Prospective Tenants vs "Rental Crisis"

We have advertised for one of our Properties and may I say the quality of the responses is appalling.

There were more than 50 enquiries, and over 20 Applications.  Not all Applicants send an Enquiry, and not all Enquirer send Applications….We emailed to them all and about 4 responded. Then sent an SMS, another 2 responded.

A week later we advertise for another Property in the same Suburb, but totally different type.  Have some same people sending enquiries.Repeat the process above and have similar results.

Needless to say we now have a "Black List".
Really wonder if the "Rental Crisis" is a hype.

So thought we'd just share with the OzB Community who are looking to rent:

  1. If you are interested in a Property, send an enquiry with details of your situation. Not a blank enquiry and expect the Agent to get back to you
  2. If you receive a response, do reply altho you might have found elsewhere or no longer interested.
  3. If you attend the Open, do speak to the Agent and make an impression to him/her
  4. Only submit an Application if you are genuinely interested.

Peace!

closed Comments

  • +68

    What does this even mean!?

    • +201

      It is an example of appalling landlords that tenants have to put up with.

    • +4

      Yeah, I'm not sure I want a landlord who is so dumb they can't deduce from my interest in a rental property that the details of my situation is currently looking for somewhere to rent

  • +74

    Maybe you're asking too much money and people aren't really interested.

    • +9

      But there's a once in a generation opportunity to build wealth and the interest rates are up and how else will I build my "passive income" and live up to my "hustle"???????

  • +133

    Am I reading this correctly!?

    Is this a post from a landlord/ agent complaining about poor communication from prospective tenants?

    • +34

      Exactly, gets no sympathy from me

    • +13

      Haha.. yeah.

      The irony of an RE complaining about prospective tenant behavior was so substantial, I felt my phone get heavier in my hand.

      Pot, have you met kettle?

    • +6

      Also ironic given how sh*thouse their grammar is.

  • +16

    lol

  • +180

    I think you missed a few

    5 Do not make eye contact with agent or landlord. Remember you are but a lowly Tennant and you should not gaze upon such greatness without permission

    6 Remember to include details of the offerings you and other worshipers will leave at the idol of the landlord, which is located within the entry way to the residence, next to the candles.

    7 When contacted, ensure you answer any correspondence with appropriate titles such as 'My landLord', and gratitude, fitting of being permitted to communicate with those in society that are above you.

    • +50

      I did those things and my rent went up 75%

      • +8

        Consider yourself lucky that it was only 75%!

      • +1

        And pray that I don't put it up any further!

    • +10

      I went in here looking for copper, and I found gold!

  • +25

    Why do you think it keeps happening? Is it possible you're asking too much or the properties aren't as advertised and people are submitting applications as back up plans in case they don't get their other preferred rental? If people bother to go to the trouble to apply, there must be a reason why they don't go ahead. Maybe try asking for some generic anonymous type feedback from a few non responders to try and ascertain.

  • +28

    If you are interested in a Property, send an enquiry with details of your situation.

    Some of the prospective tenants have probably been to that many inspections and rejected that many times, that as soon as they see more than a few people, they don't bother putting in an application anymore.

    Only submit an Application if you are genuinely interested.

    You obviously haven't been in the shoes of someone that's getting desperate and needs to get SOMEthing ASAP (especially those who have been rejected over and over again). I should also mention that the agents do not give a shit about those applicants and often don't even have the courtesy to notify unsuccessful applications too! Why the heck would they (the agents) expect courtesy from others?

    • +2

      What is "your situation" anyway? What is relevant here apart from "I do/do not wish to rent this property"?

  • +80

    Maybe prospective tenants just don’t like you, your REA or the property. Such a shit attitude to have that the renters are the problem and you hold no blame yourself.

    Fancy being so conceited and entitled that you think you have a right to lay out these ground rules that seems like they benefit your fragile ego more than help renters get the best result.

