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Landlord insurance is essential but be prepared for the exclusions.....and the 'excess' usually wipes out all but the more serious claims.

....about the downlights, is it just the bulbs that burn out? Tenant should replace the bulbs and you are only required to repair a faulty fixture. I don't think you are required to provide screens unless there at time of inspection.

From what you have told us you might best talk to an accountant.

Thats what I mean about a 'straight' answer, this concept is always mired in a shroud of ifs, ands & buts! Your right Sim, go see an accountant, but a person has to also think for himself.

Even your tax man won't give you what sounds like a 'straight' answer on this question! It sounds like you just bought your property so it will be difficult to consider anything as repair as a result of normal use or wear & tear. Get a few years behind you and you will be able to make many...

Based on worldwide trends, interest rates will continue to fall until economies show signs of improvement. The response will then be to try to counter inflation with interest rate rises. However, rates in Japan, US and the UK are at all time lows and there is no indication that things are...

Why don't you just leave it? :confused:

I am very fond of old Australian houses and I have restored a few. Your thread sounds like a bit of a joke but I will tell you how I got my last stone wall back into reasonable shape. I dug a hole against the wall where the 'bow' was most obvious, in the hole I placed a vertical plank up...

I have seen walls like yours 'fixed' by mounting brick buttresses against the leaning wall. The wall needs to be forced into position via hydraulic jacks or, depending on your requirements, forced into a more upright position with a diagonal brace. Pour a deep solid base and lay the bricks to...

Make an effort to seal and block as many gaps as possible! Two to three coats of a neutral colour will cover all the blemishes. White seems best and looks clean. Once painted add a few, good sized shrubs and you will forget that it is fibro!

Listen to ST?, they only heat you if you are in the path of the radiant heat. They are good in small rooms but not that good in a large area. They work best as a 'booster' as you step out of the shower in a small bathroom that is normally heated to a comfortable level. For best effect do not...

Nice work Duncan and a very good reply to the question on DIY kitchens. I have nothing to add but I didn't think the price was great so the saving wasn't that remarkable. The thing I like is being in control for the 'tradesman' bit. You don't have as much trouble managing the plumber...

If the lease includes payment of water usage by tenants and the meter reading was recorded then it appears that you should recover the amount you paid. If the tenants refuse to pay then get new tenants who will pay. With interest rates 'chewing' away profits it doesn't make sense to be paying...

CGW, try adding a refrigerator and advertise that it is included. You might even be able to put the rent up a little to offset the cost. A new refrigerator would appeal to a lot of people and would increase your market. Washing machines are also the sort of appliance that seem to appeal to...

Many thanks for your ideas and comments. I will write again to council asking for repairs to be made. Part of the problem lies in the fact that they do 'something' and I have to accept that as a successful repair until it happens again. The problem may not manifest itself for another six months...

When it happened last time the tenants gave their notice. They have been in the house for eighteen months but felt that having the drains back up three times was too much. They have a toddler and they worried about the baby's health. When the drains back up the area around the drain floods with...

Well done LM! Easy headache to solve and I think correctly.

Thanks 'Y', I don't think I should just cop it! I wasn't negligent but, I guess, neither was the council. However, I have spent a considerable amount of money to ensure that the drains worked, why should I pay more to tell council that their plumbing doesn't? On top of that, I also pay 'rates'...

Our tenant advised that the plumbing was blocked which came as a surprise because we had recently renewed all the plumbing, including drains. Expensive but necessary! It happened on Australia Day weekend but the plumber responded very quickly because, I imagine, he had done the renewal. He...

Sounds like a strata responsibility because it appears that the blocked pipe was in 'common' part of the structure. In most units the drains are common in that they are shared to some extent. In townhouses there could be a point where the responsibility becomes individual.