Tenants knowing your home address

[L and P]

I don't have anything to hide

I see the rental properties as a business. We don't tell everyone else we deal with in our 'real' business our home address so I see no need for the tenants to know that.

It's no big deal I guess. There is a difference though to a tenant knowing your address and them knowing all the details about all property you own.....
It was an abuse of RP Data in my mind.

 

[New_b]

Yes we have nothing to hide and do the right thing by law. But what happen if you had a tenant from hell, who trashed your property and unhappy with the tribunal outcome. They might come after you. What would/could you do then?

 

[The Fence]

Don't have tenants from hell.

If a tenant came after me what do you suggest they will do?

More chance of road rage from someone totally unrelated to property etc.

We don't have a problem with privacy so hence the differing POV.

 

[handyandy]

May not be your tenant but someone who listens to one of your tenants, belly aching about the rich bloody LL. Suddenly, a perpetrator gets an idea to stage a little stand-over act and comes a knocking.

There are all types in this world and unfortunately this particualr event has happened namely Victor Chang and Paul Douglas Peters (collar bomber). Both of these were motivated by greed and the belief that they could extort money from their victims.

Cheers

 

[Ed Barton]

It was an abuse of RP Data in my mind.

Too bad so sad.

It's publicly available information.

 

[Ideo]

I try to keep our address private. Just for ... Privacy !

I was pretty annoyed though when during a conversation with the tenant about the property for sale next door he happened to mention he'd looked our house ( that he rents from us ) up on RP data. He made a comment about the price we paid etc.
I was so annoyed and no I didn't say anything because at the time I was just so shocked.
I'm annoyed because he knows how many property's we have and what we paid. Even our family don't know this information. We keep things private for very good reasons.

It's public information.

Hell, you could get that information just by typing it into Google for some properties.

 

[Ideo]

May not be your tenant but someone who listens to one of your tenants, belly aching about the rich bloody LL. Suddenly, a perpetrator gets an idea to stage a little stand-over act and comes a knocking.

There are all types in this world and unfortunately this particualr event has happened namely Victor Chang and Paul Douglas Peters (collar bomber). Both of these were motivated by greed and the belief that they could extort money from their victims.

Cheers

And a bolt of lightening could come down from the sky in an instant and strike you dead. Or a mad axe murderer unrelated to your tenants could murder you in your bed.

Paranoid hypothetical situations are just that.

 

[fokas]

Yes we have nothing to hide and do the right thing by law. But what happen if you had a tenant from hell, who trashed your property and unhappy with the tribunal outcome. They might come after you. What would/could you do then?

The same things you would do if you had a falling out with an extended family member, or an ex-partner, or an old friend and they did the same and 'came after you'.

 

[The Fence]

The hysteria over a tenant "from hell" is remarkable!

Actually it's not even from experience it's just the thought of it getting some folks scared to death.

Each to their own though. Fair enough.

 

[greentomato]

As a tenant, I've never had any desire to arrive on the landlords doorstep nor ring them when we have a property manager who looks after the tenancy.

When I receive copies of the water account the property manager crosses out the landlords address with a texta, but it's still readable. The first time I saw it I just thought oh, he lives in a lovely area and thought nothing more of it. Since then I don't even look at that part of the water bill.

 

[attrill]

A PO Box solves a lot of issues. Nobody gets my home address unless I want to invite them round. If a random person stopped you in the street and asked you where you live would you tell them?

Most would say no, but then are quite happy to give their address out to any shop assistant that asks for it.

I live in WA and my property manager doesn't have my home address. It's never been an issue.

 

[Dazz]

Paranoid hypothetical situations are just that.

Not at all - that comment was directed at handyandy, a formidably experienced long term Landlord. Handyandy has probably seen more Tenants and Tenant years than you've had hot dinners.

To those Landlords who do show respect for experience, yes it does happen, and no it's not a good idea at all giving Tenants your home address.

Some years ago one of our inherited Tenants that came with a distressed industrial property we purchased, decided to use the property for stealing cars and caravans and 'chopping them up' and on-selling them, along with dealing hard illicit drugs from the property.

The Police and detectives had him under active surveillance from the carpark opposite. I got wind of what was happening and immediately called the Police to a) stress I had nothing to do with and did not condone what he was doing, and b) provide any information I could to assist them with their enquiries.

The Tenant heard on the grapevine soon thereafter that I was co-operating with Police to have him charged and ultimately removed from the property. He called my home number and threatened to come around, stating the address and blow up the house, when the wife and kids were at home with explosives.

No hypothetical paranoia. Reality.

