Pool pump

Got an email 2 weeks ago from my PM the tenant's pool cleaner (no wonder the pool is so freakin clean...) recommend the pool pump needs a service.

I was like :confused::confused::confused: so spoke to the guy directly. He said the tenants reported the pump isn't working 100%, he reckons the pump is working at 50% capacity (I was like how'd you quantify that? Did you do a flow test or something...) and I quizzed him further what does he meant by a service. Strip it out, replace bearings, clean it and slap it back together. I was like the bearings and capacitor was replaced a year ago so WTF are you on about?

Then he said something interesting - the pool pump basket is constantly filled with leaves (there's quite a few trees surrounding the pool) and debris may have entered into where the impeller is reducing its performance. Eureka, so the tenant is too lazy to empty the basket themselves stuffing the pump up and want me to pay for it?

So..should I:
1) harden up and cop the bill (explicitly state not to replace the bearings) $190
2) split it 50/50 with the tenant because (IMHO) they're a contributing factor
3) reject it completely

tl;dr version: tenant too lazy to clean the pool pump basket, debris got into the impeller reducing its performance, pool cleaner recommends a rebuild; should I pay for it or charge the tenant?

Yes I know tenants and pool don't mix...lessons learned. In the grand scheme of things, it's $1300/week rent at stake.
 
I would have a word with the tenant about the reason for the failure of the pump and then let them know you will pay it yourself this time. Next time may be different (ie, tenant needs to start maintaining the pool better)

No point ******* tenant off to recover $190 and then losing $1300 per week for 4 weeks while you find a new tenant
 
Cop it sweet but reach a written understanding re pool maintenance and repairs. Leaves should not bypass a skimmer basket and the second filter basket unless they're ignored.
Pools and tenants are just like gardens and tenants.
Good luck
cheers
crest133
 
Mini2, I have a swimming poolsin one of my rental properties too. I have now decided that if there are any more problems with the pool, I will simply not offer the pool as part of the house.

I would tell the pm to relay to the tenants the issues. I would pay this time, but next time they will have to pay.

Yes, leaves will clog the filter. Strictly speaking (if the arrangement is that they look after the pool) they are at fault. But sometimes it's not worth the fight.

My last arrangement was that the tenants would look after the pool. I paid a professional to spend two hours with the owner to teach him how to look after the pool. The tenants still let the water level decrease such that the pool filter ran dry and got ruined (despite my having told him the day he moved in that it was imperative that the water level be maintained) I ended up paying for it.

I now have new tenants. The new arrangement is that I, as the owner, will provide a full service every month for the pool. The only thing the tenants pay for is the chemicals. I told their gardener yesterday that it was imperative that the water stay at the proper level. I will see how that goes.

Pools in rental houses are a pain.
 
$1300 pw rent is top rent. However, tenants are tenants, they'll promise to clean the WC with a toothbrush if that's what you want. Reality is they won't....they'll probably pee on the floor out of contempt.

Might be time to play psychological mind games with your tenant (Datto style),...tell them to clean the pool properly or you're jacking the rent up.
 
May be negotioate with tenant:for your nominated professional pool service at tenant's cost (since they are the one who enjoy the pool) or factor the cost into the rent.

or exclude it from the agreement and lock up if possible as suggested by other.

Leaves and pool don't go well together - they need to be taken out before they reach the skimmer's basket. We made a mistake for putting up sock inside the skimmer basket; the sock does a very good job filtering debris, but also reducing water flow to the pump - pump burnt out :(.

The pool shop quoted $900 to supply and install 1HP pump replacement (good brand); but we picked one for $199 from Bunning - very simple removed and replaced procedures - will see how long the cehapie one last.


Got an email 2 weeks ago from my PM the tenant's pool cleaner (no wonder the pool is so freakin clean...) recommend the pool pump needs a service.

I was like :confused::confused::confused: so spoke to the guy directly. He said the tenants reported the pump isn't working 100%, he reckons the pump is working at 50% capacity (I was like how'd you quantify that? Did you do a flow test or something...) and I quizzed him further what does he meant by a service. Strip it out, replace bearings, clean it and slap it back together. I was like the bearings and capacitor was replaced a year ago so WTF are you on about?

Then he said something interesting - the pool pump basket is constantly filled with leaves (there's quite a few trees surrounding the pool) and debris may have entered into where the impeller is reducing its performance. Eureka, so the tenant is too lazy to empty the basket themselves stuffing the pump up and want me to pay for it?

