiple requests. Mould / smell emanating from cabinet

6. Renter arranged old gas appliances (heater / oven)to be exchanged via government swap program- manager / owner managed to delay replacement of Gas heater and sabotage replacement of Oven.

7. No functioning heater in property from Jan to the end of july - 4 ft flames coming out of old gas heater when ignition attempted - eventually replaced via government program

8. Manager / owner insisted on placing a vent in wall where old heater was removed - old heater used asbestos flue - which was disintegrated during removal - vent to wall cavity filled with loose asbestos particles / fibers. 3 months left unattended

After multiple requests for issue to be sorted renter has taped and alfoiled ventilation duct - now zero ventilation in room.

9. Oven (the one that was going to be replaced by govt program for free sabotaged by owner / manager) goes out

leaking gas

- Gas co / govt program reluctant to replace due to verbal abuse from manager / owner


Oven unusable for 2 weeks now - still not replaced.

After all this - owner / manager have decided that $50 rent increase per week is in order. $380 rent now boosted to $430 per week - no negotiation - take it or leave it.

Similar properties renting at $390 to $400 based on research of 7 similar properties in area - yes the rental market has tightened in Perth - welcome to the boom

Of course there are 2 sides to every story - property manager saying that its not a personal decision - simply getting the most from an investment.

I had heard that it is a good idea to get a good tenant in long term with investment properties.

Rent never late - manager argues that the tenant was difficult due to constant maintenance requests - i suspect the rental increase is hardball tactic to remove tenant - is this legal ?

Some maintenance delays explained away as "no money in trust fund account" - is this acceptable / legal ?

Does the owner / manager have a case to answer to for rent charged on a property where the property is incomplete- or even systemic property mismanagement ?

yes - moving is always an option - not sure about breaking the agreement though - doesnt that place the renter on the foul side of the contact ?

typically it costs $1500 to move when you factor in new connection fees / removal van hire etc etc etc - not to mention the double rent overlap as its nearly impossible to get rental agreements to bookend with each other on the same week

Check out the army of miserable movers on any given weekend in your suburb - the wagons with beds on the roofs and Barbies in trailers - this endless shuffling from one property to another seems pointless.

Keeping in mind the large cost to the renter of moving - Can and Should owners / managers be made to me more accountable when they really drop the ball ? Should the small claims tribunal come into play ?

Im probly wrong,,it happends sometimes but I think there is a limit (leagally) that they can increase rent by per year or 6 months.
I thought it was $15 or $20????????????????

In my years of renting its usually goes up by $10,,when they feel the need.If its anything to go by, they have increased my rent by $10 twice in 4 years.

www.rentalagreementsdiy.com.au/tenancy_laws_in_australia.php

6 months waiting for repairs??????
They should be reducing the rent in compensation, but, good luck with that.

Has the rental agreement run out? In NSW when they do it's a 3 week exit process on both sides. If the agreement is still in play then I would not think that they could put the rent up until its over. So perhaps that is what they are saying - that it will go up when it expires if she wants to stay.

It also could be the agent playing games as they have not done their job well - covering their asse.

In Sydney rents are still mad. In Manly a mate f mine was telling me that he turned up to rent a joint for $460 and 30 others were keen so it went to a bidding war and the owner got $520 for it in the end. Madness. Glad I do not live there anymore.

Or the owner is just being a jerk. My mum loves long term renters - she is scared of putting their rents up in case she offends them or they decide to move on!

The vacancy rate in Perth is down to 0.7% - anything less than 2% is a landlord's market and indicative of rising rents.

Nasty inconsiderate people come as landlords and as renters. Either way, they are best moved on from as soon as possible.

However, the tight vacancy rate means that getting a new lease on anywhere decent is becoming a race - need to rock up early, charm the landlord, have no pets/good references etc etc.

If you get a good tennant don't put up the price, if your on a good deal as a renter don't pester the landlord.

dirtyharry said...

wodgina6722 said...

If you get a good tennant don't put up the price, if your on a good deal as a renter don't pester the landlord.

It took me about 3000 words to try to say that

+1

No one's ever going to be happy here, her or the landlord, it's like listening to your mate when his wife/girlfriend buggers off

Reflex Films said...

vent to wall cavity filled with loose asbestos particles / fibers. 3 months left unattended

Tell her to get out !

Wow $380, that's sooo cheap... reminds me of the good ol'days.

My landlord/agent is a farking runt... never does jack either.. wait that's their name Jackson Roe.

Anyway get the repairs done yourself, send them the invoice... may take a while to get the money back, but no AC can be a killer... not in NSW, cos it's FARKING freezing all year round, there's never any wind and the Sun's always blanketed out by thick grew clouds.

FARK you NSW! More like NoSunWind

Im Renting in FreMcmantle for 240 Jizzles a week for a 1 bedroom misery in a 6 bedroom house that is brand new, its crusty as, and riddled with the cliched pommy backpacker from hell, I know Im being taken for a ride but my family think my title is Pip and have Great Expectations, I try to remain humble. Ms Estella is a BBW ;0 and Global McWarming will throw every account off balance.