BC Won't Fix Laundry Facilities. Tenants Rights? My Responsibilities?

[Olly]

My PM has just told me that the laundry facilities (external share) haven't been working for some time and the BC won't pay for it to get fixed. He's been trying to talk to the strata management company and they won't return his calls. This is the first I've heard of it so I tried the strata management company and I can't talk to my strata manager until tomorrow as she was out.

I was prepared to pay a plumber to put a washing machine connection in the flat bathroom and my PM got his plumber to call in and check it out, but there's absolutely nowhere for it to go.

Most of the units are rentals so I don't know what the other tenants are doing for a laundry - laundromat I suppose. I'm really pi**ed off. This block of units was a 'good block' when I first bought into it but over the years the owners have vetoed any rate rises to the point now where the sinking fund is bugger all and and we've been hit with a levy recently to pay for some repairs.

What are the tenants rights with this situation and more importantly, what are my responsibilities?

 

[marg4000]

If there were laundry facilities when you rented the unit then your tenant has the right to expect them to be maintained during their tenancy.

As there are shared laundry facilities their repairs would be considered an urgent issue, so I suggest you stress that to the strata manager when you get to speak to them.

Perhaps you could raise the issue of repairs at the next body corporate meeting.
Marg

 

[rupert]

If you're not on the ExCo for the OC then I would suggest you promptly put yourself on. That is the only way you can make sure "things get done".

Otherwise, it's your responsibility as Landlord to ensure that such facilities are available. You might want to remind the OC that you have to maintain a reasonable sinking fund and it might be a good time to get a sinking fund forecast. Otherwise the OC is in breach of the Strata Act and liable for prosecution.

You might want to try talking with the SM first. If all else fails, I would suggest you approach the Office of Fair Trading. This is, of course, assuming there is money in the sinking fund. Otherwise it is all moot until the next AGM.

 

[jaycee]

I'd be fearing what you're faced with is a bunch of owners who decided "How much to fix it ? We're not paying that - next item on the agenda please

So I'd think talking to the strata manager woudl be the first step to find out.

How you solve it depending on the situatin - God knows....

 

[mystery]

I'm pretty sure you can contact the Dept of Fair Trading for advice. We have one pest of an owner in our complex and he is always contacting them for advice about petty things.

Mystery

 

[jaycee]

If you're not on the ExCo for the OC then I would suggest you promptly put yourself on. That is the only way you can make sure "things get done".

Otherwise, it's your responsibility as Landlord to ensure that such facilities are available. You might want to remind the OC that you have to maintain a reasonable sinking fund and it might be a good time to get a sinking fund forecast. Otherwise the OC is in breach of the Strata Act and liable for prosecution.

You might want to try talking with the SM first. If all else fails, I would suggest you approach the Office of Fair Trading. This is, of course, assuming there is money in the sinking fund. Otherwise it is all moot until the next AGM.

I don't think that applies yet in WA - the sinking fund being mandatory..

 

[Olly]

I've spoken to the Strata Manager today and this is the story.

The wiring to the laundry runs under the concrete driveway. There's been a fire in the wiring and it's short circuited all 21 circuits in the laundry.
Cost to fix - $18700.00 which the tenants voted against fixing/paying.

She was also told she can get 2 power points installed in the laundry for $1500 but the tenants once again vetoed that idea because they don't want to share the cost of electricity when they haven't incurred the costs, as the power points will be accessible by everyone and the cost will come out of the levies. Fair enough.

I've suggested making the power points coin operated so it's a user pays system. She thinks this is a great idea, but doesn't know anything about them so is going to investigate and I said I'd investigate too. So here I am!

Does anyone have any information or experience on these they can share please. Or recommendations for certain types or people who install them etc.


Thanks Olly

 

[rupert]

I've suggested making the power points coin operated so it's a user pays system. She thinks this is a great idea, but doesn't know anything about them so is going to investigate and I said I'd investigate too. So here I am!

You have mixed in the word Tenant with where I think you meant "other owners" (eg. which the tenants voted against fixing/paying) so it's a little confusing.

The other thing is, if the wiring for the laundry costs $x to fix where is the wiring for the coin operation going to come from? You've mentioned Tenants paying for electricity so I assume it's to come from your particular Unit? Or are the "Tenants" really the other owners who are too tight to pay for electricity? If so, how were the old laundry machines operated and paid for?

There are other tricky questions about the long-term viability of any coin operation - ie. who maintains and collects the coins etc.

Quite aside from any issues of where the electricity is coming from, in an old apartment I used to live the communal washing machines were coin operated (much like in a laundramat). You supply your own cleaning agent and the rest is self-paying (since water is not separately metered). Obviously costs money to purchase and install in the first instance but otherwise comes back in coins in the long-term.

 

[lizzie]

i was wondering that re the electricity too.

surely with the orginal setup, the electricity wasn't metred to every individual washing machine and hence the occupier of the individual unit. it would've been a shared cost.

however, to avoid the dramas of a shared laundry with 10 machines huddled around one wee laundry tub in one of my new purchases, i'm removing the old dishwasher from the kitchen (since when did a 2 bed 1970's unit need a dishwasher?) and replacing it with a front loading w/mach.

is there room in your kitchen for similar?

