Landlord being anal about lawns

backno67 on 09/12/2015 - 22:58

Wondering if I could have advice on this:

Been renting for over 5 years.
We have an inspection every three months where landlord or agent inspects the house
There has been no feedback from the last 12 inspections or so.
After last inspection, however, we have received two letters saying that "we have come past the house and seen that the lawns needed mowing and edges were overgrown" and refer to a clause in the contract that states that lawns have to be kept clean and tidy. If not done, they will hire a gardener at our expense.
First time, I agree that it had been left overgrown, fixed fairly soon, within a week.
Second time, the letter arrives 10 days after having done the lawns. In my opinione they are in good to very good condition. The letter itself says "somewhat overgrown".

Question is, is it legal to be passing by and giving feedback on days that are not inspection days? Is it feasible to ask to define what tidy and clean is because I truly think they are going overboard.

Any advice would be very appreciated.

Financial

Comments

        • sparkles on 10/12/2015 - 14:24

          @mycosys: Why are they crooks? Even without negative gearing the crazy increasing value of property is better than money in the bank, even if empty of renters. It's not hurting the investors, only the tenants.

        • spiderdash on 10/12/2015 - 17:58
          +2

          @sparkles: without negative gearing I doubt investors would be buying properties madly and process going crazy

        • Ace26 on 11/12/2015 - 23:29

          @mycosys: You can't claim tax benefits (i.e. negative gearing) if the property is not generating income or listed for lease.

        • mycosys on 15/12/2015 - 15:38

          @Ace26: at some point in the financial year. so you can leave it empty for 9+m and just write off the tax.

      • tuffcruiser on 13/12/2015 - 03:35

        What did you give them instructions on how to not water your non native Cactus ..Really

    • macrocephalic on 10/12/2015 - 23:56

      Not sure where you are where it takes years for lawns to fill up with dandelions and weeds. Our neighbours sold a year ago and turfed before they left, the lawn was knee high with all sorts of weeds by August. I wish I could remember who the agent was so I could complain.

  • Spending2Much on 10/12/2015 - 11:05
    +19

    Once a year inspections??
    Is that for real?

    I have a rental property, had an older couple for 7 years tenancy. Never had a problem. I kept rent low, to keep them. Eventually moving into a retirement home.
    They moved out, and a suposedly nice family moved in…along with the disallowed large dog.
    Where to start.
    Back door was ruined by the large dog.
    Kids swung off kitchen cupboard door and broke hinge out, kitchen draw front same.
    Kids put a hole in wall in bedroom, amateur fix in plaster and painted a square, in a different colour over top.
    Clothes line got bent and broken from kids swinging on it.
    Plants and gardens ruined, lawns.
    Damaged garage door when they reversed into it with car.
    Their perception of clean, obviously very different to my own, agent, etc.
    Carpets stained and soiled, carpet cleaner couldnt remove.
    The skip hire to get rid of the left over rubbish and junk.
    Broken toilet seat, lamp shade, and blinds.
    This list could go on further…..
    First inspection after a month, highlighted some issue's…second insoection 3 months later, noted the problems, I was happy when they broke lease and left me with a huge clean up bill around the 6 month period.

    Yearly inspections and renters complain about being interfering at that.

    My investment, my retirement and my once family home I work hard to own\mortgage…..
    I dread to think the state of the place after a year.
    Aparently the tenant had a letter from her previous landlord?

    I Understand some families rent, some own.
    Yearly inspections and comments of interfering…..I'm still shaking my head with disbelief.

    • sparkles on 10/12/2015 - 12:08
      +11

      Kids and dogs man! The worse culprits for damage. I found writing on walls and inside cupboards, burnt carpet, curtains missing, broken window, copious amounts of discarded junk, and even a collection of bongs under the house after a family moved out. Best tenants are old timers, single females and gay men, end of. The rest can live elsewhere, not in my house. Lessons learnt. Tenants seem to forget, it's not their house, they are just paying to use it! It can represent an entire lifetime of work or a once in a lifetime inheritance to someone and tenants are whining about inspections. Also SMH.

      • WT on 10/12/2015 - 12:31
        +1

        I agree 100%. But thinking about it my sister inlaw, her husband and 2 brat boys, rent and they had a doberman which died 2 years ago and they dont have these issues.

