Tenant is a hoarder - what should I do?

I have emailed the PM to follow this up. I will call her this afternoon. I am not going to sack them - yet. Becasue I feel it is their job to see this through to the end and unfair to lump this on a new PM.

My son is having an operation at the RCH this week and I can't just drop everything and get down there.

Some posts make it sound so simple and easy -

In my defence - The whole point of hiring a PM is for them to manage the property. If I have to babysit them and doublecheck everything they do then I might as well manage the property myself.

How do those of you who have properties in other states than where you live manage your properties? Do you put a reasonable amount of trust in a PM to manage your property? Do you trust the emails they send you and take their word or do you fly up there every 3 months to make sure they are doing their job?

Insurance - I am not interested in ripping off an insurance company. The question is do I still take insurance out now, or do I wait until he is evicted and I have a new tenant? Moving forward when do I do this?

Photographs - Am I allowed to ask for internal photgraphs of each room or is this an invasion of the tenants privacy?

Please no more criticism of the things I have done wrong or questions I ask that to some of you may seem like no-brainers.

If you wish to give some helpful advice about moving forward then I would appreciate that.
 
The whole point of hiring a PM is for them to manage the property. If I have to babysit them and doublecheck everything they do then I might as well manage the property myself.

If you wish to give some helpful advice about moving forward then I would appreciate that.

This is always one of the biggest traps.

The Property Manager 'title' naturally portrays the image that they are a Property Manager, and Owners assume that the Property Manager will manage your property.

This is where it all goes to custard.

Looking at what you have written, you have also fallen for this magnificent job title that does NOT accurately portray what they actually do.

Just because someone has the title of Property Manager does in no way translate into they will actually manage your property.

If they called themselves a "19 yo girl behind a desk who has sat a 5 day course and cannot leave her seat and has never done a manual day's work in her life" you probably wouldn't assume so much from them.
 
This is always one of the biggest traps.

The Property Manager 'title' naturally portrays the image that they are a Property Manager, and Owners assume that the Property Manager will manage your property.

This is where it all goes to custard.

Looking at what you have written, you have also fallen for this magnificent job title that does NOT accurately portray what they actually do.

Just because someone has the title of Property Manager does in no way translate into they will actually manage your property.

If they called themselves a "19 yo girl behind a desk who has sat a 5 day course and cannot leave her seat and has never done a manual day's work in her life" you probably wouldn't assume so much from them.
And this is the weak link behind the business. At some point to grow a rent roll and actually make a profit (what most people seek) there is likely to be a younger person earning not much and overworked looking after your property :)
 
This is always one of the biggest traps.

The Property Manager 'title' naturally portrays the image that they are a Property Manager, and Owners assume that the Property Manager will manage your property.

This is where it all goes to custard.

Looking at what you have written, you have also fallen for this magnificent job title that does NOT accurately portray what they actually do.

Just because someone has the title of Property Manager does in no way translate into they will actually manage your property.

If they called themselves a "19 yo girl behind a desk who has sat a 5 day course and cannot leave her seat and has never done a manual day's work in her life" you probably wouldn't assume so much from them.

You have lost me in this statement about the PM and not managing the property. Are we not employing these people to do exactly that? Do I not pay money weekly for my PM to keep their finger on the pulse and ensure that the tenants do what their lease requires them or/and what the Queensland RTA rules govern as far as tenancy????

In my case my property is in Petrie Queensland and I live in Darwin.. I have a close relations with my PM - as close as one can long distance. I read my inspections reports, and ask questions but for the day to day, the RE is employed by me to look after the property. I pay for the privilage of not having the day to day headaches and for them to ensure my tenants are happy and looking after the place, and the RTA is not going to kick my **** for something I am legally required to do as an owner and I have not.

I have read on this forum many times about how silly it is to self manage for many reasons and that is why you get a PM.. to manage and look after the property - to ensure you as a owner are meeting all your tenancy obligations and the tenants are doing the same.

In this instance, I would have thought there would be some recourse in getting the PM to pay something as they have not been doing their job, of managing and looking after the property accordingly.. How could the place get in that state and not report and deal with before this??