Despite it being my child's birthday, spent the next 4 hours down at the local Police Station registering a formal written complaint. Saw his wrap sheet - it went on and on for 4 computer screens worth. This guy was serious.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, whichever way you look at it, the next week he bashed senseless an 80 year old couple over a breeding pair of birds, putting them both in hospital, and the husband nearly in a grave. He got 4.5 years in goal for that, which enabled us to kick him out of both the property and our lives.

By the time you have a tenant, you not only know where they live, but probably have seen their pay slips, bank statements, kid's details etc. It hardly even brings it up to an even playing field.

Where is it written anywhere it needs to be an even playing field ?? The Tenant is required to respect the property they are renting and pay the rent on time as stipulated in the Lease. If they do those 2 things, they'll never need the outrageous services Tenancy Advocates like "thatbum" provide.

 

[willair]

Hi everyone,

How many of you attempt to hide where you live from your tenants?

My agent said she can write the agency address instead of my home address in the tenancy agreement and the bond document.

Is this legal?

If my tenants know where I live, I don't want a surprise visit! Especially If I live close to the IP!

Thanks

If they know your name it would takes about 90 seconds,,if you self manage why would there be a problem or through a agent,,

 

[kathryn d]

Well said Dazz.


We also don't give our home address.

We have a mailbox at an apt building we own, and use it for our mail delivery.
At one of our Residential Tenancy hearings, one tenant complained because they knew we did not live there. The tenancy officer, who we deal with on a regular basis, stated she has never had an issue with us receiving any mail.
Tenants have our phone number, which is a mobile, and an email address.(mobile phones in Canada are not traceable yet)

We deal with a lot of tenants, and they all seem fine when you first have them. As soon as they decide paying rent is optional, and we start collections with the Sherrif, they become irate pretty quick.

Yes, many on SS would say we have 'bogan' type tenants, but mental illness/aggression can happen anywhere.

It is a small town, so some tenants will eventually find out where we live, but we don't need to broadcast it.

 

[thatbum]

I have to say I've noticed that the peeps on here who are most derogatory towards tenants are the ones with the most "nightmare tenant" experiences.

Which of course would make a lot of sense - except I wonder if its one of those "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" things.

 

[Ideo]

My point is simple. All the information is currently in the public domain anyway. If the tenant wants it, they will get it.

However, statistically it is an unlikely event. I'm sure it does happen. Just as someone tracking you down through your car number plate does happen. Or following you home from a traffic incident.

Do I support this? No. I think it is ridiculous and pointless. But the information is already available to anyone who wants it. Names are on the lease any tenant signs.

 

[Ausprop]

hand out your resi address? not on your nelly. anyone that has loved ones at home would fight to keep this information private to the full possible extent of the law.

whereby you are in a situation that these details are in the public domain, you need to ensure you have adequate security and are armed.

 

[kathryn d]

I have to say I've noticed that the peeps on here who are most derogatory towards tenants are the ones with the most "nightmare tenant" experiences.

Which of course would make a lot of sense - except I wonder if its one of those "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" things.

As any of our decent tenants will attest..we are always fair, and will bend over backwards to make them happy.

If they are upfront, and state they will be a few days late on their rent..we always say 'no problem'. However, when they bounce a cheque, and then wait for us to contact them..and the list goes on...they have met their match.

This week we received another large cheque from our Sherrif..from these 'bogan' tenants. I bet these former tenants are telling their friends how terrible we are

 

[Dazz]

I have to say I've noticed that the peeps on here who are most derogatory towards tenants are the ones with the most "nightmare tenant" experiences.

Not at all - that is such a broad brush statement as to be practically meaningless.

The statistical fact is that as you grow as a Landlord, both in time and number of properties leased out, you are invariably going to encounter more Tenants who do the wrong thing.

Comparing a Landlord who has owned 1 nice house in a leafy suburb for 2 years is a world away from someone who owns 20 blocks of flats in average to poor suburbs, each containing up to 8 residences and has gradually built that portfolio up over 30 years.....their experiences and views of the world are going to be slightly different.

To say nothing of course of the Landlords that actively seek out property bargains in distressed states (either through neglecting absentee LLs or ratbag Tenants who have destroyed the value and refuse to move). Making a conscience decision to go ahead and buy those distressed assets, do the hard yards with confronting and evicting the ratbags and then turning the assets around for large yield and capital gains, once again, you are going to come across a higher proportion of ratbags.

In both cases (and there are plenty more), the proportion of confrontations between Landlord and Tenant says absolutely nothing about your implied "bad attitude" of Landlords. Quite the contrary in fact.

 

[Of The Vultures]

I don't want my home address known to my tenants either but how can you prevent them finding out? It's there to see to anybody with RP Data access. If they really wanted to know, they'd find it.