    Old saying that always seem to fit… “If you get one or two arsehole rental applicants, you found a couple of arseholes… if ALL the renter candidates are arseholes… well, maybe you’re the arsehole.”

      • +18

        What does "with details of your situation" mean though?

        "I want to rent your apartment" isn't good enough? I have to tell you that "I got rfired, my wife left me and kept and the house and my best friend, my dog died <insert rest of country and western song here>"?

        • +14

          Nah, landlord needs your life history to decide whether you can be the annointed one who is given the privilege of paying him

          Plus he needs to know whether he can claim prima nocte as his is lordships right

            • @tsunamisurfer: Why do people downvote you? No REA has time to read your life story. The tree dot points you listed are all that's needed.

              RE agents have their own blacklists and they WILL check your rental history and Facebook, trust me.

              • +2

                @duchy: As a renter, I would also say this is a waste of time - but for a different reason. To date I've not seen any evidence that our REA can actually read.

            • +4

              @tsunamisurfer:

              As a landlord all I care about are :
              - You are paying more than any other applicant.

              So rent betting is now expected !
              We need that kind of shit banned ASAP!

              • @ChrisFrenchy:

                So rent betting is now expected !
                We need that kind of shit banned ASAP!

                Your issue is with dark rent bidding.

                If rent bidding is open that makes it transparent and fair.

  • +18

    Those 4 points are pretty obvious and stock standard to anyone who rents.

    There is definitely an issue on your end, not with the people looking to rent your property.
    Could be you, your price, your REA or something else.
    But there is definitely a lack of rental housing available to the general population at the moment.

    You don’t get 50 enquires because theres too many choices of other houses…

  • +27

    TL;DR: being landlord is so rough in 2022. While somebody has at least two properties for renting, it's clear the renters' fault we are in a rental crisis because they can't communicate.

    • +1

      Basically, landlords do not want more than 0.5% cost of doing business. REAs, Buyers' agents and brokers have for years told land lords that rentals are a risk free, low effort investment. The truth is its a people business and unless you're an absolute dick to the tenants you will incur higher costs to provide a humane service level. The facebook investors groups are enough to make you throw up - all conversations are about trying to pass on every cost to tenant and finding ways to put their hands in the tenants pocket while not investing anything back.

  • +21

    If you are interested in a Property, send an enquiry with details of your situation. Not a blank enquiry and expect the Agent to get back to you

    Is this an issue with how you're getting REA responses? They are likely ticking the box to setup an inspection time, get an application, etc. They aren't there to give you their life story, they just want info

    If you receive a response, do reply altho you might have found elsewhere or no longer interested.

    So if you send a generic response, they should respond ASAP even though you won't respond to their enquiry?

    You realise being massively entitled because there's a rental crisis just makes you a douchebag, right?

    If you attend the Open, do speak to the Agent and make an impression to him/her

    Who are you, Elon Musk? That sounds more like "let me check you out so I can apply my own biases"

    Only submit an Application if you are genuinely interested.

    There is a rental crisis, they are likely putting in dozens if not hundreds of applications.

    Read the applications, pick the one you like, reply to it. If they don't respond, pick another. If you aren't finding anyone you like, reach out and reply to enquiries. You know, do your bloody job and stop expecting everyone to make your life easier.

    • how did musk come in to this??

      • +2

        Honestly have no idea, I think I was going for entitled? I have the flu and was some decent flu medicine and a hot toddy down at the point I wrote this.

      • It always comes back to musk

        What’s a hot toddy?

        • I think that's what he named his most recent son

  • +11

    Link the properties here… sure you'll get some quality applications…

    lol

    • That doesn't count, as the shoe is on the other foot!

      • +2

        Highlights the root cause of communication issues that still persist 3 years on…. must be getting boring in the ivory tower again..pump out another PSA to feel relevant 🤣

  • +10

    Black list lol

  • +11

    So much effort just to post this post… (?)

    What were you genuinely expecting as an answer? lol.

    Landlords here think they own the world where some of the properties offered for lease are just appealing/shocking.

