From: Michele B
Here's a good one! I advertised an IP in the classifieds but (unknown to me) the new tenants responded via a listing agency which had taken my IP details from the ad (what they do is phone you and ask if they can list your house at no cost to you so you say yeah, sure, go ahead)
New tenants have been in the house for one week and are now wanting a substantial rent reduction or compensation/restitution via the tribunal because the listing agency had mistakenly ticked a box indicating that the house is air-conditioned - this is despite the tenants having inspected the house thoroughly prior to signing up and noting that there was no air-conditioning!
I am now required to air-condition the house because that is what I effectively advertised via the listing agency. Whether I want to take this matter up with the listing agency is a separate issue and up to me. But the bottom line is that I verbally authorised an ad I hadn't read. I will find an efficient and cost effective way round this problem and learn from it. But it's worth remembering that in business you must ALWAYS get things in writing, and make no mistake, with rentals you ARE in business.
Two more hints (gleaned from bitter experience is NEVER let tenants move into your house before all the paperwork is complete and you are happy and ALWAYS make notes (dated) every single time you have contact with your tenants.
A good property manager, if you use one, should be doing the above anyway, but if they don't, insist that they do when dealing with your properties.
Michele
Here's a good one! I advertised an IP in the classifieds but (unknown to me) the new tenants responded via a listing agency which had taken my IP details from the ad (what they do is phone you and ask if they can list your house at no cost to you so you say yeah, sure, go ahead)
New tenants have been in the house for one week and are now wanting a substantial rent reduction or compensation/restitution via the tribunal because the listing agency had mistakenly ticked a box indicating that the house is air-conditioned - this is despite the tenants having inspected the house thoroughly prior to signing up and noting that there was no air-conditioning!
I am now required to air-condition the house because that is what I effectively advertised via the listing agency. Whether I want to take this matter up with the listing agency is a separate issue and up to me. But the bottom line is that I verbally authorised an ad I hadn't read. I will find an efficient and cost effective way round this problem and learn from it. But it's worth remembering that in business you must ALWAYS get things in writing, and make no mistake, with rentals you ARE in business.
Two more hints (gleaned from bitter experience is NEVER let tenants move into your house before all the paperwork is complete and you are happy and ALWAYS make notes (dated) every single time you have contact with your tenants.
A good property manager, if you use one, should be doing the above anyway, but if they don't, insist that they do when dealing with your properties.
Michele
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