So..should I:
1) harden up and cop the bill (explicitly state not to replace the bearings) $190
2) split it 50/50 with the tenant because (IMHO) they're a contributing factor
3) reject it completely

tl;dr version: tenant too lazy to clean the pool pump basket, debris got into the impeller reducing its performance, pool cleaner recommends a rebuild; should I pay for it or charge the tenant?

Yes I know tenants and pool don't mix...lessons learned. In the grand scheme of things, it's $1300/week rent at stake.
 
Then he said something interesting - the pool pump basket is constantly filled with leaves (there's quite a few trees surrounding the pool) and debris may have entered into where the impeller is reducing its performance. Eureka, so the tenant is too lazy to empty the basket themselves stuffing the pump up and want me to pay for it?

So..should I:
1) harden up and cop the bill (explicitly state not to replace the bearings) $190
2) split it 50/50 with the tenant because (IMHO) they're a contributing factor
3) reject it completely

tl;dr version: tenant too lazy to clean the pool pump basket, debris got into the impeller reducing its performance, pool cleaner recommends a rebuild; should I pay for it or charge the tenant?

Yes I know tenants and pool don't mix...lessons learned. In the grand scheme of things, it's $1300/week rent at stake.

What exactly is in the lease? Tenants to maintain pool? Pool maintenance included? If the latter what is the specific wording? As this one catches quite a few PM's and LL's out. If it is generic "pool maintenance" included and nothing else cop it and amend at renewal.

If you have a proper clause along the lines of " pool maintenance included, which is equal to x visits per year on average, tenants must maintain pool in-between professionals visits, this includes topping the water up, emptying out the skimmer box and scooping the pool as and when required" your covered to hit them up.
 
May be negotioate with tenant:for your nominated professional pool service at tenant's cost (since they are the one who enjoy the pool) or factor the cost into the rent.


What exactly is in the lease? Tenants to maintain pool? Pool maintenance included? If the latter what is the specific wording? As this one catches quite a few PM's and LL's out. If it is generic "pool maintenance" included and nothing else cop it and amend at renewal.

Given the OP posted this I take it they are inferring that they are surprised the tenants are paying for maintenance and therefore this is not specifically covered in the lease other than they must maintain the pool.

Got an email 2 weeks ago from my PM the tenant's pool cleaner (no wonder the pool is so freakin clean...)

For $1300/wk I would just offer to pay for a professional pool service more regularly (2 weeks) and increase the rent accordingly as cost for pool maintenance and repairs if the pool is poorly maintained can be expensive.

I have a pool and I pay for a monthly service just to make sure it is looked at by a professional regularly and I do the maintenance between these visits.
 
Ended up paying for the new creepy crawly and get the pump serviced :mad: well $1300/week at stake, better not mess around I guess.

They came back from holidays and complained the pool is in a "bad state" - I'm like, pool maintenance IS NOT included to begin with so how is that my problem? :eek:
 
Ended up paying for the new creepy crawly and get the pump serviced :mad: well $1300/week at stake, better not mess around I guess.

They came back from holidays and complained the pool is in a "bad state" - I'm like, pool maintenance IS NOT included to begin with so how is that my problem? :eek:

If they are paying for pool maintenance, they should have organised a visit from the pool company while they were away.
 
Ended up paying for the new creepy crawly and get the pump serviced :mad: well $1300/week at stake, better not mess around I guess.

They came back from holidays and complained the pool is in a "bad state" - I'm like, pool maintenance IS NOT included to begin with so how is that my problem? :eek:

Wow - at $1,300/wk I'd (if I were a tenant) expect pool maintenance to be included! People paying that much rent are not used to cleaning there own pool methinks

We had pool service on our $700/wk place - purely because we felt it was better to have the pool maintained then trust the tenants to stuff it up

How much does it cost for a pool guy to go out once a week/fortnight/month? Might be worth the investment to arrange this service - and up their rent to cover it next round of rises.
 
Wow - at $1,300/wk I'd (if I were a tenant) expect pool maintenance to be included! People paying that much rent are not used to cleaning there own pool methinks

It was advertised at $1200/week, they got keen/excited and started a bidding war with another prospective tenants just when I was about to drop the asking rent to $1100/week with pool/garden maintenance included because it was on the market for too long :p
 
It was advertised at $1200/week, they got keen/excited and started a bidding war with another prospective tenants just when I was about to drop the asking rent to $1100/week with pool/garden maintenance included because it was on the market for too long :p

might be time to re-include the pool maintenance then - even if just for your peace of mind :D
 
If they are happy to be paying the rent they are paying I would not be including the pool maintenance. Of course, if their slackness in keeping the pool maintained means it costs you in the long run to fix major issues, this could be reconsidered.

