OMG - My Agent gives 1 week free rent to my tenants ?????

rodimus

rodimus

Hi

My agent contacted me saying, the tenants who were suposed to start their lease last friday, when they moved their things in, they told the agent the gas has not been properly connected by the gas company (no gas), therefore they would like to start their lease 1 week later (while they still have the keys). I did apply for the gas meter and gas to be connected 2 months ago, but the gas company never called me back, so i assumed it was done..

They said no gas to cooktop and no hot water. Cooktop no gas is true, but the hotwater is there, as I have lived in that new house for a few weekends, and there is a solar hot water enough for 3 people to take 2x shower a day.

Isnt it normal for when people move intoa property for some services to take a few days to be sorted out - electric, telephone, gas etc???

Can the agent just simply give them 1 week free rent on my behalf just on the basis of no gas to cooktop???

Initially when they told me the tenant is gonna start their lease 1 weeek later, I thought ok,they are moving in next week. But today i found out that the keys were handed to the tenant since last week!!!!

What course of action can i do?
 
hi

yes i think the agent signed on my behalf the lease.

Bond, i think they have not collected it, nor the rent.
 
can i get my 1 week back from the agent? ask them to reimburse me.

I sent them an email complaining and they didnt reply.
 
I think its one situation if the tenant failed to connect their own utilities and quite another if the landlord failed to make the gas available. I am not clear which it is in this situation.

The PM should have not made changes to the lease without your authority.
 
I would be pretty PO if I moved into a property and the gas couldn't be connected. Never had it take more than a few hours for all utilities.
 
my experience has been the same as twobobsworth, why would it take any longer in normal circumstances it's just a phone call to give billing details.

however, the pm should have run the idea by you first
 
I think you need to find out whether or not the gas was actually connected by the utilities company. If it is true that the gas is not connected than I think its fair that they shouldn't have to move into a house that hasn't any gas.
I don't know what the problem is though as mentioned before its normally a simple matter of ringing up the gas provider and getting the gas turned on and usually done in a day.

If however the gas is available than I would be pretty angry with the PM and want to know why they handled the situation in this manner. If the PM has the power to sign leases and handle these sort of affairs than I think your best bet will be to have the PM waiver 1 weeks letting fee(not sure if your PM charges these but pretty standard from my experience).

I would be ringing the gas provider and getting to the bottom of this situation.
 
I'm not convinced the PM is doing the right thing by you. They should have contacted you first. Then a simple phonecall would have had the gas installed within 24 hours.
 
I had tenants move into a house just after Christmas only to discover they had no gas or hot water at all, turned out the builder had failed to install the gas meter!

Huge dramas as builders go on holidays forever but my wonderful property manager sorted the whole thing out, though it meant the tenants were without gas or hot water for over a week. I suggested they had a rent free week as none of it was their fault!
 
sailor said:
I'm not convinced the PM is doing the right thing by you. They should have contacted you first. Then a simple phonecall would have had the gas installed within 24 hours.
Click to expand...

has the gas been turned on - how long did it take once the tenant notified the pm of it not being turned on (if longer than 24 hoursdo you know why ) ?
 
Honestly, change a new PM. It seems your money on the trust account is sitting at their mercy! They can use it whenever they like as an "easy way out"!

They forget that they are working for you. They must be thinking you are pleading them to look after your place and they are actually doing you a favour.
 
Hi

I just talked to the agent and this was the story:

The tenants were supposed to move in last friday. But when they got the keys and paid the bond/rent to the agent, they realised there was no gas to the cooktop. SO they complained to the agent, and the agent contacted the gas company, and the gas company said the builder needs to connect the gas to the meter, and then the gas company can turn on the gas.

I actually called the gas company few times 2 months ago to get them to connect the meter, but they never give me a call to tell me whether it was done or not....

So, the tenants told the agent they will not move in until the gas is connected. Strangely, the agent did not take back the keys and return the bond/rent. Instead, the agent let the tenants have the keys, and changed the lease starting date to this week's friday(2 days ago) as an estimate date for the gas being connected.

So, for the 1 week the tenants had control of my property (the agent assured that they did not sleep in the property).

When i asked why they didnt get the tenants to return the keys until they were reasdy to move in, the agent said the tenants told them they will be busy the next week to go to the agent's office. (Strangely, but they have the time to move in the next week.....)...

The agent said the tenants had been chasing the agent everyday asking when the gas will be connected etc... and the agent said we cant collect rent until the gas is connected. Ok, that being fair, but why let them have the keys when their rental period hasn't started??????? This is what I was not happy with.
But the agent keep telling me its too troublesome to get the keys back and return the bond, and risk of the tenants going somewhere else etc.....
 
Why do you care that they had the keys for a week? Your builder didn't finish the house to habitable condition. I'd be falling over myself to apologise to the tenants for the inconvenience, not complaining that they didn't return the keys. I don't get why you're pissed off with anybody except the builder/yourself.
 
I am still wondering if the gas is now connected (as are the tenants from the sound of it)

Your story suggests that the tenants did as required of them but the place was not operational when they attempted to move in. I am with ozperp. I would rectify asap what should have been right in the first place. Not a great way to start a tenancy.
 
Since your agent is happy to give the tenants a freebee at your expense. Suggest that he can compensate you by providing you with the equivalent amount in his services for free.:rolleyes:
 
Maybe if they did return the keys and bond they might have moved onto another property and now you would be looking for another tenant, maybe even losing another week. Get the gas connected asap and move on.
 
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