Renters ???

[Bloodyaussie]

So here is my rant... I am sure there are many on here that have rented properties as an investment and can understand where I am coming from.

Now I have rented myself for 30 years so can see from both sides of the coin but I just dont get some people.

Today I had to drive down to remove a whole heap of greenwaste from the fence line that was removed by my neighbour to make way for a new fence.. so this is the first time I have seen the place since doing a massive clean up before renting the place again and it was terrible.

Besides the normal crap of lawns way to long and weeds everywhere they are stock piling rubbish in bags and there are cig butts everywhere.... and I mean heaps.

Then they have taken to getting a washing machine tumbler in the middle of the yard and having fires and crap all over the place..... they have only been there 4 months and the place is a fricking mess.

There is more but you get the jist of it.... I had one tenant a few years ago that complained there were too many spiders???

I dont expect perfection but my god a little bit of respect.

After spending a full day there getting the place spotless after the last tenant left the place looking like shit it was so hard to see the place like this...

Now we stay away and do not bug the tenants and if something needs fixing we get it done so why do we still get screwed.....

Rant over guys........ doo de doo de do do doo !!!!

[Ben-e-boy]

Something to look forward too.

After I finish on these 2 big jobs we have on the go at the moment I will end up with enough to get my first investment property.

[gaddy]

Yep sold ours 6 months ago , and have no desire to buy another ever again ,

[AB]

With my stubborn and anal personality I am glad I don't have investment properties...lol

Being that I own the place I would flip out. Even though that place sounds very much like the current state of my house...lmao

[Sir Roofy]

Just have to cop it on the chin theres more bogans than decent folk

[Bloodyaussie]

Just have to cop it on the chin theres more bogans than decent folk

So true mate........... and AB if it was not for Mags I would flip it but she keeps me calm..

[gaddy]

Just have to cop it on the chin theres more bogans than decent folk

I ran out of chins lol:)

[Drewboyaus]

I personally prefer sharemarket investment to property for that very reason......other people f&ckin' with your sh!t....

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[macca86]

We have a unit we rent out in Logan which is a dodgy area so when it came to tenants I was worried I'd get a meth cook hooker or similar stereo types.
I signed up to a refugee program that's government funded. This has several problems and goes against some of my morals.
I mostly went with this as it's government funded so no money issues normally associated with lower economic areas


Anyway this brings me to my gripe, a family moved in with a full house of government funded furniture etc. had the 6 month inspection to find the place perfect because they left 3 months earlier and for the last 6 months you tax payers have been paying me my rent for an empty house so no chance of damage or wear and tare etc but a big waste of tax dollars I wonder how many more places are like this?

[Bloodyaussie]

Wow.... ha ha at least its going to a good cause !!!!!!!!

I do hear you mate as I am sick of buying things for people like Ipads ... I dont have a bloody Ipad !!!

[NissanGQ4.2]

I wonder how many more places are like this?

Probable lots, My old man use 2 have an investment property rented out to the military, and they were the same. The house could be empty for months at a time but the military kept renting it.

What would the government care, its taxpayers dollars footing the bill

[Drewboyaus]

They're renting it so they can hang on to the property.
Has nothing to do with who the tenants are. Many business's do the same so employees/executives have somewhere to move to if/when needed.

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[2TROLLFAM]

As an EX Property Manager I feel your pain. From your post I am assuming you are a private landlord and don't utilise a Property Manager from a reputable Real Estate (or the likes of businesses that only do Property Management) ?

Initial prospective tenant investigations are crucial to ensuring you give yourself the best possible chance of securing a respectable tenant. Unfortunately private landlords don't generally have access to TICA which gives you details of any recorded rental arrears, damage issues or property court related matters. www.tica.com.au

Tenancy references (at least the 2 most recent) should be fully checked and property searches done. This ensures the details given to you are in fact the details of the actual owners of previous places the applicant has lived in. You wouldn't believe how many people make up stories & put a mate as the contact. Owners blindly give them a call and leave it at that. Do a police background check. Have it in your application form that would will be doing these searches and obtain their written authorisation to do so. They won't want you doing it if there something to hide - so that alone tells you to steer clear.

Whilst yes you need to respect your tenants privacy you also have the RIGHT to protect your investment. 3mthly inspections are highly recommended - as is breaching tenants who are not fulfilling their terms of the rental agreement.

Don't know about other states but here in sunny QLD you can apply to the courts for an eviction on the grounds of accumulated breeches for the same repeated issues.

Do you collect a bond? 4 weeks rent is generally the accepted amount to obtain and this should be lodged with your states applicable Rental Bond Board. Then of they vacate and leave a mess etc you something to go towards the expense by claiming their bond for such things as repairs. (Need receipts to proove it so if run your own business or a mate - get invoices issued)

Property Management is an extremely involved & freeeeeking stressful job - making sure everyone is following the current legislation, inspections, repairs, collecting rent and yes, chasing arrears, court appearances .. The list goes on.

I honestly would recommend employing the services of a professional worth it.

