I'm so angry! Where should I be directing my energy?

Sort of a continuation of this thread - http://www.somersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54216

I got an email today from my property manager saying:


The tenant of your property has asked and queried the following -

* the tenant would like to have a larger bin ordered from the council. This will cost approximately $80.00.
* a tradesman is needed to attend to some door handles that keep falling off and one door that gets stuck and therefore have trouble unlocking the door
* the tenant has asked if you would consider going halves in putting up some outdoor blinds on the back bedrooms windows as it gets too hot in the rooms for her children. The tenant has advised she is happy to have the blinds left at the property when they decide to vacate the property.


my reply:


absolutely not! I have already spent 3k on an air con and a tv point...

Her reply:


Is it possible that the door handles get fixed as the tenants are getting locked into rooms?


At this point I am livid. I already said no, the doors and the WHOLE property are brand new as they moved into it 3 weeks after it was finished built and I installed an A/C in the master bedroom + a TV point for them. My response:

The doors are brand new... I'm not spending anymore money on the property unless I'm legally obligated too.

What's next? They want me to put a swimming pool out the back? Tell them to find a new place if they don't like it.
 
The doors request sounds reasonable. Our PPOR had the same problem when we first moved in, it was brand new, just built.

As for the bins, tell them they can have the bigger ones if they pay the $80.

Fair enough saying 'no' to the blinds.
 
At this point I am livid. I already said no, the doors and the WHOLE property are brand new as they moved into it 3 weeks after it was finished built and I installed an A/C in the master bedroom + a TV point for them. My response:

The doors are brand new...

Hi Bon,

If the property is brand new it would still be under warranty, Maybe you could ask your agent to follow up with the builder to get the faulty items fixed if there are issues with it.
 
Now when the real estate advised me on the A/C, they said it would cost around $2k which I took to be the high end... however, months later when I got the quote, it came at $2800! I didn't kick up a fuss or anything as I wanted to honour my word to the tennant and reluctantly went ahead with putting it in.

Anyway, do I have any legal obligation for these doors? They were brand new when they moved in! They were working when they moved in... someone told me it's up to the tennant and since they were working when they moved in, they have to pay to get them fixed when they move out, or it comes out of their bond money. Is this true, or not? What is the go with this situation?

Why am I paying my real estate agent to bother me with this sort of ********? Isn't that what I pay them for, so I don't get bothered with this sort of stuff?
 
Thanks rugrat and raja! I figured there would have to be some kind of warranty with the doors, but surely the property manager should know something like this instead of asking me to pay for it. That is what makes me angry, I pay these morons and they don't seem to have a clue?
 
Thanks rugrat and raja! I figured there would have to be some kind of warranty with the doors, but surely the property manager should know something like this instead of asking me to pay for it. That is what makes me angry, I pay these morons and they don't seem to have a clue?

It's not the tenants responsibilty to pay for repairs. You are under an obligation to provide maintenance to the property where needed.

Just because door handles are new does not stop the possibility that they may break!

Have you provided the property manager with a copy of your building contract and the items under warranty and the applicable conditions? If not, how would they know?

You as the landlord can bypass having these "morons" contact you about trivial repairs by stating in your management contract the upper limit amount for repairs where they do not need to contact you.

The other requests are easily dealt with and if this incident makes you this mad then i think you need to question your suitability to property investment.


Rooster
 
Well, the same real estate company is managing a number of houses from the same building company, even in the exact same street. I doubt I would be the only one to experience the problem of the doors?
 
Who made the comment on the other thread "If these are brand new tenants and already making demands, i'm going to guess this won't be the last time you'll hear from them." :rolleyes:
 
Well, the same real estate company is managing a number of houses from the same building company, even in the exact same street. I doubt I would be the only one to experience the problem of the doors?

Either way, if the door handles need attention, you have to get them fixed.

That means checking your warranty or authorising the property manager to get them fixed.

If it is damage by the tenant on the other hand.....
 
quite possible twbobsworth, but how does that help resolve the issue ?

bon, you're gonna have to tell the pm what to do - they keep asking you anyway, so you dont have too much choice - ask em can they organise it, if they say yes, say its udner warranty from whoever the builder is, you deal with them don't you ? they say yes to that then you say great, let me know if I have to do anything ....
 
If this incident makes you this mad then i think you need to question your suitability to property investment.


Rooster

Agree Rooster. It's part of the course. Annoying and frustrating at times. But keep the bigger picture in mind!

Regards Jason.
 
* the tenant has asked if you would consider going halves in putting up some outdoor blinds on the back bedrooms windows as it gets too hot in the rooms for her children. The tenant has advised she is happy to have the blinds left at the property when they decide to vacate the property.

Can i ask why you don't want to go halves in outdoor blinds?

This is going to be an ongoing issue and it is better for you in the longterm for making the house for efficient - ie having hew blinds cool these rooms down.

