My partner has had an IP for 3 years now. He has been with the same PM for the duration and has had 5 tenants.
Tenant 1 broke the clothes line, obv by swinging on it and it was bent down to teh ground. They also broke the manhole cover which enables access to the roof of the property. At final inspection the PM noted the damage but told my partner that this was 'fair wear and tear' and therefore he would have to replace it. He did so.
Tenant 2 was late on rent, constantly and had to be asked to leave.
Tenant 3 pulled all the blinds off. PM told my partner that this was also 'fair wear and tear' and that he would have to now put up curtains. He did so.
Tenant 4 broke the oven door (it is up high and it looks like someone has swung on it) and broke tiles in the shower recess. She also wanted new curtains as these weren't 'good enough' and PM told my partner to replace them. he did so. This is when I met him and started to notice taht things were a bit dicey...
This tenant would ring up weekly with complaints as varied as the front door rattles with the wind, the walls are looking murky and could do with a paint, the back door slams when it is windy and she wants a gas strut put on, and other things that I didn't think he should have to fix for her. PM told my partner he would have to do all of this for her. I told him he didn't have to and the PM backed down.
She left after 6 months and we sat down and spoke with the PM and told her that the house is only 30 years old and is in good nick and we are starting to get sick of the whinging. So before we got new tenants, we replaced the blinds, painted the whole house, made sure all the doors had new screws and steamed the carpets and put up blackout style curtains as the tenants kept complaining that there was too much light coming into the house. We also advised the PM that under no circumstances was she to keep telling the tenants that we lived next door as we were sick of them knocking on our door aksing for help.
Tenant 5 moves in. Within 2 weeks they were knocking on our door asking for things. We pretended we were just other tenants and sent them packing. Then the older couple that initially moved in disappeared and there was a youngish couple living there with their small child. We spoke to the PM about this and they said that that was normal. Their kid ran around the streets nude and we would often hear cars screeching as the kid was playing on the road. We could constantly hear the couple screaming at each other and on one occasion we had to call teh police as the level of violence was horrendous.
When their lease period was up, we spoke to the PM and told them that we no longer wished for them to stay on and we also wished to change PM as we weren't happy. They got nasty and started ignoring phone calls and wouldn't return our calls. We gave our notice period and left it at that.
A week before they were meant to leave, we contacted the PM and asked if we could be present at the final inspection. They told us that this would not be a problem.
They did not advise us when the final inspection would be. They rang us and said the house is fine, come and get the keys.
We picked up the keys, went into the property and it was trashed. The 3 wheelie bins were full and left within the property, there was rubbish all around the back of the house, there was pen marks all over the living room walls, wax stains on the walls, the carpets were stained and had not been cleaned. The shower tiles had been cracked again, the curtains were pulled off in places and stained, they hadn't cleaned a single thing. There was dust and crud everywhere. Door jams were broken where it had obviously been ripped open, things were cracked, light fittings were missing or broken and there were drill marks on the walls that were definitely not there before.
We rang the PM and told them that we would like for them to meet us at the house and do another inspection as we were not happy with the way the house was left and we wanted to see about getting some of the bond to pay for things. PM screamed and yelled at my partner, made him feel like scum for ringing and hassling and refused to come to the house again.
We rang the Principal of the RE and explained what was going on and he said he would ring back in a few mins after he spoke with his staff. He rang back and told him that his PM had told her that he had yelled and threatened and abused her and that the house was fine. He told them they would do another inspection and we would be advised when this was.
Two hours later they ring back and tell us they have just done a further final inspection and that the house is most definitely fine. We told them that we weren't advised and the PM told my partner that she was 'too scared to be in a house alone with him as she didn't know what a man like that would do to her when she is all alone.' My partner was mortified and offended and we demanded the Principal come to the house immediately. Which he did.
He then gave us this huge song and dance about how we are not entitled to anything and that he has been in the business for years and years and this house has been left ini what he considers top condition. We pointed out all the things wrong with it and the damage done and he told us that this was all wear and tear and that we just had to deal with it.
It has been nearly 2 weeks since the tenants left and we are just exhausted by it all. The prospect of going through the court system is overwhelming and time consuming and our complainnt is about the RE as much as the tenant.
So far the damage is coming up to the $1500 mark and the RE passing remark was that we should just utilise the landlords insurance.