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[2TROLLFAM]

That's not to say you'll be living the dream with perfect tenants BUT you have a better chance unless you know exactly what you're doing and are upto date with current laws and not only your tenants rights but your rights as an owner

My ex and I were always planning on getting an investment property but after I did this work for a few years I was like NO WAY!! Buy shares instead ;)

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[the evil twin]

Defence Housing Authority was a good way to go a few years back.
Can be expensive to get into tho due to the size and age of the housing they require but was all upside from there.

[Family4x4]

Take solace in the fact that the land value is what grows and not the house.

[Alitis007]

Make sure its insured and the tenants burn it to the ground! That way you might build your dream home lol

[Bloodyaussie]

I use an agent and the property gets inspections regularly but I have found them wanting on many occasions..

I too have had and still do have lots of experience with agents and mostly do not like them..

Last week an owner of a flat in Toorak was complaining about a list of things as she is looking at selling after only 2 years, one of the complaints is a cable hanging loose outside her flat and going up over a 2 story roof..

I was asked to go and see what I could do and suggested that I disconnect the cable to find out who's flat it services and when the tenant complains we know where to send the order to fix properly and not just have hanging freely off the roof down the side of the building...

Now I tied the cable to a tree at head height and left the other part sitting there out of the brick work... all you had to do was re-connect it, well the cable turned out to be a tv antenna and it belonged to the lady that was complaining about the cable..... instead of just re-connecting the cable she went into a tirade and made all sorts of threats.... I went there today (with a call out fee) and 45 min to drive there and 3 seconds to screw the cable back together.. the property managers are sending a trady out there to fit the cable to the wall properly and she will receive a bill for both that work and my time..... if only she had acted like a reasonable person she would not be coughing up the big bucks for a simple cable.... frustrating she is.

People expect everything and will not take responsibility for themselves .

[BigRAWesty]

Lol.. I have been on the other end though before we bought.
Luckily I took photos with all the issues before we move furniture in, I gave a copy to the agents which were "miss placed" blithe time we moved out and they tried pinning us for a whole repaint due to nails in the walls for hooks...
And the stove the best one, they reckon the stove rings were silver.. There were painted black. I tried showing them but I got the stuck uo nose..
So I took em to work, 10 mins on the sanded and buffer they had there polished mild steel rings...
My guess they lasted a month.. Lol

Anyway. Father in-law has a rental.. 3 bedroom house. His bond was 3 weeks rent, roughly $700.. Last tenants trashed it. Had a brand new bathroom and kitchen.. The main thing was they never put salt in the water softener.. So everything was covered in calcium..
He kept the 700 for his time cleaning up again. At $50/ hour 700 doesn't last long..

But the new tenants there are awesome. Unfortunately they have a disabled children, blind I think. But they are the nicest people and love doing things around the house. Last month they re stained the deck. Equipment and stain was supplied but they did it..

[2TROLLFAM]

OMFG - you've agents looking after it and still got that bad, that quickly.

It's a shame there seem to be so many half assed agents out there. They'd be on their way out if it were me (tenant and agent)

Wish you well with Antenna lady ... Unreasonable tenants make it so much harder than it needs to be

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[2TROLLFAM]

OMFG - you've agents looking after it and still got that bad, that quickly. It's a shame there seem to be so many half assed agents out there. They'd be on their way out if it were me (tenant and agent) Wish you well with Antenna lady ... Unreasonable tenants make it so much harder than it needs to be Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

Don't know how to edit with forum runner

Just reread that - antenna lady was the actual owner of the flat???

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[Bloodyaussie]

Don't know how to edit with forum runner

Just reread that - antenna lady was the actual owner of the flat???

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Yes she is the owner of the flat and in 2 years has never made the effort to speak to me in regards to anything.... I look after the whole complex (gardening and maintenance) and if she had done so she would have more of an understanding of how things work in the real world and we could have sorted the antenna situation out with much more ease.

The problem with our rental is 2 months without an tenant would take a couple of years to make back so not worth going crazy over but to let them know they do have a responsibility to keep the place tidy within reason.

Cig butts everywhere just kills me as I know they will not be cleaned nearly enough... for those smokers its $512 fine for flicking your cig and anyone can dob you in.

[2TROLLFAM]

What a stoopid woman!!

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[meh]

I was on the other side of the stick when I rented. Only rented for 12 months after moving out of my parents investment unit had a private aggreement with them.

Had our 3 monthly inspections. House was immaculate, gardens better then when we moved in as I like to garden. During the inspection they would tell us how lovely the house was ect ect and no concerns. Then a couple of hours later ring us up and abuse us about what they found and expect it to be fixed ASAP - All very minor things which took less then 5 minutes total to do. There was some dust in the tracks of the windows.
The windows leaked in the rain - Turns out they were installed up the wrong way not our problem. The rain washed away some of the dirt in the retaining wall onto the grass as it wasnt built properly, again not my problem. There was some cobwebs in the corner of the garage behind a bench that was installed before we moved in that were out of reach.

