tenant too good ?

K

K_Raheja

Interesting scenario...have a tenant in my property who have been staying for over a year without any issues related to paying on time etc.

they have kept the house in immaculate condition, but we(myself and prop manager) have noticed during our inspections that they have replaced the existing light fixture with nicer ones,painted section of the wall.

And after talking to them ..it seems they had actually replaced a bathroom vanity sink and commode on their own expense..few months before i had bought the property.

so far so good...what happens when they do not want to renew or i want diff tenants who can pay more ?

what rights to they have for unauthorised 'enhancements' to the property..as a safegaurd i have added 2 lines in the renewal contract that they have to get permission if they change/modify any thing in the house..

prop manager says she has never experienced a a tenant like this before...

any thoughts ?
 
One to keep an eye on for sure. Hopefully they are settled in for the long haul and are adding value for you :)

You worry should be what will happen to the stuff when they leave. Will they try to take it with them? Also with lights, did they have the work done by licensed trade? If there is a fire and it's traced back to a fitting that has not been regestered by the sparky guess what..? Insurance will not cover it..

Take lots of photos before, during and after tenant.

N.
 
Biggest thing to worry about here would be unlicensed work and insurance issues that follows.

Ask the tenant for any paperwork related to these installations/replacements to double check they have been done by licensed trades people.
If they are as good as they seem, there shouldn't be a problem getting it, or explaining to them why you need the records.
 
I would be very polite and friendly and say you appreciate how much they are looking after the house etc but can they please inform the agent and get approval prior to making changes.
 
I would have thought this was already in the conditions of the lease, that they should not be doing any alterations.
So far they have done
bathroom vanity sink
paint
light fittings

what next?? hope they don't get carried away.. seem to recall Kathryn had a tenant remove a wall !:eek:
 
thanks for all replies.
I will start the process of taking pics and docs/receipts for stuff they have added...lets see how it goes..
 
I am asking because I don't know:

Isn't this covered in the RTA of your state?
Tenants must seek approval of the landlord of any renovations, improvements,painting etc?
 
Sheesh... Why can`t you just accept they are great tenants?

Not everybody has an ulterior motive. I suggest you be happy knowing your property is in good hands.

I have rented for many years. Do not want to buy this place as i intend to move down to the South East when possible.

You would really not like me as a tenant.:D Here are just some of the things i have done to our rented home over the last few years -

Designer Sliding Robes to 3 bedrooms
Complete new kitchen
Polished floors
New switchboard with safety switch
Complete repaint several times
And much more.

My landlord knows that any work we do is at our expense, and will always be done in a very professional manner. Any electrical work is completed by a licenced tradesman with compliance certificate. Landlord says carry on and do what you want. He will be the wealthier for it when he eventually sells.

Why do we do it? We like living there, have good neighbours, and i like to keep busy. I also have a wife who likes a few nice things. When we leave i will have the satisfaction of knowing we looked after his property. No ulterior motive.

Stangman.
 
Wandering said:
Stangman, be a good chap and hand the receipts, for the improvements, over to the landlord so he can claim them please. :D
Click to expand...

Hey Wandering, Sorry... No can do.
Should probably have mentioned that we have a home improvements business and therefore manufactured and installed the robes ourselves.
Some of our robe installers are also kitchen installers which came in handy for the kitchen, and we are able to buy kitchens at wholesale prices. So you see, we used the receipts ourselves.;)

Stangman.
 
Sure, they must get approval, but what if you've acquieseced to it? The fact you're posting here is EVIDENCE in court that you knew and cast a blind eye.
 
Deltaberry said:
Sure, they must get approval, but what if you've acquieseced to it? The fact you're posting here is EVIDENCE in court that you knew and cast a blind eye.
Click to expand...

Agree they will have waived their rights under the contract so far as "making good" goes which in this case sounds like no issue as reinstatement would leave them worse off. Given they in no way solicited the work they will still not be responsible for paying for it.

Bigger issue if you ask tennant to do work without first agreeing price.
 
K_Raheja said:
Interesting scenario...have a tenant in my property who have been staying for over a year without any issues related to paying on time etc.

they have kept the house in immaculate condition, but we(myself and prop manager) have noticed during our inspections that they have replaced the existing light fixture with nicer ones,painted section of the wall.

And after talking to them ..it seems they had actually replaced a bathroom vanity sink and commode on their own expense..few months before i had bought the property.

so far so good...what happens when they do not want to renew or i want diff tenants who can pay more ?

what rights to they have for unauthorised 'enhancements' to the property..as a safegaurd i have added 2 lines in the renewal contract that they have to get permission if they change/modify any thing in the house..

prop manager says she has never experienced a a tenant like this before...

any thoughts ?
Click to expand...

My Mum and Dad were renters until I was about 14. Every house we lived in (there were a few) they did a repaint at some stage, kept the gardens immaculate etc.

They were just terrific, houseproud people and didn't mind doing it for - not for the Landlord - for themselves and us. They treated the houses like their own. If only half the world were the same....

Send your Tenant one of those really you-beaut baskets full of the different things such as wine, cheeses etc - every Christmas.

We give our tenants the rubbish collection/disposal vouchers the Council send out with the rates notices every year.
 
geoffw said:
I once had a tenant do a paint job without my knowledge.

It was a pretty bad job.
Click to expand...

And therein lies the problem.

It's all well and good talking about getting trades in to do the appropriate jobs to a professional level but will they or are they mad DIY'ers who friggen have no idea or taste.

I have yet to see any 'tenant improvements' that we haven't had to undo or rectify in some way. The one exception is when the tenant was in the trade and brought his work home (similar to stagman).

Bottom line is that having the tenant carry out work just adds another management issue to your property ownership business.

Cheers
 
Stangman said:
Not everybody has an ulterior motive. I suggest you be happy knowing your property is in good hands.

I have rented for many years. Do not want to buy this place as i intend to move down to the South East when possible.

You would really not like me as a tenant.:D Here are just some of the things i have done to our rented home over the last few years -

Designer Sliding Robes to 3 bedrooms
Complete new kitchen
Polished floors
New switchboard with safety switch
Complete repaint several times
And much more.

My landlord knows that any work we do is at our expense, and will always be done in a very professional manner. Any electrical work is completed by a licenced tradesman with compliance certificate. Landlord says carry on and do what you want. He will be the wealthier for it when he eventually sells.

Why do we do it? We like living there, have good neighbours, and i like to keep busy. I also have a wife who likes a few nice things. When we leave i will have the satisfaction of knowing we looked after his property. No ulterior motive.

Stangman.
Click to expand...

Wow! Where do I find a tenant like you? Fantastic work!
 
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