Tenant Requested Repairs - Tenant User Error - Rental Agency Now Requesting I Pay Callout Fee

• 1
• 2
• 3

• 

  Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 25/01/2020 - 16:22

  +4

  The significant amount of posts saying to evict or punish the tenant is literally the perfect example of just how terrible Australia's residential tenancy system is.

• 

  screensaver on 25/01/2020 - 16:28

  +1

  Yes tenants living in fear of reporting anything. My oven hasnt worked for 10 years and the house is unlivable in the heat.

  • 

    tryagain on 26/01/2020 - 14:45

    My oven hasnt worked for 10 years

    You are conflating something that doesn't work with your oven and something that does with the intercom

    the house is unlivable in the heat

    And yet you have lived there for at least 10 years.

• 

  GourmetFoodie on 25/01/2020 - 19:14

  Having been a tenant…don't always trust what the "repair" guy says. I've had repair guys come out and say there is nothing wrong when there has been an underlying fault. I don't know any intercom system that buzzes when on mute…so essentially the tenant is never able to mute the intercom now or else they have to listen to buzzing?

• 

  screensaver on 25/01/2020 - 20:28

  +1

  we dont even know the tenants side of what happened, assume the landlord is God

• 

  Nuggets on 25/01/2020 - 20:37

  One incident (of which of you only have one side of the story) does not a trend make. If the tenant is continuously making requests or complaints going forward, then perhaps allow your opinion of them to change.

• 

  myusername on 25/01/2020 - 21:29

  +1

  sounds very Ray white

• 

  Zonty on 26/01/2020 - 01:07

  Legally tenant is liable to pay but is it worth to find new tenant and re leasing cost to bear?

  • 

    Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 26/01/2020 - 12:04

    They are not "legally liable"

    Good luck finding anything to support your opinion.

    • 

      Zonty on 26/01/2020 - 23:52

      are you kidding buddy that's why is bond for. any call out when not really faulty item tenant pays for being so dumb. It's not liability for owner where he can not be there to check himself.
      Liability is to fix by owner if nothing to fix then how will be liable? It's is obvious person who call for wrong call.

      • 

        Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 27/01/2020 - 14:24

        Not kidding at all. Still waiting for you to provide something to support your opinion. Your wrong opinion.

        The "bond" is primarily held to cover arrears at termination and damage to the property, among other smaller things.

        "It's obvious" isn't a sound legal argument. Go on. Find something somewhere that says a tenant is liable. We'll wait.

• 

  OzBKP on 26/01/2020 - 01:14

  Pay fees. Move on.
  Let tenant know it was his fault and had to pay. Next time tenant will be paying for his faults.

  If you are still not happy then increase rent and recover money

• 

  kbbargains on 26/01/2020 - 11:20

  +1

  I know you've resolved the issue yourself but I'll post this for others who are or are thinking of becoming landlords. I'm going to leave out the stupidity of everyone involved - seems like a cascade of oopsies, and address it at a high level.

  It's a business. Just like any other business. Incidents like these are just another cost of doing business. You factor this into your pricing - rent in this case. Exactly the same as you don't expect the tenant to directly pay the REA fees, or to remunerate you for the rental being empty between tenants.

  Obviously just like any other business there are certain customers that can end up costing you more than they bring in. You need to find a way of politely cutting them loose. You're not there yet :)

  There are too many landlords out there that don't understand the above and that the customer is always right (to an extent <grin>). It's probably because our taxation system and recent property boom has attracted the wrong type of people. Many aren't cut out for business I'm afraid. They should stick to investing in shares where there are generally competent people there to run the business for you.

• 

  john_conner on 26/01/2020 - 12:07

  +1

  Good on you for paying but do consider the costs in the next rent renewal.

  This is typical of everyone looking after their own interests. REA looks after 180-200 properties each. They aren’t going to trouble shoot except in the most basic sense. It is far more time efficient to “resolve” issues by sending someone out (at the LL’s expense).

  LL authorises repair: Sometimes you gotta take tenant maintenance with a grain of salt and ask the most basic questions. It is all too easy for a tenant to simply say “it’s broken” and request maintenance. If it were their own property I bet they would invest more time into trouble shooting their own problems before forking out $200 for a repair man.

  I don’t agree that the tenant should be claiming a manual wasn’t supplied (I’m sure a 3 year would would have figured it out in less than 5 mins), however LL could have resolved with some troubleshooting. Hopefully everyone learns from this experience and no repeats. I would, however be keeping detailed records of all correspondence and repairs etc. incase there is a dispute down the track - seems more than likely given the current situation.

  • 

    Vote for Pedro on 26/01/2020 - 14:19

    -1

    You’re right. I would care more in my own property. But if I’m paying for a rental, I would care substantially less as I’m paying for things to be in working order. Of course basic troubleshooting, but that’s it.

    I currently rent for two reasons. 1. I live in a place (location) I couldn’t afford to buy. 2. I don’t currently have the time/energy/interest in involving myself in anything more than basic home care matters. So I pay rent, and it’s someone else’s problem. This should all be factored into the rent charged, if not, well that’s just poor business from the REA/Owner

• 

  MITM on 26/01/2020 - 13:48

  Shifting liability to the tenant in this case is wrong. Some tenants are not practical or mechanically minded at all and shouldn’t be presumed to be diagnostic engineers, even when changing lightbulbs.
  But the tenant did do the right thing and report a perceived issue to REA.
  REA with no technical skills sought professional advice which incurred a cost.
  REA should report cost to owner to decide whether to proceed or not. At this point owner could have A) employed his own technical skills if he/she is capable/available to B) employed others technical skills C) proceeded with REA recommended technician D) Not respond and wait for outcome. (Tenant may have eventually worked it out)
  Owner chose C) to go with REA and the corresponding invoice as a ”cost of business”.

  Your next move is to ask your REA, can you recover the cost from your tenant ?Your REA would give you a recommendation based on the current tenancy laws.

  As a follow up, the REA should check back with tenant to see all is ok and then offer some practical advice (ie simply depress the mute button) if it should occur again before calling the REA.

• 

  Trying2SaveABuck on 26/01/2020 - 14:05

  Pay it - didnt you know landlords have f*** all rights and are registered charities

  • 

    screensaver on 26/01/2020 - 17:36

    -1

    and some are as shady as said charities

• 

  squaredonut on 26/01/2020 - 14:42

  Part of the blame should be on the agent. I have dealt with some good agents, one that would help me visit a place run a hose around the roof, for an hour and check of leaks. This is where I truly feel my management fee is going to good value and use. Any management who does sh*t all apart from a middle man comms person is not managing but just being a messenger, a very expensive messenger might I add.

  Anyways I would tell the agent, sure I'll foot the bill this time, but once the lease is up, I'll be switching agents as well.

• 

  Moderatormoocher on 28/01/2020 - 08:47

  Thread closed as OP has come to a conclusion.

• 1
• 2
• 3