        Also old timers can have bladder problems or kark it so there is also a risk with them too.

        As with single females/gay men i would prefer over 30 professional, some of the younger ones can party pretty hard and be untidy.

      • helllo on 10/12/2015 - 13:32
        -1

        *

        • Spending2Much on 10/12/2015 - 14:23
          +1

          We requested no pets.

          My tenants bought their LARGE dog in after and then the car lady came in with her catS….

          Yeah,a pet bond wouldn't have covered the damage.

        • sparkles on 10/12/2015 - 14:33

          True, surely not everyone is bad. But trust me, there are some out there giving families a very bad rep. These bad eggs are making it more difficult for the good ones. Until you've seen your property trashed it's probably hard to understand.

      • tebbybabes on 11/12/2015 - 22:19

        I just wanted to chime in. True, it's not their house, they're just paying to use it. However, I'd like to think that it may not be their house, but it IS their home. That's exactly how I treated all the rentals that we've had over the years. I didn't have a single complaint from a landlord and always left the property in terrific condition. I also did all the end of lease clean up… I always felt I could do a better job than a professional service.

        Wouldn't any reasonble person like to keep their home in good shape? I mean, they do live there!

    • b-hunterr on 11/12/2015 - 08:00

      Full on! So, I am confused I always thought that the tenants have to pay for clean up/damages? I mean, you have all their details and legally would be able to prove that they have damaged your property? Just does not make sense that someone can rent and then trash the place, leave and the owner has to pay damages? I moved into a property where the realestate said the people before were "lovely" and "long-term" tenants. However once moved in noticed a lot of things that weren't properly cleaned etc (must've in my excitement not noticed these during the inspection) and heard later neighbours said they were drugdealers.

    • neonlight on 11/12/2015 - 11:22

      Agree getting a good tenant is as difficult as getting your own house

    • nikey2k27 on 11/12/2015 - 11:30

      We had few of them over the years some people are pigs. my pop will not any new carpets in of our rentals.

  • Hirolol on 10/12/2015 - 12:15

    i just saw the word anal, clicked on the thread and wrote this comment.
    time to have a read and see whats going on here.

    • nobro25 on 11/12/2015 - 05:25

      I would personally cut the weeds and shove it up their…

  • fozzie on 10/12/2015 - 12:26

    I can't believe they drive by to look at the lawn… Agencies are mental in my opinion, I thought mine was bad…..

    • Davros on 10/12/2015 - 13:12
      +2

      LOL, You really think PM's do a special trip just to do this?
      My PM checks weekly, but only because she drives past it on the way to look at any one of another few hundred they manage.

      • sparkles on 10/12/2015 - 14:14
        +1

        Yeah, they probably drive by the property numerous times a day if it's on a street other than a court, so why wouldn't they take a look at the properties they are being paid to manage. It's their job. They don't want any hassles any more than you do.

  • Hirolol on 10/12/2015 - 12:47
    +3

    Just ignore the letters and do the gardening once a month or enough to maintain it to a reasonable level.
    Dont think they will get very far if they are being unreasonable

  • User167511 on 10/12/2015 - 13:03
    +2

    Here was my horrendous experience as a landlord.
    Fibro house totally trashed by a family of four, two kids 7 and 10. They punched holes in walls, faeces all over walls of bathroom, walls and floor of one bedroom. A possum living in the sleepout, chooks in the (destroyed) bedroom. The floor of the bathroom had four inches deep mix of rotting clothes, Ugg boots all mixed in with faeces and stank like nothing I've ever experienced. The smell was indescribable. 3 large skips of rubbish accumulated on the block. Took me 4 months to renovate and clean up. The shire condemned the property as unfit for human habitation. Worst experience of my life as a landlord.

    • fozzie on 10/12/2015 - 13:17
      +2

      Sorry to hear that, I hope you were able to get some money off them or insurance. Some people should live in caves, not houses

      • User167511 on 10/12/2015 - 15:21
        +1

        Nope not a penny. They skipped the state (WA to Vic). This crowd were very deceptive and put on a good show for a landlord, this seems to be a trend with these kinds of people. The only ones who'd ever paid rent on time, so I was lax with inspections. It took them 12 months to totally trash the place. I cannot describe how bad it was in words. Even under the house was littered with all manner of rubbish. Caves would have been too up-market for them. Lesson learned alright.