Does anyone have any idea as to what we should do?
Tenant 1 broke the clothes line, obv by swinging on it and it was bent down to teh ground. They also broke the manhole cover which enables access to the roof of the property. At final inspection the PM noted the damage but told my partner that this was 'fair wear and tear' and therefore he would have to replace it. He did so.
Tenant 2 was late on rent, constantly and had to be asked to leave.
Tenant 3 pulled all the blinds off. PM told my partner that this was also 'fair wear and tear' and that he would have to now put up curtains. He did so.
Tenant 4 broke the oven door (it is up high and it looks like someone has swung on it) and broke tiles in the shower recess. She also wanted new curtains as these weren't 'good enough' and PM told my partner to replace them. he did so. This is when I met him and started to notice taht things were a bit dicey...
This tenant would ring up weekly with complaints as varied as the front door rattles with the wind, the walls are looking murky and could do with a paint, the back door slams when it is windy and she wants a gas strut put on, and other things that I didn't think he should have to fix for her. PM told my partner he would have to do all of this for her. I told him he didn't have to and the PM backed down.
She left after 6 months and we sat down and spoke with the PM and told her that the house is only 30 years old and is in good nick and we are starting to get sick of the whinging. So before we got new tenants, we replaced the blinds, painted the whole house, made sure all the doors had new screws and steamed the carpets and put up blackout style curtains as the tenants kept complaining that there was too much light coming into the house. We also advised the PM that under no circumstances was she to keep telling the tenants that we lived next door as we were sick of them knocking on our door aksing for help.
Tenant 5 moves in. Within 2 weeks they were knocking on our door asking for things. We pretended we were just other tenants and sent them packing. Then the older couple that initially moved in disappeared and there was a youngish couple living there with their small child. We spoke to the PM about this and they said that that was normal. Their kid ran around the streets nude and we would often hear cars screeching as the kid was playing on the road. We could constantly hear the couple screaming at each other and on one occasion we had to call teh police as the level of violence was horrendous.
When their lease period was up, we spoke to the PM and told them that we no longer wished for them to stay on and we also wished to change PM as we weren't happy. They got nasty and started ignoring phone calls and wouldn't return our calls. We gave our notice period and left it at that.
A week before they were meant to leave, we contacted the PM and asked if we could be present at the final inspection. They told us that this would not be a problem.
They did not advise us when the final inspection would be. They rang us and said the house is fine, come and get the keys.
We picked up the keys, went into the property and it was trashed. The 3 wheelie bins were full and left within the property, there was rubbish all around the back of the house, there was pen marks all over the living room walls, wax stains on the walls, the carpets were stained and had not been cleaned. The shower tiles had been cracked again, the curtains were pulled off in places and stained, they hadn't cleaned a single thing. There was dust and crud everywhere. Door jams were broken where it had obviously been ripped open, things were cracked, light fittings were missing or broken and there were drill marks on the walls that were definitely not there before.
We rang the PM and told them that we would like for them to meet us at the house and do another inspection as we were not happy with the way the house was left and we wanted to see about getting some of the bond to pay for things. PM screamed and yelled at my partner, made him feel like scum for ringing and hassling and refused to come to the house again.
We rang the Principal of the RE and explained what was going on and he said he would ring back in a few mins after he spoke with his staff. He rang back and told him that his PM had told her that he had yelled and threatened and abused her and that the house was fine. He told them they would do another inspection and we would be advised when this was.
Two hours later they ring back and tell us they have just done a further final inspection and that the house is most definitely fine. We told them that we weren't advised and the PM told my partner that she was 'too scared to be in a house alone with him as she didn't know what a man like that would do to her when she is all alone.' My partner was mortified and offended and we demanded the Principal come to the house immediately. Which he did.
He then gave us this huge song and dance about how we are not entitled to anything and that he has been in the business for years and years and this house has been left ini what he considers top condition. We pointed out all the things wrong with it and the damage done and he told us that this was all wear and tear and that we just had to deal with it.
It has been nearly 2 weeks since the tenants left and we are just exhausted by it all. The prospect of going through the court system is overwhelming and time consuming and our complainnt is about the RE as much as the tenant.
So far the damage is coming up to the $1500 mark and the RE passing remark was that we should just utilise the landlords insurance.
Does anyone have any idea as to what we should do?