    • +4

      Agree.. it would be shocking if some of the properties were appealing….

  • +17

    I can only assume this post is a troll, because I find it incredibly hard to believe that a real person could have such a stick up their arse.
    Truly taking the ‘lord’ in ‘landlord’ to heart.
    The state of the rental market is appalling (and this is coming from a homeowner!)
    I’m sure your study of n=2 invalidates all the statistics about rental vacancy rates, and the lived experiences of tens of thousands of people…

  • +4

    According to the statistics the crisis is real so its believable.

    I was in a similar position to the OP.

    The OP is right there are A LOT of shit applications out there.

    My agent chucked out roughly 4 in 5 applications.

    I asked to look at a few and within 1 minute of reading I could see holes in the application.

    As an example, they would always have private landlords (as in multiple) with limited ways of getting a reference.

    Another example was their declared income would not be commensurate bemployment status (say casual) and job title (say carer), at least lie properly.

    While I have no love (or hate) for real estate agents, they seem to have the pulse of the market and time wasters.

    • +16

      So 4 out of 5 prospective tenants are undesirable from landlord perspective for whatever reason it is. Where do you think those people should live? Tents, cars, parks, streets? I think that is one of the cause of the crisis.

      • +10

        Fair cop, but on the other hand I wouldn't want my investment property being rented out to someone who can't fill out something as simple as an application form.

        FWIW my IP is rented to someone who had zero previous rental experience in Australia, but they filled out the form correctly, impressed the REA (who's judegement I trust) and have been amazing to deal with so far, so I can understand the problem of not having a referee or similar, everyone has to start somewhere, but there are different ways to go about it and half-assing it on the application form probably isn't one of them.

      • +4

        Unfortunately, those 4 out of 5 may be undesirable for very good reason.

        As a property owner, you're not running a charity.

        I've also had to evict 2 tenants of the years but fortunately no damage. The cost, time and stress (even though I go through an agent) of evicting someone is the reason why I'm selective. If this means if 4 out of 5 applicants aren't suitable, there still will be 1 or 2 tenants to select from.

        FYI, I have rented to single mothers and first time renters before, and overall didn't have much trouble..

        • +8

          As a property owner, you're not running a charity.

          And this is exactly why our housing system is broken, you're not running a charity you're running a business, so your only incentive is to charge as much as people will pay

          • +1

            @Jolakot: How is that different from any other housing system… ever?

            It all comes down to land prices anyway, not house prices. When a small parcel of land in the middle of nowhere costs half a million dollars the average person doesn't stand a chance.

          • @Jolakot: I agree the housing system or even rental system is broken.

            Rent is expensive but so are property prices. Maintenance, safety inspections, insurance, land tax , rates, water supplies, agent fees, these aren’t cheap.

            The owners are hoping to get some capital gains because it’s costing them cashflow when they first purchase it.

            FYI, I don’t screw every cent I can from my tenants. Yes, they pay market price rent when they move in but I rarely increase the rent once they move in, hence why I always have long term tenants.

      • +5

        I am not saying landlords should running a charity. But some people support the notion of "property as investment" and "leave it to the (free) market". So under such systems, where do those 4 out of 5 prospective tenants should live? And yet no one can answer that simple question.
        Obviously they also can't live in the tents, cars, parks, or streets because it is against the law and they will just get evicted.
        Can't everyone see that there is something terribly wrong with that?

        • Social housing?

          • +2

            @duchy: Then we will need a lot of social housing spreading all over the place. Remember, 4 out of 5. And people will also oppose it with many reasons: wasting tax money, market interference etc.
            Imagine if there are enough of social housing, it will compete with private investments, make less demand on rental market, lower rent prices, then lower investment values. The landlords will still complaint.

      • +8

        Housing should be classified as an essential human need. Instead, in our sick country it is simply an investment opportunity to make rich middle class people even richer.

        Start reforming housing with a 50% capital gains tax on all properties, no deduction. All money collected will be spent on building decent housing for people who cannot afford it otherwise.