        • stonkered on 10/12/2015 - 20:43
          +2

          Jesus, How the hell does it get so bad. I dont teckon I could do that if I tried.

    • Euphemistic on 10/12/2015 - 13:43
      +14

      But did they mow the lawn?.

      • User167511 on 10/12/2015 - 15:21
        +5

        No. They had a much better solution, they killed it. No maintenance required.

    • shadowarrior on 10/12/2015 - 14:06
      -1

      I can't imagine them doing all this in a span of 3 months or so. Not sure which part of AU your property is in, so can't comment on inspection regulations, but surely something like this can be picked up during regular inspections.

      I worked as a RE agent (property manager) for a year or so and I could easily pick up which tenants are overall clean and tidy in general, who don't care about the property, and who don't care about the property but scared of inspections and try to clean everything a day or two before the inspection.

    • sparkles on 10/12/2015 - 14:18
      +2

      We had similar experience, though nowhere quite as grim as that. Mainly ruined carpets, kitchen cabinets damaged, and the damage I outlined in a post further up. Major expense (and loss of rent) was involved to get it back to a liveable condition. We had an order for them to pay outstanding rent owed. We received exactly zero. All in all, cost about $20k, a re-mortgage was involved. You need to be super fussy who you let loose on your property, I'd rather see it empty than with someone I had doubts about.

      • SKiZO on 10/12/2015 - 17:12
        +1

        Same. The last time I was a landlord, was the last time I was a landlord. 20k worth of damage. And to top it off the highly recommended muppet real estate agent let them get away with it all! I wish overgrown lawns was the only thing I had to contend with!

      • ms_caz on 13/12/2015 - 08:24
        +1

        We are currently in the same situation, about 20 thousand to get it back to liveable state. Although it's cash flow positive (when we actually have tenants who pay their rent), the quality of the applicants is such that we are cutting our losses and putting the property on the market. We can't afford to take the risk of the expense should we have another installation of the tenants from hell.

        • SKiZO on 13/12/2015 - 16:20

          I feel for you. It brings back the stressful reminders for me. All the best.

    • Spending2Much on 10/12/2015 - 14:24

      I feel for you. ….

      Watching the state of my home degrade in just a few months….

      People are so heartless.

      • Davros on 10/12/2015 - 18:04

        "People are so heartless."

        Thats one word for them, I can think of another far more suitable.

        • Spending2Much on 10/12/2015 - 18:06

          I was holding back on a family friendly forum….

          Still shaking head over some of the complaints above of a yearly inspection……..

      • gunnar777 on 11/12/2015 - 10:24
        -7

        Except it's not your home while the tenant is living there. It's their home. That's why they pay for it. You can't have the house and have someone else pay for it - choose one or the other. Some landlords are so heartless.

        • Spending2Much on 11/12/2015 - 11:42

          So, we should just standby and watch our home get trashed??
          As a service for the weekly rent, give a the tenant the right to treat my investment and everything I've worked so hard for like sh*t?
          And leave me the mess, damage and repairs afterwards?
          That makes me heartless?

          Still shaking my head at the arrogance of some comments on here…..

          I wish now, I hadn't opened this thread for a browse.

        • gunnar777 on 11/12/2015 - 12:11
          -5

          @albanyson:
          Again, my point is that it's not your (the landlord's) home while you're renting it out. The tenant should, when they vacate, leave the place in the same state, besides general wear and tear that they found it in, but if you're going to worry about how they live in their home while they're paying for it, then you should never have rented it out in the first place. Shaking my head at some of the arrogance in the comments on here.

        • Spending2Much on 11/12/2015 - 12:16
          -1

          @gunnar777:

          I think the word “should” can perhaps be emphasized a bit more there……

          Your right, they should.

          I'll take my arrogance and bid farewell.

          Good day to ALL

    • bargainshunter on 10/12/2015 - 23:08

      That's what the bond and landlord insurance covers you. You will still be out of pocket, but hopefully not by a lot.

      • Davros on 11/12/2015 - 11:45
        +1

        Why should we have to be out of pocket at all?
        Why cant people just stop behaving like Jerry Springer Trailer Trash and do what they agreed to do when signing on.

