Why are some landlords so mercenary?
We gave notice to our old landlords when they hiked the rent up $80 a week.
I got a call yesterday that they intend to retain the bond to repaint the inside of the house and fix the bathroom cupboards. This is ridiculous. Let’s have a look how it looked before I moved in!
Walls
First, the cupboards in the bathroom are in EXACTLY the same condition as when I moved in five and a half years ago and I have the photos to prove it. Secondly, I asked for the house to be painted during my tenancy because the walls were so bad and was refused. I doubt the house has been painted inside since it was built about 30 years ago.
Bathroom Cupboards
I paid for half of the new carpet and fixed a badly patched hole in the hallway during my time in that house. Why did I pay for half the carpet? I was being a nice tenant, I thought. The old carpet was terrible and I figured paying for half new carpet was cheaper than moving at the time. This was on the basis I would get to enjoy the carpet I had paid for during a few more years of tenancy. I had even enquired about getting permission to paint the inside of the house before the battle became so expensive because clearly the landlord was never going to do it.
The shower base was revolting when I moved in.
Shower Base
I scrubbed and a bit of elbow grease removed all the “stains”. I had pointed out on inspection that the house wasn’t clean and they got the cleaners through before I occupied. I’m damned if I know what the cleaners did, as I insisted they come back and clean the stove.
When we moved out that shower was spotless and you could see through the glass!
What on earth makes the owners think they can retain my bond to do routine maintenance that SHOULD have been done before I moved in? Today I discovered the quotation to repaint the house is about $4,000. Is she going to try to claim all of this off me?
The whole thing is just ridiculous, it really is.
It is just all too much. I’ve fought too many battles over the last few years, I don’t have the strength to fight more, especially when they are so damn stupid! I just don’t need the added stress, especially when I am still trying to get the dishwasher and the oven working in the new house. How hard is it to keep a house in a decent condition for tenants?
I need to take time off work to attend the VCAT hearing, find all the documentation about the carpet and the wall to lodge the compensation claim. Getting my carpet money back wasn’t even a consideration for me before, but NOW?
Do you have a horror story of a landlord to share?
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Sorry to read this and please fight them for your money. It is wrong to try and bilk you for work they never did in the first place… Hang in there and thinking of you…
Thank you Elizabeth. I will have to lodge this week, but the lurgy hit me again, so I’ve been sick these past few days. Four other’s at work either have it or have just had it, so it is doing round two of the office I think.
It is the added stress I just do not need at the moment.
I hear you… what a nuisance it all can be. Do feel better soon and sending you healing light and prayers for a resolution to the matter.
Thank you! I heard today she has dropped the painting claim, but is still claiming for other things.
Sorry to hear about your trouble… Like a said before, we moved a lot when I was a kid, and it meant many landlords. Not a single one of them was nice and fair, there were always quarrels. Want a horror story? When my mother got pregnant (that would be tiny little me inside her), her landlady demanded that she and my father leave and find a new place, she didn’t want a baby there.
That is just terrible! I think mine thinks she can do this because of 4 kids, but that isn’t going to wash in this case.
I’m surprised that she’s willing to go through a hearing knowing that she will likely lose. Maybe you can let her know that you will counterclaim unless she drops her request for the bond?
Also the real estate agents charge her for handling the hearing. It is very strange, really.
It´s disgusting when landlords expect to to be any wear and tear over the years of tenancy. In your case you left the place better than it was when you moved in! Fight them Robyn and get your money back, you deserve it! That shower and walls were disgusting, how could they let people move in without first cleaning. Thank goodness you have photos to prove it all.
ESPECIALLY since I paid for half the new carpet!!! That is what really irks me. Wasn’t that enough?
Always take photos prior to move in…I’ve heard it can be a good idea to do a walk through (when you first move in) with a new landord/lady and write down and photograph any problems etc and have both of you sign it. Good luck with the previous landlord…that’s sometimes how they make some extra money, because people can’t/don’t take off time from work to fight them
A condition report is mandatory here in Australia. I always take photos. Took a swag hete in the new place too.
It is just disappointing when I made the place better than it was!
There are two clear choices in on this planet; love money or love people. You can’t do both as they are mutually exclusive. Those who love money are already dead and so the dead have no feelings, do they? Those who love people are always alive and always will be and so suffer more because feelings can be hurt. Your landlord fits into the category of the dead. Don’t be angry with him/ her, pity him/ her because when their body dies they will never have lived. As for their actions over the property it’s the usual narrow minded hypocrisy of capitalism; foolishly they think money is power and freedom, but money is a net and the more they twist around in convoluted plans to make more money, the more entangled they become in the net and so the less freedom and power they have.
Thanks Richard. I just don’t understand it. I think the fact she had to replace the water heater during my tenancy pissed her off, but it was OLD OLD OLD and hardly my fault it died!
some landlords are arseholes Robyn. I fully get you not wanting another drama but how about you draft a quick letter saying you have gained legal advice and you have been advised that pursuant to the …(you will have to quickly Google NSW regs) that they have failed to keep the site in a fit and proper state and that you are not responsible for any breach of the rental contract; therefore you will require immediate reimbursement of bond. Do it girl!
Victoria is different I think. It all goes through VCAT. The burden of proof is on her and she doesn’t have any. It is the hassle and the absolute gall of the woman that gets me. That is why I will counter claim for the carpet if she goes ahead.
Very annoying on top of having moved to a house where the bloody appliances are not working!
Go for it! dig into your energy reserve and get your money back…then treat yourself to a holiday
the landlords are the same in the UK. They must expect general wear and tear but they screw you every which way. Good luck!
I would be less angry had the place been OK when I moved in. If I published photos of the rangehood and oven you would throw up!
It’s been my experience that the landlord ALWAYS keeps the deposit, especially if you’ve been in the house any length of time. It’s crap, but such a pain to deal with, they usually get away with it. Good luck!
Here the bond (deposit) is held in trust by the government and the tenant has to agree or there has to be a hearing and the landlord has to prove the case.
Unless there are holes in the wall or damage beyond normal wear and tear they have a hard job keeping the bond. Thank goodness.
The place is 10 times cleaner than when I moved in and NO damage.
I expect VCAT to find in my favour, it us just something I didn’t need right now.
I’m sorry to read this Robyn but glad you are optomistic it will be resolved in your favour but only with more hassle. We do have something similar in the Uk where the money is held by a separate body. I rented for a year before I bought this house and had no trouble but it was a fairly new house and pretty spotless to start off with but nevertheless I did walk round with the agent before I moved in and he recorded anything I noticed and I got a copy of this.
Yes we do inspection reports here too plus most tenants now take photos.This place is about 30 or 40 years old. Built in the 70s I think. I think she objected to replacing the hot water service when it blew up. She never fixed the front door lock or the leaky gutters.