"Oops, forgot to turn the tap off."

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From: Bernard Biala


My sister in law finally got the keys for their recently purchased home but the previous tenant (which took ages to get rid of) 'accidentally' forgot to turn the tap off in the kitchen while the plug was still in the sink. The overflow has soaked into the floorboards.

First the hassle of evicting them, now this. GGRRRRRRRR!!!!!!

Any advice for my sister in law & husband would be appreciated.
 
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Reply: 1
From: Andy Duncan


Flat out losers aren't they.....destined to go nowhere.

If u need to re strip the floorboards - $13 per square for 3 coats of 2 pack is the cheapest u can get. If u pay around $20 u will get a good job.

As a former Floor Sander I would advise u leave it for a 5-6 weeks until the moisture content gets back to the normal range. Otherwise u will be doing it again.

If u need new boards the cheapest installation costs are around 25-30 per metre, not including materials.

Also send them an invoice for the damages if u know their forwarding address.... try your luck but you'll never see it.

..and make sure u tell the previous managing agent, so as to ensure the pricks don't get another rental..

cheers Andy
(I hate tenants)
 
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Reply: 1.1
From: Bernard Biala


Thanks Andy.

Apparently the tenants were just as bad at their previous property and the agents were aware of this but still decided to rent the place to them.

My sis in law were being nice to them by letting them stay until their lease finished since they were renting from the previous owner. This is the thanks they get.


GGGGRRRRRR!!!!
 
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Reply: 1.1.1
From: Ayesha Todd


Just a reply to the comment of 'was being nice to them to the lease expired'. Unfortunately if there is a current fixed term lease in place when you purchase a property you either have to pay the tenant compensation to move on or leave them there, paying you rent till the lease expires. Found this out due to a fellow work mate having the place she is renting sold and the new owner wanting to move on settlement but a call to the rental tribunal advised that the work mate (tenant) is entitled to stay until her lease expires unless the new 'landlord' wishes to compensate her. If the managing agent does not give her two weeks notice before the lease expires then it goes on to a on-going lease and the landlord has to then give the tenant 60 days notice. She is moving out at the time of lease expiring, but it is something for all us land-lords and potential landlords to remember when buying places with sitting tenants. BTW I am a landlord myself doing my property management course (NSW) so am finding out a lot of little annoying quirks in the laws that usually benefit the tenant.

Good luck with the floor boards....maybe a way of fixing them is to let them dry out as previously advised and then put down a floating floor.
 
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Reply: 2
From: Kristine .


Bernard

Check the insurance policy.

Most standard household policies cover 'overflow' from basins and baths.

I once left the bath running for 45 minutes. Never mind oops, this was in a second storey bathroom, and hot water running down the stairs, the walls, and out through the ground floor light fittings was not a pretty sight. The floor was flooded, and the walls stained with resin flushed out of the upper floor's timbers.

The insurance company didn't miss a beat, the painters sealed the resin trails and painted everything in sight wall to wall, got paid, and life returned to normal.

So even if your s-in-law doesn't have landlord insurance, with provision for malicious damage, the standard policy may still cover the damage. However, they shouldn't do anything until the situation has been assessed by the insurance company.

And apart from that, the damage 'should' be claimed from the deposit bond money, which 'should' have been passed into your s-in-law's name at settlement.

Cheers

Kristine
 
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