        And its a fallacy that bond and Insurance covers it, in most cases it does not.
        Ruined yards, feces smeared walls, rats and garbage everywhere gets put down as poor housekeeping and is not covered.
        Unless walls are kicked in and windows are smashed and it is then reported to police it wont get over the line at all.

        • bargainshunter on 11/12/2015 - 12:43

          It's just life.

          Why should suppliers be out of pocket when a big organisation falls over? Being a landlord is like being a business owner, you are exposed to risk.

        • Davros on 11/12/2015 - 13:45

          @bargainshunter: And I guess its just life that some LL's and PM's treat tenants like you know what.
          Crap tenants ruin it for the good few.
          Its just business and just numbers. No emotion, I dont want to hear your sob story, show me the money or move along.

          See, it works both ways.
          If tenants were nice and had respect for others property they would get treated as human beings.

        • bargainshunter on 11/12/2015 - 13:54
          +1

          @Davros: Exactly. Just like you going to a shop and some sales treat you like an idiot.

          Being a landlord myself, I always believe in I am a business owner, so we should try to keep the tenant happy, as long as what they ask for is not unreasonable. I treat them the way I like to be treated as a consumer.

    • altomic on 10/12/2015 - 23:27

      My parents had a rental property 1930 California bungalow. Very cute. 2 blokes rented it and they trashed the house. Cut a hole in the back door for their dog. Carpets ruined. Interior doors removed. Cigarette burns on the carpets and blinds. Rubbish every where. Filth everywhere. Totally trashed. Real estate agent did nothing. My parents cleaned it up but it needed a lot work as plaster had been knocked off the walls. anyway my parents just left the house empty as it was and sold it 5 years later. New owners demolished it immediately.

    • Spending2Much on 11/12/2015 - 11:49

      Apparently according to some commenters on here, the general consensus is that landlords are heartless, apparently we no longer own the home while it's being rented,and we should just put up with it….

      I seriously wish I hadn't opened this thread now……

      I'm still shaking my head.

  • [Deactivated] on 10/12/2015 - 15:47
    +4

    Not legal advice, just an easy way to make it black and white.

    Ask your local council what constitutes as overgrown lawns. The council will have a very good idea as they do issue fines. Maybe even take a photo of your lawn its worst state and go into council and ask. If council says that you're pushing it (or definitely overgrown) then you are the problem.

    If council says it is okay, then your landlord is the problem.

    • backno67 on 10/12/2015 - 22:23

      great idea, thanks heaps

      • 0031nek on 10/12/2015 - 22:59

        no it's not, council has their requirements that we need to comply, but you as a tenant should comply to the agreement with the landlord as well. 2 different situations.

        • Euphemistic on 11/12/2015 - 10:46

          Our counc has a frequency of every six weeks. Not enough resources to mow more, except for the sports fields and one or two high profile parks. Six weeks gets them mighty untidy.

  • [Deactivated] on 10/12/2015 - 16:12
    +1

    I had a landlord from hell who did this

  • John on 10/12/2015 - 16:24

    Do you have photo of the garden condition when you first moved in? If you do, then that should be the expected condition of the garden you are expected to maintain to. Just like how you need to leave the house in similar state to when you move in.

    • SKiZO on 10/12/2015 - 17:23

      That's what agents would like you to believe, it helps to strike fear in meek tenants, but have you ever seen this actually tested in ACAT/CTTT? As a landlord and renter at multiple stages, I've come to realise that the LL is usually SOL with these "expected" conditions. Unless there is intentional damage or gross negligence the tribunal will laugh at the person bringing forth these claims of "the lawns were overgrown", or "there is dust in the cupboard". As a renter, just do the best you can without being a dick and the landlord will appreciate it.

      • Davros on 10/12/2015 - 18:06

        "the lawns were overgrown", or "there is dust in the cupboard"

        A lawn mow and a bond clean WILL come out of your bond and has done with my tenants on several occasions.

        Why should the next tenant be expected to put up with this due to your laziness?

