Tenant wants a week's free rent after storm water damaged their belongings

[kathryn d]

This past weekend we signed our own personal super/manager to look after our properties.They don't look after any one elses property.They have 1 IP, and are about to settle on their PPOR in the next month or so.
They will do exactly as we direct, perform cleaning,maintenace and repairs when necessary. Call in tradies when required.Shovel snow off stairs. Collect rent, make bank deposits,serve papers to tenants if required. Represent us in Tenancy Hearings if needed.Sign new tenants.
All this for 4 %.

This will be for 8 months of the year, when we are overseas.
As Willair stated. It is all about control. We control. Not the manager.

Maybe some of the investors there, should consider having someone work just for you.

 

[rugrat]

Just in case it hasn't sunken in yet, you are being taken for a ride.

Give you pm notice of termination now - they are not doing the job they are supposed to be doing.

As for the tenants, issue all appropriate notices - they have paid you nothing, you owe them nothing. If they really wanted money for mowing the lawn they should have approched you about that first (why is it your responsibility to mow the lawns anyway?). If you want to be nice, then you might consider paying them for this - ONLY if they can provide the appropriate tax invoice.

As for the stormdamaged belongings - if they cann't even provide evidence of what was damaged, then too bad. Even if they could, I would be hestitant to pay this - that is why they are supposed to take out their own contents insurance.

GET RID OF THIS PM, and EVICT THE TENANT.

 

[raths187]

Completely agreeing with everyone 100%. Thank you!! Going to start cracking the whip now!! Have asked PM to get a receipt from the tenant for mowing and absolute N O to the weeks free rent.

Looking around for a new PM today. If anyone has recs in the Cairns/Gordonvale QLD area, please give me a heads up!

Vincenzo - hope you plan to mow my lawns & clean the pool for free ha ha

Appreciate everyone's input so far.

 

[crc_error]

easy, its the tenants responsibility to insure their contents against such stuff.

second, a garage is for car parking, not storing house hold stuff which can be damaged by water.

 

[The Fence]

OMG...this is yet another PM horror story....where you have to manage the PM, who then doesn't manage the tenant....why go on with this...???

I do hope you can clear this up and get on with what you are supposed to be doing .... managing your IP's...not managing the manager...

Get tougher....does not mean get meaner...

I wish you luck..!

 

[Dazz]

Thorpey,

It usually has it's root cause in the misnomer of "Property Manager".

When investors hire a Property Manager to manage their property, they naturally assume, due to the name, that the Property Manager manages the property.

See where it all falls down ??

Now that that has been cleared up, there will obviously be no more threads on PM misconceptions.

 

[redwing]

The Rent Collectors then?

 

[Dazz]

Naaaah Redwing, what about...

"19 yr old wet behind the ears, 1 week formal training now I'm a professional, don't worry the Landlord will foot the bill, the tenant called to say, what would you like me to do, I'm sorry that's against our policy, it's alright we've already stripped it out of your rents, you'll find out next month, our standard fee doesn't include that, can we be of any further assistance today"

 

[Pushka]

They store gear in the garage, it rains, it gets wet and they expect you to pay? I reckon their Insurance wont pay out either. Just make sure you dont! Since when are garages supposed to be waterproof!

 

[raths187]

Nope, not paying. Contents is the tenant's responsibilty, so I have that on my side. For my PM to ask me the question is a total joke, shouldn't have bothered me with such nonsense.

Have found a new PM who was shocked with the lazy behaviour of my current PM (i.e. Letting tenant fall behind at least 1 month without immediate notification to me - new PM said he would have posted an eviction notice already and used their Bond to cover the missing rent). After all banks don't care if you can't make the mortgage repayments do they? Whatever your situation is.

Then tenant has the nerve to ask for a week's free rent.....after being so far in arrears. Needless to say, I won't be renewing this tenant's lease and have sent a Termination notice to the current PM.



Happy that I've taken control, however I am a little worried about the wrath of the current PM during the notice period though.....(90 days) If I wasn't getting any service before, I don't think I will be getting any now. Who knows if I'll get the rent money I'm owed & the rent money I am due until the lease & the notice period is up.

 

[twobobsworth]

Have found a new PM who was shocked with the lazy behaviour of my current PM

Doesn't mean much. New PMs will always bag past PMs.

Happy that I've taken control, however I am a little worried about the wrath of the current PM during the notice period though.....(90 days)

Don't give them any notice. Worst that could happen is they hit you up for 3 months commission. What's that about $300 for your peace of mind?

 

[kathryn d]

Don't the PMs need to collect the rent , before they get their commission?

Refuse to pay them , when you switch PMs, and say they didn't fulfill their contract.

 

[MrPropertyMngr]

Hi all, I am new here, looking for some advice.
I am in Victoria and have an IP in Cairns, QLD. I had tenants move in, in January this year on a 6 month lease. They had some gear stored in the garage during the early stages of moving in and it had been raining heavily causing the gutters & downpipes to be blocked and flood the garage causing some of their gear to get wet.

We had our PM send out a handyman urgently to fix the problem and this cost $264 so not worth claiming on the insurance as it wasn't worth paying the excess.

As I'm in another state, I rely heavily on my PM in QLD to look after things (which is their job). Anyway when I was initially told about the flooding, I emailed the PM and asked how bad the damage was to the tenants belongings. However I didn't get a response so I assumed it had been nothing too bad and since I had the problem fixed, I thought all was good.

The tenants have been behind on the rent since February due to the husband being retrenched however has since found a new job so am told by the PM they will catch up by the end of May. Totally understand as I am compassionate about the situation so wasn't fussed.

Now have just received an email from PM saying the tenants would like a week's free rent for the damage caused to their gear at the start of the lease. I have no idea how bad or what sort of damage and to what kind of items as I have never been told details or seen pictures. I understand that a Landlord should take responsibility however wondering why they did not ask when it happened and not some 4 months later.

Wondering if any of you have some advice? The rent is at $360 p.w. Mind you, I have still not made a cent since the property has been rented out as I'm still paying for pool cleaning and pool pump repair for the property.

I feel like I should ask for pictures and more detail before making a decision. I don't want my tenants to be upset however I feel like I have been very accomodating so far. Appreciate any advice

Was the storm your fault? NO.

Unless the tenant can prove you negligently refused to repair the roof despite numerous previous requests then they don't have a leg to stand on.

Any property manager with half a brain would explain to the tenant the concept of "house & contents insurance".

Tell the tenants to get some and to leave you alone. Perhaps if they sold some of this "stuff" that was lying around the garage on ebay they would have had money to pay the rent in the first place!