Apparently its my fault the bond was released but damage existed

Hi All,

Dont know if you remember a previous post regarding my IP in Bathurst where the bond was released when tenant damage existed to furniture (place rented furnished) and the walls.

I am still trying to sort it out with agent but they are making me feel like Im the bad guy for chasing it up (well of course coz it shows their mistake) but I am the one appologising and I have paid them over $1000 in commission for a short term lease - the only one all year.

Luckily its only minor damage but its the principal of the matter - they were employed to check it and missed it - they noticed the glass tumblers missing so that came out of the bond but not the other damage of the holes in the walls.

On the last call they accused me of yelling at them and also that is was my fault that I was not there on the exit inspection or soon after to check things before the bond was released. I just kept saying thats why I empoyed them because I cant get there within a reasonable timeframe (it took me 7 weeks to get there after the tenants in question left). I cant expect the tenant to wait around that long to get their money back.

I also said that I am sure they dont want me hanging around at every inspection - it would be impossibe for me to do that.

Am I in the wrong here or are my thoughts in the right place?

One thing is for sure, if and when they find me another tenant, I will be expecting to attend the final inspection and maybe even re-neg the commission.

Any advice appreciated....
 
I have let one of my own properties short term fully furnished and I have also worked in the industry as a Property Manager so I can probably give you both perspectives.

Of course it must be frustrating - I too had an agent doing the short term thing but I ended up running it myself as they didn't source me enough tenants. I did note when I did my own final inspections that the general 'wear and tear' was higher than for my longer term rentals - often there's more people in a property when it is let short term. But chips to walls should really and truly have been picked up by the agent.

On the other side of the coin, when I was a Property Manager I was responsible for the inspections on 150 properties. One Manager left and suddenly I was responsible for 300 properties and it took 7 weeks to find a new staff member. I wish I could say that I inspected each property faithfully - unfortunately time constraints did occur and I became very proficient in checking the 'main things' for damage - walls of which were one. I left the industry - it was insane. But I have a new respect for the property manager's - look out for greedy real estate agent principals who don't employ enough staff and still charge you top dollar!! So be careful just who you are getting angry with.

It is a lot more labour intensive managing a property short term, but then agents tend to charge a higher commission to compensate for this. I would stand your ground with respect to some financial compensation from the agent. Maybe the cost of patching and painting that wall? You may well have to settle for say $100 and paint it yourself.
 
Hi Jesskaye101,

Thanks for your reply.

The ironic thing is that they did not charge a higher commission for short term rental and they spouted sonnets at the beginning saying that they would do BETTER job than the agent I originally had! They were highlighting that fact that there are at least 4 receptionists that deal with general enquiries and are also across the PM's too and there are about 4 or 5 actual PM's. I thought that using an agent with a large staff, I would be safe.

They picked up missing glasses and missed broken chairs and holes in my walls! :confused:

The last I heard (since they have the poops and havnt replied to my appology email), they were going to talk to the principal about the walls and also asked for recepits for the other things I needed to replace out of my own pocket. A total of $20 but its the principal not the amount.
 
$20? Jesus, dude... you should have better things to do with your time than fret over that... and when you have a more serious problem, they will be more likely to go out of their way to help you I should think.
 
$20? Jesus, dude... you should have better things to do with your time than fret over that... and when you have a more serious problem, they will be more likely to go out of their way to help you I should think.

The $20 was incidentals (from my understanding), but what is of much more concern (and cost to repair) is holes in walls and broken furniture. I'm sure if it was just $20 we would all let it go.
 
even at $1-200 i would let it go. it is definately not worth the stress to yourself, it is not worth p*ssing off your property managers, it's not worth the reputation you'll get round town with the r/est industry.

i understand the "principle" thing - but it is so easy to go overboard with demands and actions when you "know" you are in the right. let it go ...

if you were talking $1-2,000 worth of damange - then that's a different story.
 
IOn the other side of the coin, when I was a Property Manager I was responsible for the inspections on 150 properties. One Manager left and suddenly I was responsible for 300 properties and it took 7 weeks to find a new staff member. I wish I could say that I inspected each property faithfully - .

You know, that really isn't your customer (the landlord)'s problem.
 
You know, that really isn't your customer (the landlord)'s problem.

Damn right, and you can bet the customer (landlord) was still paying the full commission. A reduction in that would be nice when there's a reduction in the coverage of a property.
 
Ha guys not that lame - $20 was for the outdoor setting anf mugs that were missing.

Doesnt inlcude holes in 3 of my walls where door knob gone straight through, broken bed etc etc.

I just thought that if your paying that much money, its only fair to expect value for money. If I keep letting it go and the next damage is thousands of dollars and they release bond, what leg do I have to stand on?
 
We asked our previous PM what would happen if there was damage made to the property and they missed it.....'That's what Landlord's Insurance is for' was their response....
 
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