        • SKiZO on 10/12/2015 - 18:16

          Totally agree with you, but my point was that from what I've seen, small things are not actually enforceable regardless of what the agreements say. Failure to clean the property at all - absolutely will be enforced and backed up by the tribunal, but if the renter misses cleaning a few things - it's not even worth the time preparing for enforcement. Think about it, would you pay your REA $70 to $150 an hour to prepare and appear before the tribunal, when instead it will take you a few hours to clean the rangehood the tenants failed to clean? Out of curiosity, in your examples, did you have to go to the tribunal for enforcement? Or did the REA strong arm the tenants?

        • Davros on 10/12/2015 - 19:34

          @SKiZO: LOL @ PM does some cleaning, are you for real?
          PM doesn't need to do any of what you say.
          They give the tenant the opportunity to clean and if they dont they take the money from the bond and pay someone else a few hours to clean, end of story.
          15 years (add: make that closer to 20 now) as a LL, not once has a tenant tried to be an idiot by going to the tribunal over things when they know they are in the wrong.

      • Spending2Much on 10/12/2015 - 18:07

        Tenants have far more “rights” and “protection” than landlords……

        • Davros on 10/12/2015 - 19:35

          Unfortunately you are correct.

        • backno67 on 10/12/2015 - 22:57

          what exactly are the rights and protection I can use? I will be calling Tenants NSW tomorrow to find out more. Is there any other body?

        • sparkles on 11/12/2015 - 07:57
          +2

          @backno67: Save yourself the trouble and just mow the lawn. SMH

    • nikey2k27 on 11/12/2015 - 11:37

      photo are your friend. help out in more case i care to think about.

  • Scourgeoz on 10/12/2015 - 18:41
    +1

    Would definitely be a neighbour causing trouble…when I used to rent I had the same issue when I was overseas for a couple of weeks with heavy rain… Neighbour decided to use it to their advantage and cause a stir despite knowing we were away.

    Real estate essentially said they were obliged to pass it on but weren't really worried as they knew we generally kept it in tip top shape.

  • SnakeDoctor on 10/12/2015 - 19:11

    Sounds like a bunch of (profanity)!
    Please post pics including neighbours place so we can make further nasty comments :-)

  • serpserpserp on 10/12/2015 - 19:56
    -4

    In all honesty just go outside and pour salt all over the lawn. It'll look horrible afterwards and will serve them right for having a go at you for doing the lawns. When they ask how it just give them your best Homer Simpson "I dunno". They'll have to pay to fix the lawn, not you.

    • SnakeDoctor on 10/12/2015 - 20:35

      I like it - but surely OP should wait till they move out to do this ?

      • serpserpserp on 10/12/2015 - 20:48

        I like that idea too!

        • SnakeDoctor on 10/12/2015 - 23:07
          +4

          What if one day, you were walking along the street and came across an absolutely immaculate lawn that was so perfectly manicured that it clearly belonged to d-bag landlord.

          You just so happened to have picked up a huge bag of salt (or many small bags of salt using EPIC OzB discount code) from a nearby establishment

          If you happen to be a naturally clumsy person and trip on the footpath dispersing said product widely across the surface area of aforementioned el perfecto lawn.

          All this while testing your new GoPro strapped to your head and uploaded to youtube using VPN to avoid Uncle George retaining your metadata

        • db87 on 10/12/2015 - 23:43

          @dunc05:

          Wow…. Just the tenants to hope for by the sounds of it, no wonder you'll never own anything of your own.

          I'm not normally one to care about these said bits of 'revenge,' but you've trolled a comment out of me.

          All well and good maybe if someone had stolen something from me but you lot above are no better than theives. Willingly destroying someone's property cos you're a lazy no good……..

          Ahh people, and we wonder why the world is a stupid place.

          Glad I have good tenants… For now.

        • Spending2Much on 11/12/2015 - 11:45

          @db87:
          According to some comments, landlords are heartless as apparently we no longer own the home while it's being rented, so give a them the right to do what they want.

          I seriously wish I'd never opened this post for a browse.

        • db87 on 11/12/2015 - 12:33

          @albanyson:

          It's one of those things.

          Never had anything worth appreciating nor will they, so why would they have any appreciation for someone else's things?! Like I said, I'll take the bait, but SMH at the same time. Bout all you can do.

        • Spending2Much on 11/12/2015 - 12:38

          @db87:

          The suggestions and support for commenters posting about malicous and wilful damage and intent……as seen on some comments here and above, leaves me with disbelief that people are like that…..