What I would do is keep the pool maintenance once a month visit as a back up sweetener to keep them, if they decide to leave.

We have tenants who are paying $490 per week and we have raised the rent to $500. Right now, there is a chance they could find something for less, so we don't want to push them too much and risk losing good tenants.

We include mowing, which averages out to about $10 to 15 per week over the year.

They have asked for a two year lease. I have agreed to a one year lease and we will look at the prices of comparable rentals this time next year.

If they have risen sharply, we will raise the rent again, but knowing they have an upper budget, and knowing they are great tenants, one option I have in mind is to keep the rent the same but drop the mowing. That puts $10 to 15 in our pockets every week whilst allowing them to stay in a house that suits them but which they would possibly leave for a cheaper one if we push the rent up.

So keeping the pool maintenance as something this tenant is paying for at present could allow you to use it as a sweetener to keep this tenant if needs be.
 
might be time to re-include the pool maintenance then - even if just for your peace of mind :D

Their pool cleaner says he visit them once a week and the tenants entirely leave it up to him to sort everything out from scooping leaves out, clean the system, chemicals etc. All I've asked them to do is goto the pool pump room, unscrew the lid off the pool cleaner basket, empty it and reverse the process...or perhaps both of them being doctors doing such chore is far beneath them.

So keeping the pool maintenance as something this tenant is paying for at present could allow you to use it as a sweetener to keep this tenant if needs be.

Pretty keen to move them on if I'm honest, his wife manage to find something that requires attention every single month. My property is now pretty well known to the local handyman, plumber and electrician to carry out minor/petty repairs. The best complaint to date - oh the shower screen isn't exactly waterproof. Where is it leaking from? Between the wall and the door. How severe? Couple of drops...and the useless PM isn't brave enough to knock some common sense into them.
 
Wow $1300 per week, looks like they also expect a fair bit from you for this kind of rent with pool maintenance not being included. Might be easier all around to include it in future leases. Maintaining a pool is fairly straightforward but it seems they either don't have the time or don't think they should have to.
Can't offer any real advice as I have never leased a property to tenants at this end of the market.
 
Their pool cleaner says he visit them once a week and the tenants entirely leave it up to him to sort everything out from scooping leaves out, clean the system, chemicals etc.

There's the problem!!!

The tenants pool guy gets paid good $$$$ to do a regular weekly service and doesn't do what you would expect is pretty much standard stuff from my experience.

My pool guy comes once a month and his 30mins on-site ($66) does:
* Check water balances and adds required chemicals/salt from my supply if available or his and adjust chlorinator as required;
* Scoops the leaves if required;
* Cleans skimmer box and 2 pump baskets;
* Backwashes sand filter;
* Brushes stairs ledges; and
* Installs or removes pool cleaner depending on what's needed.

I would get the pool done professionally as part of the rent and make sure they are happy to "entirely leave it up to him to sort everything out" and not have the tenant worry about anything to do with the pool other than swim in it.

You were happy to take $1100/week rent with pool service included and now you get $1300/week (so +$10K p.a. more) and your no longer willing to do the pool and happy to loose a tenant that may cost you 1 or 2 weeks rent (~$3K incl. REA fee).

Not sure you looking a the big picture but best of luck.
 
There's the problem!!!

I think most people missed the problem - it's not the lack of pool guy visit that stuffed things up but rather, the tenants themselves unwilling to do anything re the pool and the only thing they really need to do themselves is empty one lousy basket. The only fix will be having the pool guy turn up twice a week just to empty the pool pump basket mid-week. The pool's boundary is littered with trees so the basket generally fills up in 3 days, less if it's been extremely windy.

Let's see how the economics work out...get the pool guy turn up twice a week (for argument's sake, $66 each visit x twice a week (104) = $6864) vs rebuild the pump once a year ($240 absolutely worst case) or buy a new pump ($900 installed). I'd rather deal with a dead pump on an annual basis ;)
 
So the problem is leaves, can the trees sounding the pool be pruned or removed?
Could a shade sail or similar help? Otherwise the tenants need to keep the pool clean and this needs to be in the next lease.
 
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