New tenant requests lots of maintenence... help?

She doesnt feel like its a safe house - Make it feel very safe!!! This is very important to ensure tenants stay...

Dig that the house wasnt clean - What does the pre vacation inspection report say? If it was dirty, clean it again and ask the PM sternly why it wasn't rectified prior to inhabiting. If it wasn't, tell them 'bad luck' clean it themselves.

Provide all of the 'improvements' that aren't 'safe house' related at 70% your cost/30% their cost. You'll be surprised at how quickly the requests stop, if you do this. If they really think it is needed, you will be getting improvements carried out on your IP for a reduced cost. Seriously try it! I've done it heaps of times.

In response to the individual requests, I would:

Aircon - Offer to install at 30% their cost, as long as it's left there upon vacating. (cost $300 roughly (but you get a free AC))

Glass door in shower - Get PM to inspect. If unsafe, fix or replace. Very important as it's safety related (cost $300 max)

Washing machine connections - Get PM to inspect and if indeed they are unusable, get a plumber to move them (if it's a new build, get builder to fix at no cost!). If they need special hoses with 90 degree bends or something similar. Tell them to buy it themselves.

There is no washing line - Tell them you will install one if they pay 30% of the cost. (cost roughly $150)

Front door deadbolt/no handle - Fit a handle (cost $10)

Front door screen doesnt lock properly - Fit a Security screen.($300)

Front door has a slight gap (couple of mm) - Tough titties (security screen will make them feel safer)

Back sliding door - Fix it (make it feel very secure) (cost $100?)

Fly screen sliding door has a tear on the edge and wants it replaced - fix if they contribute 30%. (cost $20)

Back laundry door has a gap under the door and the lock isnt adequate (similar to bathroom lock) - Fix, install a big tough deadbolt and install weather strip. (cost $150)

Laundry window lock isnt adequate? - Fix, install lock and provide a peice of dowelling. (cost $80)

Missing "Fly screens" on some windows - Replace them! (cost $40)


All up cost around $1500, not a bad investment considering some of it will subsidised by 30% and this tenant, or the next one... will stay a lot longer (meaning better returns $$$)
 
...and whilst you were going through this TSS, did you simply sit back and look at the big picture as previously advised ??

what is the big picutre these days anyway? looking a bit tatty. 10 to 20 years of deleveraging and credit rationing and turbulence whilst dealing with the petty complaints of every grot that rolls in and out of your rentals? - doesn't sound like an appealling way of rolling into the later years of your life
 
what is the big picture these days anyway?


Not sure Ausprop. Some wiser and more profitable investors here however, obviously have a very strong idea of what it is.


It's staggering however, how many Owners have the same complaints. The cashflow realities seem to be quite a different picture to what their expectations were going in initially.


Maybe it's something completely different and cashflow is quite irrelevant in the "big picture".


When I've broached the subject before, the end result always seems to fizzle out to a "but we are happy"....which is so vague a measure as to be nigh on useless.
 
Said it before and I'll say it again....if everyone got into the game thinking they are becoming landlords rather than property investors, reality would come as less of a surprise.

Of course, I'm the guy who still thinks that deep in people's sub-conscious, there's a little program running that makes the phrase "accessing equity" mean something different to "borrowing money".
 
...and whilst you were going through this TSS, did you simply sit back and look at the big picture as previously advised ??

The big picture was certainly looked at and it is presently being renovated to become our PPOR, as was the plan when we bought it quite a few years back. :)

However, there are just some tenants that you could provide a butler and valet service for and it still wouldn't be good enough.

And those tenants are best encouraged to take it or leave it. As we did in our case, it was suggested to our lovely old duck that maybe she had higher standards than we could supply. We supplied a lovely home that she communicated was more than adequate prior to taking the keys, but something changed from then until she moved in.

I completely understand how overwhelming it is to receive a long list of maintenance issues, some valid, but some trivial and petty. I also know you need to get over being overwhelmed very quickly to maintain the business relationship and get things right for all involved.

But sometimes, early on you can identify that the business relationship isn't what it appeared and sometimes you have to cut ties. Like some others have said here.
 
Back
Top