          Unfortunately, I've experienced it.

          I admit that you may be correct I'm your observations….

        • SnakeDoctor on 11/12/2015 - 15:25

          @db87:

          Hi db87 & others,
          Apologies if my comments caused offence.
          I didn't think they would be taken seriosuly as they were deliberately ridiculous/absurd/idiotic so as to not have any validity & I absolutely DO NOT think anyone should do anything remotely like this!

        • db87 on 11/12/2015 - 16:02

          @dunc05:

          Noooo not at all bud, none taken! I've got my first rental/investment and these horror stories are a bit scary, but you know they're all too true because people like this ARE out there unfortunately.

          I'm YET to fall victim to this and hopefully never will, it's just a shame that the majority always end up with a bad name because of a few free-loaders/oxygen thieves that lack respect for anything and anyone.

          I was more replying to the above fact, that these people are around and just got my vent on.

          Just finished renovating my Nonna's apartment that lives above the family shop and it just hit close to home because the fella that was in there for 20+ years (knew our family, way back, took pity on him, half-price rent, etc etc.) took full advantage of their place and treated it like shit. We ended up with skip after skip of rubbish, beer bottles, mouldy old newspapers, and pretty much 4 walls and no ceilings because NONE of it was salvageable. That is someone that PERSONALLY knew our family and they still had zero respect for the place. It's a shame. These 'people' can't be helped. You could give them million(s) and they'd still turn it to crap. Hate to say it, and definitely hate putting people down, but sometimes your hands are tied.

        • serpserpserp on 11/12/2015 - 18:21
          -1

          @db87:

          Oh boo hoo, you mismanaged your rental property and then blame it on the tenant. Are you sure the person isn't mentally ill in some capacity and that is why he didn't look after the place?

          I think what people are talking about here are landlords who give no privacy to their tenants at all. I think a quarterly inspection is over the top, I think giving drive by advice on the lawn multiple times in a row in quick succession is being an arsehole. A mate of mine was renting a place in Melbourne and one day his landlord who lived down the street climbed through his window on a Saturday arvo while he was having a nap. When he work up and caught him the landlord's defense was "I didn't think anyone would be home…" what the???? People might blow up about tenants, but there are some shocking landlords out there that think people who live in their home should be almost IMPROVING it at the renters expense with fixing things, gardening, allowing owners to remodel or paint the house with renters living in it WITHOUT reducing their rent for the inconvenience etc.

        • db87 on 11/12/2015 - 19:35

          @serpserpserp:

          Lol… side conversation pal, don't recall whinging anywhere, but good on you for getting your 2c in. Enjoy your day.

        • serpserpserp on 11/12/2015 - 19:40

          @db87:

          You too bro.

    • fozzie on 10/12/2015 - 23:05
      +1

      Lol

    • sparkles on 11/12/2015 - 07:59
      +1

      This is not recommended. If anyone sees you doing this or suspects this sort of willful damage, don't expect your bond back.

    • neonlight on 11/12/2015 - 11:18

      Expect the landlord to take money from your bond, to fix the lawn and make you compensate for it. LOL

    • Eivad on 11/12/2015 - 18:04

      You guys are seriously messed up. You're the kind of tenants from hell that no landlord in Australia wants.

  • bargainshunter on 10/12/2015 - 23:31

    Sounds like your landlord wants to get rid of you.

  • frostman on 11/12/2015 - 08:29
    -1

    What an idiot landlord, they have no right to force you to mow the lawn.
    You're paying rent to reside at the premise, provided you're not breaking structures, the lawn is your own responsibility.

    Just ignore the letters, they can't do shit.

    Also, inspections should be no more than twice / year in NSW

    • Davros on 11/12/2015 - 16:07

      Great attitude champ, glad you are not my tenant

    • Eivad on 11/12/2015 - 18:06
      +1

      Reading the comments on makes me hope I never lease to anyone on this forum.

      As a tenant, you are residing in someone else's property. Please treat it, and any reasonable requests from the owner, with some respect.

      • frostman on 11/12/2015 - 20:55
        -3

        Sorry, quarterly visits seem unreasonable in addition to demands to cut the grass.