Is it not illegal to take money under false pretences??? If the RE/PM have not been fillfulling their obligations of looking after the property and doing inspections , are not the RE/PM committing fraud ??

Sounds like a nightmare situation for an owner... :(

Cheers

Kerry from Darwin
 
My son is having an operation at the RCH this week and I can't just drop everything and get down there.
I feel for you, and prioritising your son is probably the same choice that I'd make, but unfortunately, your tenant's and insurer's lives go on, and you just need to know that making this choice - however valid it may be - could cost you dearly.
CHAOS said:
Some posts make it sound so simple and easy -

In my defence - The whole point of hiring a PM is for them to manage the property. If I have to babysit them and doublecheck everything they do then I might as well manage the property myself.
I think most people here know that it's not easy, and I'm sorry if you feel that the advice here has been intended to criticise you. We are - well, at least I am - just trying to impress upon you that this could cost you a lot if not given some attention pretty urgently. It may be difficult, and unfair, but it just "is".
This is always one of the biggest traps.

The Property Manager 'title' naturally portrays the image that they are a Property Manager, and Owners assume that the Property Manager will manage your property.

This is where it all goes to custard.
I'd rather be hands off, but alas, I have learned through bitter experience that Dazz is right. You can delegate tasks for the PM to do, but caring about the outcomes, and using initiative to ensure that all stays hunkey dorey, tend to go well beyond most PMs' job description or care factor. You can ask them to do almost anything, but you can't assume that just because you've asked, or that it's obvious, that it's been done. Your job is to manage your PM, and that means reassuring yourself that they're doing as you ask. That doesn't necessarily mean a physical inspection, but it does mean actively looking at all the statements, following up to ensure things are done, asking for photos etc if you're at all unsure, etc.
You have lost me in this statement about the PM and not managing the property. Are we not employing these people to do exactly that? Do I not pay money weekly for my PM to keep their finger on the pulse and ensure that the tenants do what their lease requires them or/and what the Queensland RTA rules govern as far as tenancy????
Kerry, I totally agree, and used to have this attitude myself. Unfortunately, you have to take the middle road between self-managing, and being "hands off". I still advocate having a PM, but you really do need to keep on top of them, much more than I wish was necessary.

Nobody else cares about your asset as much as you do, and if it all turns to ****, the only person who'll lose money is you. The agency agreements etc are written by the real estate institute; I guarantee you that it's near impossible to hold the PM, or their business, financially responsible for hardly any loss, except in the instance of fraud and other extreme circumstances.

It's not right, but it's how it is. You can get angry and indignant about it, and get your PM offside - by constantly complaining, or switching from PM to PM in search of the elusive one who does what you expect - or you can accept the reality and get involved a little more with your asset's management, and potentially save a bucketload.

(This lesson has cost me at least $50K, and possibly more like $100K. Please feel free to use my losses as your lesson.)
 
Hoarder

Dear Chaos,
I hope your son is ok, sometimes these things all come when you are not expecting them.
NOW is the time to rise to the challenge!

your IP might be a fire hazard, , and a health hazard
1. Get on the phone to the Local fire chief and ask them what you should be doing.
Write down their advice, keep a copy, and give one to the tenant and one to the LICENCEE in Charge of your estate agency.
2. Get on the phone to the local council health inspector.
write down their advice, keep a copy, and give one to the tenant and one to the LICENCEE in Charge of your estate agency.
Get on their backs. Get concrete evidence that things have been done.

You don't want tenants or neighbors dying in a fire, or catching some horrible disease due to rats.

We want to hear that this all ends well, you saved the day, and your son is on the mend
I hope this helps
Cheers Seaford Sunshine
 
I spoke with the PM today. She is doing an inspection early next week. Assuming my son's operation goes well, I will be at that inspection and have let her know that.

She has only recently been given my property to manage by the RE agency, and has not ever seen the inside or met the tenant.

I explained to her my concerns and that I would like to work with her to get my property back to the state it should be in. And that after inspecting the property next week we can discuss what needs to happen and make a plan of action. (Which I will diligently follow). She said she has dealt with a hoarding tenant previously and is familiar with the steps and processes that need to be taken.

Thank you to members who really made the point of me having to address this now.
 
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