Private landlords - how do you go on holidays?

[wylie]

That's a great idea...no excuses now



Out of curiousity, how many plumbers/electricians will come when a tenant calls..and then wait for payment from the landlord, without the work being authorized by the owner?
How many tenants are willing to pay upfront for a repairman?

The tenant will pay for it (up to the value of two weeks' rent) and ask for it back from the PM or landlord according to the RTA link I posted...

"If the lessor/agent/manager or the nominated repairer cannot be contacted, the tenant can arrange a suitably qualified person to carry out the repair. The tenant can pay the repairer themselves and get the money back from the lessor/agent/manager or get the repairer to bill the lessor/agent/manager. They should forward all receipts to the lessor/agent/manager who must pay them back within 7 days."

 

[S.T]

For properties in Victoria I use RACV Emergency Home Assist, which takes care of the urgent stuff. Anything else can be dealt with remotely via email or can wait until my return.

 

[octavius]

I like the idea of an Emergency Home Assist service. Does anyone know if there's something similar for WA? Our RACV equivalent (RAC) does not offer such a service.

 

[Jamie M]

We're on a short overseas trip right now. My wife contacted all of them to let them know that we can only be reached via email for the next week. So far this approach has worked out fine.

Cheers

Jamie

 

[octavius]

For most issues I'm sure email contact is fine, but I am worried about urgent issues such as loss or disruption of essential services (electricity, gas, water, hot water) where the tenancy act requires action within 24 hours of notification by the tenant. I guess its calculated risk. Some of my properties are older homes so the probability of breakdowns is higher, and it also depends on how long I am out of contact. I'm sure if I'm traveling overseas and expect to have wifi in all my accommodation then I'm well covered, but might have to give a week-long camping in remote Australia a miss. I suppose the worst case scenario is the tenant exercises his right in the event of non-response from the landlord to engage a contractor to make necessary repairs to restore essential services - perhaps there's a cost blow out because I'm not there to call around for quotes or it was something I could have fixed myself. Maybe its worth the risk! But it sure would be a luxury to have a dependable relative on hand in such situations to act as a point of contact in case anything crazy happens.

 

[AlmostBob]

disruption of electricity gas and water, are the supply utilities' problem,
hot water failure of the equipment are the landlord's problem,
but doesnt anyone do maintainence, replace the anode rod and no failures for an extra 20 years.
If there is no hot water because the tenant did not pay the electricity bill, the landlord does not have to turn up with a tanker of hot water

The RTA for NSW QLD VIC WA NT, require the landlord to provide access to the service, the house to be wired piped plumbed to BCA, the supply is contracted to the utility by the tenant
even water supply, is not the landlord's problem if the house is plumbed to code,
unless the landlord is silly enough to include them in the lease

If the act requires action within 24 hours of notificaton, no problem, the tenant did not notify, 24 hours begins when they do notify
email is upon receipt, not upon send
telephone is when the call is answered
property managers, do not act 24/7, they are open only during the agency business hours.
I put a note under the agency door at 9pm saturday, at 3am monday I called a plumber, not going to fly either

Competent relatives would be good,
competent staff are great
familiarity with the RTA, priceless

 

[wylie]

The RTA for NSW QLD VIC WA NT, require the landlord to provide access to the service, the house to be wired piped plumbed to BCA, the supply is contracted to the utility by the tenant
even water supply, is not the landlord's problem if the house is plumbed to code,

Bob, the water cannot ever be put in the tenant's name in Queensland. It is in the landlords name, and if the house is water efficient, the landlord can pay the account and ask for the water part to be paid by the tenant. This is generally less than one third of the total account, often one quarter (in my experience with my current tenants).

And Octavius makes a valid point that if the HWS fails (happened three times in the past year with us - two in about two months) and he is camping and out of reach. The tenant will call either the plumber you trust or one from the phone book. You may end up paying a couple of hundred more by not being able to find a price yourself, but that is the price of being able to go away and take the (small) risk of something happening in that time frame.

 

[Charlotte30]

Private Landlords

When I go away I do not let my tenants know. I have my phone on Global roaming so I can respond when they phone. I establish what the problem is and work out if it can wait or and contact one of my tradies to repair. This has worked me when travelling overseas.

Cheers
Charlotte30

 

[geoffw]

Holiday?

The business didn't let me away. I tried for a weekend and it was a disaster. When I wasn't there the phone was on, and required, 24/7.

And now I'm studying madly. I'm hoping when I finish I can take my first break longer than a weekend for nine years.

Property Management would be a doodle in comparison.

 

[kathryn d]

Bob, the water cannot ever be put in the tenant's name in Queensland. It is in the landlords name, and if the house is water efficient, the landlord can pay the account and ask for the water part to be paid by the tenant. This is generally less than one third of the total account, often one quarter (in my experience with my current tenants).

Actually that is the way it is in our province too. The problem with that? It isn't our problem
The leases, which are mandated by our province, give the landlord the option to include OR not include water.We don't include water in single family homes.

Last year we had a tenant we evicted...only she refused to leave. Since her lease didn't include water, we disconnected it.So until the court ordered her to vacate, we were not going to pay for her water, when we couldn't collect our rent.
It was up to her to connect it into her name. The fact the water company will not connect into a tenant's name, is not our fault.
At the residential hearing, we lost, and was ordered to compensate the tenant for no water..approx $650.

We appealed to the Small Claims Court. We won, as it is considered a utility, the same as electricity.We are only required to have water supplied to the property. The fact the town made their own rules, that only a property owner can have the bill in their name, seemed to be irrelevent....now we have a precedent.

 

[willair]

I don't tell them, the boss only ever takes me away "OS"for 7-9 days,,plus all the tenants are trades people most know how to fix items,, but with hws sometimes it's just pays too replace them because once they start to play up from experience it will not stop and over a 1 year period and when you balance out the cost factor most timeS it's cheaper just to replumb and replace AND LET THE ato pick up the tab..imho..

 

[ipinvestor]

SSFM = Somersoft Family Members

Why can't we SSFM apply following phylosophy?

you scratch my back i'll scratch yours

Help each other....................

I am happy to help during this Christmas holidays. I am in Perth.

 

[S.T]

Could be a good business idea for a budding property manager too, short term property management!