        Some people just shouldn't own property because they're retarded

    • bargainshunter on 11/12/2015 - 23:54

      This is the worst advice!

      Information for tenants

      You are responsible for doing things like replacing light bulbs, changing the smoke detector batteries, cleaning windows, dusting, removing cobwebs and routine garden maintenance such as watering, mowing and weeding.

      • UFO on 12/12/2015 - 00:17

        It's nice that you've bolded mowing and weeding, but I also notice a complete lack of information on how often one should complete these tasks. And the answer to that is 'what a reasonable person would expect'. NOT what the owner expects.

        Cut and paste from NSW Fair Trading:

        "You have a right to privacy and quiet enjoyment of the premises you are renting. Your landlord, agent or anybody else acting on their behalf must not interfere with your reasonable peace, comfort and privacy."

        Constant drive-by's and critque of ones gardening standards is definitely unreasonable interference.
        I'd have a field day with this Landlord in the Tribunal.

  • Hiroko on 11/12/2015 - 11:07

    mowing the lawn is good excercise and a good time to soak up some vitamin D

  • neonlight on 11/12/2015 - 11:15

    Just mown your lawn and be done with it. Obviously not good enough that's why. They probably let you go a number of times and still the same. Most tenants don't look after lawns its not their property and don't give a crap about it.

    There's a difference between legally what they can enforce, and what a good tenant should do.

    They probably can't legally force you to do something, BUT do you want a good relationship with the landlord and besides a good mowed lawn means good health. Go out for some exercise and feel good about yourself

    You did say its overgrown too and fixed yourself, then perhaps just provide evidence that you fixed it

  • Spending2Much on 11/12/2015 - 12:13
    +1

    I seriously wish I hadn't opened this thread now…..reading other landlords horror stories and then also the tenants replies of landlords being heartless and interfering with inspections anymore than once a year…….

    I Understand some people rent, some own. Its not about who can afford what, or what circumstances your in.
    I've rented and owned. So been both sides.

    Its about respect.

    For the renters, let's use this scenario….and see if you can still have sympathy or compasion, or even some respect.

    You own a car, it's still financed, you have repayments to make, as well as pay rego, (rates etc) insurance, and rent out your car (new or old is regardless) for a mere fraction per week of its value.

    You get it back after a year of it being rented and find it's got bald tyres, scratchedand dented paint work, wasn't cleaned inside or out, the boot was full of rubbish and junk, the stereo no longer worked and one of the speakers was removed.

    Now none of that is wear and tear, it's not like just the slightly worn carpets from getting in and out of the car, it's malicious damage and lack of respect.

    Some may argue, it's no longer your car while your hiring it out, (I've also rented hire cars, hotel rooms, and other equipment at times) but how would you feel seeing your pride and joy returned like that?

    Everything is repairable, at a cost, but would you still feel that your interfering or heartless by expecting the hirer to treat your car with respect and care??

    I feel some people are one side, others on the other……

    Opinions differ…..

    I seriously wish I'd never opened this thread and read some of the comments.

    I feel for the landlords who have nightmare tenants, thankfull that some do have, as I did have some good tenants at times, and hope that the other commenters show respect, care, and just be correct and do the right thing……

    Rather very sad to see some comments above about suggesting and supporting wilful damage and other malicious intent.(even afterwards)

    Still shaking my head.

    Have a good day ALL.

    • robbyjones on 11/12/2015 - 17:02
      +6

      For someone who "seriously wishes he hadn't opened the thread" you have made a lot of comments saying the same thing and at different times. Give up already, you love this thread.

    • tebbybabes on 11/12/2015 - 23:06
      +1

      I really really understand where you're coming from @albanyson. However, I think I now see why it's so painful for you. It seems you're very emotionally attached to the property. Of course, that's only understandable as it is your pride and joy.

      However, if we went back to your statement about hiring cars, hotels rooms, and equipment - all those things are leased to you with no emotional component. It's a business. A car rental place will purchase a fleet of vehicles and hire them out and will have adequate insurance and will have factored in expected losses into their business model.

      I totally feel for you, and would probably feel the same way if it was my pride and joy but maybe distancing yourself from the property may ease the pain.

      Again, back to your analogy of renting out your car - if it was anything like my car, which I consider my pride and joy, I doubt I'd be hiring it out.

