Chalk and Cheese

[Joe D]

A Lesson in Life ......... Same as it ever was

Chalk
My wife and I did an inspection earlier this week on one of our fully furnished IPs which has a so-called Professional 30+ male tenant. Call him Tenant A.

Tenant A has indicated he is expecting to vacate in the next few months as he will be getting married.

Tenant A always pays his rent but always is late and needs to be reminded and then pays manually. Doesn't use scheduled transfers for some reason.

Apartment was in very poor condition and we don't think Tenant A ever cleaned whilst being there. Apartment will require a very thorough cleaning as well as replacement bedding, towels, linen etc when Tenant A eventually leaves.

My wife was disgusted and thought Tenant A was a retard (her words) as apart from the cleanliness even the dishwasher was poorly stacked. If she had her way she would have given him both barrels as well as contacted the future wife to let her know what she was in for and to pull this lazy SOB into line!

Me ....... I was disappointed, but it is just dollars and cleaning time, although I cannot believe that a single male paying close to $600pw can live like that.

On reflection, however, I think this guy sees himself doing well.... but is in for a big shock if/when he ever gets a mortgage and has to deal with the day to day reality that comes with owning a property.

Bottom line is that unless tenant changes his act he will probably never see his bond or get a good reference.............

Cheese

Advance forward two days ..............

I did a vacate inspection on another IP also which has a 35+ male. Let us call him Tenant B.

I was armed and ready to find fault, but Tenant B left the property pretty close to immaculate and there was nothing I could fault (kitchen cupboards, exhaust fans, oven etc etc). It was one of those times when you realise that some tenants do appreciate what you do!

Tenant B also pays his rent in advance as well as being a great tenant to boot.

I complimented Tenant B on how he left the property and equally he thanked me for not being a PITA like some other PMs he has had before.

Tenant B received practically all his bond back!

Lesson??

So, whilst the Cheese gets most of his bond returned, the Chalk will still be wondering why he can't get a mortgage let alone his Bond returned ?

And life goes on........ Same as it ever was ........ (ref: Talking Heads , Once in a Lifetime)

 

[Colin Rice]

Tenant A has indicated he is expecting to vacate in the next few months as he will be getting married.

Nice "comparative" story.

His marriage partner may be cheesey and help him on his way. It sounds like his only hope?

 

[jenni_nextplace]

Great story. Maybe Chalk is on his own while Cheese has a little help from Mummy...

 

[D.T.]

I can be a bit like your chalk myself to be honest.
I spring clean when im expecting someone over, seems i work best with deadlines like that.

 

[The Fence]

Very interesting.

We have recently turned chalk into cheese.

Gone from serial late payer (but always paid) to serial early payer.

I'm sure it was caused by the couple of hefty rent increases and letters offering assistance to find a new place to rent considering they were having trouble paying rent. Just got to get the place clean and tidy on a consistent basis now which appears to be happening.

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Tenant B left the property pretty close to immaculate and there was nothing I could fault (kitchen cupboards, exhaust fans, oven etc etc). It was one of those times when you realise that some tenants do appreciate what you do!

Tenant B received practically all his bond back!

Lesson??

So, whilst the Cheese gets most of his bond returned, the Chalk will still be wondering why he can't get a mortgage let alone his Bond returned ?

Just wondering why he doesn't get all his bond back, is it because of utilities used not calculated yet?

 

[fisherman]

It is all very right for government regulators, tenant unions and other advocates to protect 'vulnerable' tenants who 'have to have somewhere to live', but the additional management and repair costs have to be passed on to good tenants, who arguably end up paying a disproportionate share, particularity because they take responsibility for always paying their bills.

It is very easy to take the ordinary, routine care of surfaces and equipment that is required. It is not a big ask at all.

While some say they clean up eventually, it is our experience that the slackers invariably use harsh cleaners and rough methods when forced to clean, doing a lot of harm that can never be reversed. Common examples are: abrasive mits to dislodge soap scum and mildew; steel wool on bathroom vanity basins and tiles, and rough scrubbing brushes that dislodge grout and sealants.

Yet microfibre cloths and the large soft car cleaning brushes with (say) the Dettol Power & Pure Bathroom Cleaner that we give tenants as complimentary gifts perform the best by a country mile, saving time, work and $.

A lot of cleaning can be saved by simple steps such as placing cooking oil bottles on plates.

 

[Joe D]

Great story. Maybe Chalk is on his own while Cheese has a little help from Mummy...

Quite the reverse, Chalk has a non live-in partner whilst Cheese is from interstate with girlfriend overseas.

Just wondering why he doesn't get all his bond back, is it because of utilities used not calculated yet?

I don't think any of my tenants have ever got all their bond back.

In this particular case, Cheese was flying overseas on his vacate date which was 4 days before end of lease. We pre-agreed that I would arrange a few things once he departed including disposal of some goods, some additional cleaning, carpet cleaning, some globes replaced (needed ladder) and water consumption.

I also managed to attend to some maintenance items and had the property ready 2 days before next tenants with zero vacancy between lets. (win-win)

It is very easy to take the ordinary, routine care of surfaces and equipment that is required. It is not a big ask at all.

While some say they clean up eventually, it is our experience that the slackers invariably use harsh cleaners and rough methods when forced to clean, doing a lot of harm that can never be reversed.

Totally agree. Very difficult to bring it back up to a high standard if interim cleaning is not done and marking and stains can be impossible to remove.

 

[kathryn d]

I don't think any of my tenants have ever got all their bond back.

It doesn't happen often, but occassionally we are able to give back a tenant all their bond.
We love it when that happens, because it means we didn't need to do anything, and they didn't have any rental arrears.