Lucky we took pictures when we first moved in to back up our initial check list thing as they tried to pin us for all sorts of repairs when we moved out that were already there - like a crack in the tile in the main area - they wanted us to replace and re-tile the whole room and to replace all the carpets in the house as there was a stain - which we had proof was already there and didnt come out after 2 x professional carpet clean.
Could not wait to get out of that 12 month lease!!

Bought a house and havent looked back

[Covo71]

I have the same. First tenants we had were the best. 2nd were terrible, ended up going there as they were not paying on time and had a nice chat to and told him what was going to happen to him. They moved out soon after with some damage to the house. Caught up with him later though. Then took a chance on a family 4 kids and they have been there for the last 18months and are great. Hoping to sell it soon as we are renting at the moment and can't stand trying to keep the place pristine. We have a 1 and 5 year old, not the easiest job to keep it spot on. Lucky wifey doesn't work and she looks after all that.

[Cuppa]

Have never had an investment property, but we did rent out our home in Melbourne for several years whilst we rented ourselves in the country. The initial tenants were cops sharing & looked after the place well, but over time the tenants changed one by one & care for the place deteriorated. The agents ‘maintenance’, when required was carried to by ‘Dodgy & Son’ making the ‘making good I had to do heaps more work than if they had done a proper job.

I swore I would never rent a place out again, but now we are planning to do so. Again it will be our home, rather than an investment property. It will be rented long term when we travel, but we will return to the property to live in the barn I am planning to build, between trips. This will have separate access so the tenants are not disturbed by us, but we will be able to keep a bit of an eye on the house. I was talking to a mate recently who has severe investment properties, all in rural Victoria. His strategy is that he would rather leave his places empty (His places are all low cost houses he doesn’t owe anything on) than rent to anyone under 40 y.o & prefers to get a lower rent from long termers knowing they will likely look after the place. He has several little old ladies in their 60’s who have been in situ for 5 + years now. He also never lets a property without personally vetting the prospective tenants. I think I’ll probably follow his advice if we can, although a family who want to keep a pony might be a reasonable prospect as well as older folk. Plenty of time to think about it yet though - probably be at least a year before the barn’s built.

[Irish]

Thats sh*t Johnny, I remember how spotless that place was after the first big cleanup. Surely if they are stockpiling litter and ciggie butts it is at least enough to be able to give them a formal warning?
Is there any way you can change property managers?

[Bloodyaussie]

I dont want them to move out as it costs us way to much but they need to be aware that they do need to keep things tidy.. and yes Peter it is hard to look at it when the place is bloody tidy and then this ??

As for property managers well I hate Ray White and would love to but this is Mags's baby and I cant be bothered fighting with her over it, I'm just the one who has to do all the work!!!

[Family4x4]

Perhaps draft a letter for the agents to pass on.

It could highlight the terms in the lease requiring the tenants to maintain the property. It could also state that if they are unable to do this the service could be completed for them, for a fee.

Enter BA.

[Bloodyaussie]

Funny as I have invoiced my own property before from the last tenant.... and no nothing dodge about it !!!!!

[menace 2]

I left my last place I owned empty for about 14 months and fully furnished rather than rent it out ..just maintained the gardens ...f"*k the bullshit..a months rent as bond would be lucky to replace a hot water service these days let alone potential major damage ..

[CPOCSM]

I went to a private setup on my investment property as the RE agents in Canberra were charging me 12.5 per cent management fees, but not doing anything with it. I had a call from the tenants when their HWS shat the biscuit and had rung the agent, who promptly dragged their heels. Fronted them on my last visit to inspect and terminated their services, asking for a payment of $1330 for a new HWS. Took me eight weeks to get the money from them after finally getting success with the RE tribunal and my insurance company rattling their shit tin! They threatened to take me to court for lost earnings...didn't even get to the staging phase as they were all full of BS and wind! Have the same tenants in there still and treat it like they owned it. They ring directly and request things get done but I have authorised them to ring tradies directly if something goes belly up on them. Gave them a Christmas present in redoing the garage pit to waterproof it and sink a water sump in the bottom of it. When ever it starts filling with water, a bilge pump takes the water away. Redid all the lighting and installed new power points(guy is a car nut!)and put a deck off the main bedroom...I have them on a twelve month lease but they are long term tenants so just keep the rent steady and haven't raised it in four years. Will have to to cover some costs but I discussed a $20 per week increase...they were happy with that.

[macca86]

12.5% is crazy! My property manager charges me 8% and I think it's a rip!

[Bloodyaussie]

Shit I am paying 6%........ just got the bloody insurance bill for our rental as a coincidence, want to be sick.. another $700+ dollars.

I just feel the amount of bills we pay is increasing and the amounts go up at a stupid rate, if I put my rates up like this I would have no clients.

[2TROLLFAM]

I'll say!!!! When I left PM 3yrs ago we were charging 5.75% but hey, my owners & tenants LOVED me ... Only drama is that I never came across the issue I am experiencing now as a tenant (divorce and a £EUR^% who kept the house)

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