 

[young aussie]

That sounds terrible, but its not an essential service so they could mess you around for a while

 

[Olly]

21 flats in the block.

There was 21 circuit boards in the laundry (1 per flat obviously, although some were never used i.e. the ones belonging to people with a laundry setup within their flat.)

ALL circuits are blown.

The owners with their own laundry set up aren't giving a rats ar$e about the renters or other owners who now have no laundry facilities, and they don't want to share costs of repairing the wiring/circuits or of having power points installed that anyone/everyone can access because the cost will come out of the sinking fund which once again is shared.

Is that clearer?

So, about those metres............?

 

[rupert]

Ooooh, you should've said in the first place. That cleared it all up. Well actually I'm still wondering about how you stopped someone using your electricity in the laundry in the first place (prior to the whole circuit board being blown).

Frankly I'll still be inclined to argue that it is the OC's responsibility to repair. Regardless of whether the other owners want to use it or not this is a facility that was there and that you relied upon and it is the OC's responsibility to ensure the connection of electricity is proper and available - regardless of whether your neighbouring unit wishes to have that same facility.

In relation to the coin-op just google "coin operated laundry" and one of the first paid links is for a supplier of coin-operated laundry machines. Perhaps that's what you were looking for. Because I don't think I've come across a working "coin operated" power meter except in a Mr Bean episode.

Good luck!

 

[wylie]

I would have thought that what was there, and was blown, would need to be fixed so that the laundries can be used again.

How can the owners corp (or whatever it is that runs the place) deny people the ability to use something that was working and now is not?

Isn't it like tenants who can organise urgent repairs if the landlord or agent doesn't respond to the request to fix?

 

[jaycee]

Makes you wonder why people buy into somethign that they don't want to buy into in the frist place

Why get involved (not you, the other owners who dont want to pay and dont want to replace it with somethign betworkable either) in a complex with commmon laundry & common pow3er when you dont want to pay for it ?

My suggestion (not really) - SELL !

 

[neK]

I'd be asking the owners who have got laundries in their own unit to allow you and your plumber in to see how it was achieved.

Maybe your plumber isnt creative enough. Surely that has to be a way if others have managed to do it.

Besides, internal laundries are way more attractive than external ones (as a renter I would hate using a shared laundry).

 

[The Y-man]

I'd be asking the owners who have got laundries in their own unit to allow you and your plumber in to see how it was achieved.

Maybe your plumber isnt creative enough. Surely that has to be a way if others have managed to do it.

Besides, internal laundries are way more attractive than external ones (as a renter I would hate using a shared laundry).

Good point.

Olly - laundries can be under the kitchen sink..... (front loader instead of dishwasher)

The Y-man

 

[Olly]

Frankly I'll still be inclined to argue that it is the OC's responsibility to repair. Regardless of whether the other owners want to use it or not this is a facility that was there and that you relied upon and it is the OC's responsibility to ensure the connection of electricity is proper and available - regardless of whether your neighbouring unit wishes to have that same facility.

Of course it's the OC's responsibility to repair they're just refusing to.

In relation to the coin-op just google "coin operated laundry" and one of the first paid links is for a supplier of coin-operated laundry machines. Perhaps that's what you were looking for. Because I don't think I've come across a working "coin operated" power meter except in a Mr Bean episode.

No, I'm not looking for coin operated laundry machines - and who would be paying for those on top of getting the power points installed? Not the OC If they aren't coming to the party on anything else.
"Coin operated" power meters are/were very popular in Gt Britain - not just in Mr Bean movies - my childhood home had them and I've also seen them in camping sites (to get hot water in the shower blocks).

To answer someone else's suggestion re: the kitchen - my flat has the worlds smallest kitchen, hence no room for a washing machine. There's also no drain hole in the floor should they have a "water accident".

As for those who have a combined bathroom/laundry it's because they've converted their bathroom. I haven't done this (ripped out the bathtub and used the space for a shower and washing machine,) consequently there is nowhere for it to go as I have already said.

 

[Kristine..]

Olly

Why is this not covered by the Fire & General Insurance?

The electricity supply to the property has been damaged - this is an insurance claim, not an optional extra that some owners may or may not want to pay

It doesn't matter that this supply is to the laundry area, it is the responsibility of all owners and one owner can take all the other owners to VCAT (or your equivalent) - but I would think that this is a matter for the insurance. Why has the Owner's Corporation Manager not followed this up?


Regards
Kristine

 

[Olly]

Olly

Why is this not covered by the Fire & General Insurance?

The electricity supply to the property has been damaged - this is an insurance claim, not an optional extra that some owners may or may not want to pay

It doesn't matter that this supply is to the laundry area, it is the responsibility of all owners and one owner can take all the other owners to VCAT (or your equivalent) - but I would think that this is a matter for the insurance. Why has the Owner's Corporation Manager not followed this up?


Regards
Kristine

Good point and I've forgotten what she said about that. Nothing I don't think other than they've already made over $7k in insurance claims already this year (for plumbing issues) compared to $3k in 2009. I'll ask her about that. Thanks.

 

[Aaron Sice]

sorry....i'm not a plumber.

boomchish.