  • thirtysixd on 11/12/2015 - 12:20
    +1

    pictures of the lawn please;)

  • [Deactivated] on 11/12/2015 - 12:32

    pay someone to trim the bushes?

  • [Deactivated] on 11/12/2015 - 13:43
    -1

    Look for a new place?
    Maybe leave some "love" messages written in tenant language, hidden around the house for the owner?

  • Aydin on 11/12/2015 - 16:04
    -1

    Not your house;
    Remember you're living in someone else's house.
    If you've agreed to keep it "neat and tidy", i.e. contract, then you are required to keep it neat and tidy.
    Not mowing the lawns would get the landlords asking questions about the tenants not doing their part of the deal.

  • lordezekiel on 11/12/2015 - 17:34
    +3

    It is 100% illegal for the owner to do drive-bys and make any comments to you directly at all.

    They can schedule an inspection, must give minimum 1 weeks notice of this.
    If lawn is not up to scratch, you then have two weeks to deal with it before they can reinspect and confirm it has been done.

    They can not organise a mowing service for you then send you the bill.
    Just like you cant send someone round to someone else's house to clean their windows, or wash their car, etc, then send them the bill, it is illegal, and quite simply ridiculous.

    • UFO on 12/12/2015 - 00:14
      +1

      THIS 100%!

      Terrific advice. OP, if you are going to listen to any advice in this thread, it's this one.
      Dont feel bullied and harrassed by an overzealous owner who think's THEIR standards are the minimum standards.

      You can't stop them driving past, but telling you that they are doing it and demanding you 'fix things' is.
      As I mentioned below… QUIET ENJOYMENT.

      The Tribunal would roast an owner who thinks this is acceptable.

  • Talonparty on 11/12/2015 - 17:56
    +3

    I had exactly the same issue. WA also has nothing stopping inspections every 3 months, it was the norm for me until my most recent (private) rental. It's an absolute nightmare especially when you get moronic power crazy agents who just want to make your life hell. I've rented from professionals cannington a few times now and I'll avoid them forever in the future.

    My old rental didn't have a lawn thankfully, it was a unit in a complex and just had a mulch flower garden thing in the front of the house. In winter it fills with wintergrass and it's pulled out easily enough. I'm a bit lazy with it because I know it's annoying and it'll keep growing back until summer. I go and pull + poison occasionally when the rain stops for a while. I hadn't done it in a while and it was looking messy when I got a call telling me that my landlord had driven past (it's a unit which is in a complex in a cul-de-sac nowhere near a main road so he had nothing better to do than to snoop) and the garden was too messy, I was ORDERED to clean it within one week or I would be in breach of my agreement. When we moved into the house it was just sold and we were the first tenants, the garden and the house were a complete mess. I was asked by the owner to make sure the sprinkler system for the main complex garden was turned on and he showed me the key etc, so I did him a favour and took care of it. The guy was a complete knob and a user of people.

    Anyway I told them thanks for their pleasant manner and customer service and I went out and pulled all the wintergrass out and filled my sulo bin to overflow, then I filled the complex sulo bin. I pulled heaps out because I was a good boy and didn't want to be in breach of my lease (being homeless scares me). At the one week mark I got another call telling me that the landlord had said nothing had been done and that I was being issued a notice of breach. I asked the girl how filling two sulo bins could be considered nothing and that at most there was small wintergrass left that I would poison on a sunny day. I asked her what were the weeds and the rude and sarcastic receptionist bitch told me that weeds were weeds and I should just pull them. I got in touch with the tenants bureau and got advice from my uni, wrote them a massive complaint email and I pulled literally every single plant in there bar three crappy rosebush stumps.

    The stupid owner had no idea what the garden was supposed to look like. It was only 1 of the 7/13 units in the complex that he owned, he didn't even remember it he had only owned it for less than a year. It looked like absolute crap when I moved in but it was filled with all sorts of smaller plants and I tidied it up. He thought every one of them was a weed. It looked like a wasteland when I finished but apparently it was ok. Two of the agents visited me and couldn't understand the issue, mostly inflated by their horrible receptionist.

    Argh, anyway, go scorched earth, cut it as low as possible. Do the minimum for them because that's what they'll do for you. This is the only lesson I learned.

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