Our tenants are being evicted today

Our first tenants (our first and only IP) owe us 3 months rent. We had a CTTT hearing 2 days ago and the ruling was for the tenants to be out by today.
The tenants are still saying they are going to pay and want another lease.
Hubby feels sorry for them for only getting 2 days notice (even though they knew this was coming?) and said to the PM that if they do pay up to date today, then maybe we'll give them an extra week or two to move out. I'm thinking is is a bad idea, though I doubt they will suddenly be able to pay today anyway.

Have you ever had to evict anyone? Did you feel sad for them?
 
I'm not too familiar with the whole process of evicting - but i would imagine if you give them extra time to move out, and they don't, it will be a harder, longer and more expensive process next time!

Yes, I can understand the 'feeling sorry' bit, but at the end of the day, how much is this 'feeling sorry' costing you?? That's not fair!
 
I've never experienced evicting a tenant, however I do know that with many people, give them an inch and they'll take a mile. I wouldn't be letting them stay, get them out immediately. It's not news to them that they had to pay their rent, it's not news to them that if they don't pay their rent they end up homeless.

It would have to be an extreme genuine reason for me to allow them to stay on (e.g. they have previously been really good tenants but a child fell ill, one parent gave up work and they had high medical costs). If it's just because they've had a laid back attitude, wasting their money and not paying rent because they've been able to get away with it then... well then they deserve to be in the situation they are now in. Imagine if you didn't pay the mortgage for 3 months, do you think the banks would have sympathy for you?
 
I've had to previously evict an alcoholic gambler and yes I did feel bad but only for a little while.

These people know what their responsibilities are. Pay rent. Unless you are operating a charity?


Cheers
V
 
The reason for not paying is that one of their employers stopped paying them.
I understand that they can't pay on a single income. If they are being honest then it's pretty sad situation for them. We've never met them, they had no previous rental history and have been in the property for 7 mths.
 
Have you ever had to evict anyone? Did you feel sad for them?

More than once, and no, I don't feel sorry for them.

After having several properties for several years and experiencing some of the crap that some tenants do and say, when I had my first eviction I felt elated. These pests not only left the place in a nicely trashed mess, they didn't pay rent for a long time. How long? I don't know, I forget, but it was seriously longer than 3 months.

We had just been through a tragic situation with a PM, who was cooking the books and bankrupted a few landlords in the process. My new PM was unable to get the records from the old one, because they would not release anything. They also refused to issue statements, so we had no real way of knowing exactly how much was owing. The only evidence of rent was in the bank statement, which added up to only a portion of what it should have.

Anyway, the new PM took on the mess and immediately sent out the relevant paper work. After several termination notices and the appropriate Tribunal Hearings I was able to get vacant possession. They didn't move, so back to Tribunal to get the final eviction and book a Sheriff to change the locks.

These people had been given details of where to go for help with the Housing Department, who will give up to four weeks rent in NSW, as well as a few of the charities that will help out too. Thing is, they didn't want to waste their time standing in lines to get the assistance (that was their words), so they could have easily satisfied the Tribunal (in the early days) but they just couldn't be bothered. So....out they went. :D

After being in this game for a while, I find you toughen up a little. When I walk into a tenants home and they have "top of the line" furniture & cars,etc, much better than I own, then they cry poor over the slightest little thing and want you to put in a dishwasher/air-conditioner/awning or whatever else it is and don't expect to pay extra for it, I just roll my eyes. They have made their choices in life (spend all their money on crap) and I have made mine (rent to those who either can't afford or won't afford a place of their own).

I'm not a charity, so I expect my properties to bring in an income. My IPs are my Superannuation. If they don't want to pay, they can move elsewhere.
 
The reason for not paying is that one of their employers stopped paying them.
I understand that they can't pay on a single income. If they are being honest then it's pretty sad situation for them. We've never met them, they had no previous rental history and have been in the property for 7 mths.

Yes, but instead of being responsible and telling you they are having financial difficulties, I bet they said nothing. I would respect a couple if they told me upfront and at least paid a portion of their rent, rather than nothing (which I bet is what they are doing). If they have been on one income for 3 months and they can no longer afford your IP, then they should have done the responisble thing and looked for cheaper accommodation.
 
Jodie, experience tells me that if you give them an inch they WILL take a mile. Be very careful not to appear a soft target. The IP is a business...
 
More than once, and no, I don't feel sorry for them.

Agreed :D There is no room for emotion in investing.

You are running a business not a charity. If they need charity - then direct them to a registered one - one that is geared up for this type of case - not an inexperienced LL like yourselves.
 
Skater, Gools and Ausprop !!! well put...this is a business and tenants like this will genenerally shaft you the first chance they get We are not charities.

The welfare housing agencies are there for people who cant rent in the open market...or else they should do what I'm doing now, sharing, so that I can meet a large mortgage my former husband left me with.
 
The reason for not paying is that one of their employers stopped paying them.
I understand that they can't pay on a single income. If they are being honest then it's pretty sad situation for them. We've never met them, they had no previous rental history and have been in the property for 7 mths.

Wouldn't they be able to receive renter's assisstance or some help from CenterLink?

And no..have never felt bad about evicting our tenants either. By the time you get to eviction, you are sick to death of them and their lies.
 
I wouldn't go as far as calling them losers and morons. It's possible it could happen to anyone. Very few people have income protection insurance (us included). It's possible that they've been expecting their pay all this time which simply hasn't come in due to no fault of their own. They did tell the PM the first week that their pay wasn't in and they weren't able to pay the rent. They said they'll pay when they get paid, which should be on Friday's. Though they haven't made any contribution at all towards the rent in that time. It would be hard for them to move out without being paid too, so they're stuck in a awkward situation.

This leads me to another question, if the sheriff does lock them out and they have belongings still inside the apartment, what happens to those things?

Wouldn't they be able to receive renter's assisstance or some help from CenterLink?

I've no idea. I wonder if they have explored that option.
 
I'm sorry their story doesn't sound believable to me, and even if it was I don't have sympathy for them. They still have one income and still can't pay their rent (which if it were me, would be my first priority to pay out of the single income)? They have no business renting a property which takes up such a large portion of their double income without any savings to back them up. And the fact they haven't made ANY contributions, pathetic. Besides, who the hell would work for a business that wasn't paying them for THREE(?) months?!

As for their belongings, I think it is your responsibility to store it for them, but you can charge them the storage fees.
 
I wouldn't go as far as calling them losers and morons.

Though they haven't made any contribution at all towards the rent in that time. It would be hard for them to move out without being paid too, so they're stuck in a awkward situation.

Don't make excuses for them. If they are not losers, then why have they not even tried to pay anything? If they are in financial difficulties the first thing they should be doing is seeking financial assistance AND moving to something more affordable.
 
As for their belongings, I think it is your responsibility to store it for them, but you can charge them the storage fees.

I don't like the sound of this. Would we also be up for cost of moving things into storage?
Would this be covered under landlords insurance?
 
Some of them are in genuine strife.

I once had a couple renting. The husband lost his job and they fell in arrears. The PM confronted them with the usual paperwork and the guy (quite a handyman) promised to do reno on the property for us free of charge.

I believed his story and let them stay another fortnight with no rent. The wife had a second job; eventually he found a job too and repaid us more than handsomely: new pergola, paving, etc...

Not everybody is a loser. But maybe he's an exception to the rule...

Truong
 
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