If you don't act, whoever is in the house will most likely try to alleviate the heat by putting fans or a portable AC in the room. Don't you think it would be better and more appealing by having outside blinds - and having someone offer to pay half for you?

It sounds as though you want a set and forget investment - not one with responsibilities and maintenance. I'm not going to mention the doors handles as others have already responded to that, but you do have abrand new house and as you may know, a new house needs time to settle and for the people living in it to find issues. This is why you get a 3 month warranty on it.

But you still need ongoing maintenance and beleive it or not, people do spend more money on a new house AFTER it has been built, ie they put in blinds etc.

So think seriously about this offer in the tenant going halves in the blinds for you. It seems ok to me.

However, i have a feeling that you are quicklky getting you tenant offside - and it just happens that this tenant is in a brand new house. I'd be careful with your tenant/landlord relationship if i were you.

I don't imply to pander to all their requests, but think in a serious and business sense. Halves in new blinds (that you end up keeping) sounds like a good request.


thanks


g
 
The other requests are easily dealt with and if this incident makes you this mad then i think you need to question your suitability to property investment.


Rooster

This was my first thought.

I could see you go to pieces with some of the trash I have had to deal with. A tenant that makes a few little demands is a real easy one. Say yes or say no. Problem solved. Even better when you tell them if they want something then they can pay for it and leave it at the property when they go, and THEY say yes.:D
 
Hi Bon.

With property investing comes maintenance issues every now and then. Personally, I wouldn't like the notion of the property mgr taking care of everything. They may get in touch with builder (re doors) but may get a different response that you may get. YOU have to check things like this out or not be concerned when you get statement with x amount of dollars for such and such repairs.

Basically, I'm saying, I'd foot the bill for door repairs (if not covered under warranty), I'd consider the outdoor blinds (it may keep tenants there longer) and would tell PM to advise tenants if they want the larger bin, they pay for it.

Don't take this the wrong way, but (as mentioned above) if requests from tenants are going to peeve you, maybe property investing is something you should reconsider.

Regards
Marty
 
Going by your first post Bon, you seem like a grumpy bum. :p

They all seem like reasonible requests to me.

* the tenant would like to have a larger bin ordered from the council. This will cost approximately $80.00.

You can say no, or you can say yes but if they pay for it.

* a tradesman is needed to attend to some door handles that keep falling off and one door that gets stuck and therefore have trouble unlocking the door

Just because the doors and handles may be new, it does not mean they are perfect. New doors can expand, hinges drop, handles become faulty etc.

* the tenant has asked if you would consider going halves in putting up some outdoor blinds on the back bedrooms windows as it gets too hot in the rooms for her children. The tenant has advised she is happy to have the blinds left at the property when they decide to vacate the property.

"Consider" going halves... At least they offered. And you get to keep them !!!

Why not capitalise and create some Win-Win situations here? Tenats are not only human beings, they are the main point you can afford your investment. Why not help keep them comfortable in their "Home" to help keep the cashflow coming in?


Oh, and id recommend directing your energy into doing the gardens.... At your investment property :p

Cheers

Mick
 
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Hello! I've already spent 2800 on a ****ing air con plus another 200+ on a tv point in the master bedroom... Where is it going to end? My property is cashflow negative and I've just moved into a 2 bedroom apartment that's 500/wk and I'm sleeping on the godamn floor cause I don't have any money after footing the bill for an air con... No sympathy from me, i don't have air con in the place I'm renting!
 
they said it would cost around $2k which I took to be the high end... however, months later when I got the quote, it came at $2800! I didn't kick up a fuss or anything as I wanted to honour my word to the tennant and reluctantly went ahead with putting it in.

As you may not be able to see at the moment, your decisions are what got you here now.

Your cashflow is being hampered by the fact that you agreed to the aircon installation.

Did you get more than one quote? Did you ask the property manager to get more than one quote?

Did you negotiate a higher rent in return for the aircon?

From the information you have provided it seems that you NEED to get more involved in the decision making with your investment property.

It's fine to think that you can farm all these jobs out to your property manager but in the end you were the one that agreed to what appears to be an overpriced installation.

At the moment it seems that your judgement has been clouded by either your "needy" tenant or your cashflow problems.

This will never be a smooth road and you will have to somehow conjure the fortitude to carry on regardless of how 'mad' you may get.

All the best


Rooster
 
There is no such thing as a "set and forget" investment. The PM is rightly consulting you on issues. If you really don't want to be involved, then give the PM authority to use their discretion on any repairs - but don't complain when the bills keep rolling in.

No more to add on the door handle issue - fix it quickly before a child gets stuck in a room and the emergency services break down the door or smash a window. That will cost YOU far more.

I agree with previous posters that the tenant offer on the oudoor blinds is worth considering, and their offer to pay half is more than fair.

We always look at suggestions for improvements to our IPs on the basis of "bang for our bucks". In other words, if the suggested improvement is cost effective and adds value and desirability to the IP then we usually agree. Continual little improvements is one way of increasing the value of any IP.
Marg
 
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