        • Pray tell - who is going to invest in housing with 50% CGT? I'd rather invest in shares. The government doesn't have enough money to build and provide so many houses. Private investors have to do that (and they do - 92% of housing is provided by private investors at the moment).

          • @duchy: Yeah it's a pipedream to think something like that would be sustainable and continue to fund the proposed solution - in reality it will only fund it based on the current investment into property which would drastically decrease. Maybe Thaal Sinestro designs policies for the Greens?

    • +3

      As an example, they would always have private landlords (as in multiple) with limited ways of getting a reference.

      This is how ridiculous REAs and LLs are.

      Not everyone rents through an established lease, bro.

      Are you always available to provide a reference for previous tenants from 10 years back?

  • +7

    Dear Mr and Mrs Pumpkin, you don't interact with the general public much I take it? Maybe the share market is more your scene.

  • +12

    REAs are currently one of the most hated groups in Australia so you won't get much sympathy here sorry. I personally blame them quite a bit for driving up the housing market over the last 10 years and also for driving up rents.

    • +2

      How exactly are they driving up the market? They aren't the ones buying

      • +14

        They are driving up the market by being greedy f#cks and encouraging their clients to do the same. My rent just went up 40% with zero maintenance being done. Their attitude? "It's market rates". Special place in hell for them.

        • -1

          Market rates means there aren't enough properties for the demand, not that they're being greedy. We need more homes being built.

          • +5

            @Quantumcat: With 100s of properties under management each, REAs control the market!

            Time for some regulation.

            The crisis we are having in Australia is also happening in every country with poor regulation and poor tenant rights. Look at the UK, Ireland or Canada.

            It's not really happening in countries with better tenant rights and regulations (France, Germany…).

            https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/large-landlords-germany…
            https://www.thelocal.fr/20220708/france-to-limit-rent-rises-…

            How bizarre?

            • +1

              @ChrisFrenchy: In Europe, it is mainly large companies that own rental properties rather than individuals, so they have the means to build whole apartment blocks or estates of houses when the demand is high. It doesn't have anything to do with tenant rights, except that companies are less opposed to increased tenant rights than individuals who own IPs (if they own dozens, it doesn't matter if something bad happens to one or two, they still have lots more to spread the cost over, but something bad happening to your only investment could ruin an individual). It is more a case of one thing causing two separate outcomes than those two outcomes having any causal relationship.

              • +2

                @Quantumcat: True in Germany, but in France, most rentals are owned by private investors.

                For anyone with fears that the actions of one tenant could ruin them, there's insurance.

                Right now, it's ex-tenants that are ending up sleepings in tents or in their cars, not landlords ruined by their tenants.

                • +1

                  @ChrisFrenchy: Spoken like a tenant. Unfortunately, our experience with landlord insurance is they "…won't pay for bad housekeeping…". In our case this "bad housekeeping" was rubbish everywhere and lintels pulled off doors and windows, evidence of an explosive device in the oven, screen doors pushed out of shape, holes in walls, filth on ceiling (heaven knows how that got there). It very did nearly ruined us. The argument from those that have never been landlords, is that it's our fault as we should have got better property managers. So true, but they just don't exist. To those that say, "well, if you don't like the risks, don't invest in rental properties". Yep, that's just what we did - sold our property to an owner occupier.
                  Prior to that horrible experience, we had some good tenants over the years. Honest folk just wanting a decent place to live. It's the few bad eggs that mum&dad investors cannot afford to support - particularly with the new Qld laws limiting landlords' rights.

                  • +1

                    @Bronnie: Have you ever rented?
                    If you did, how did you find being treated like an underclass citizen?

                    There are countries treating tenants much better than in any of the commonwealth countries I can think of …
                    Our politicians should maybe look at that.

                    Or we could go "full retard" and take the example of Hong Kong and legalize cages homes.

                    • +1

                      @ChrisFrenchy: Yes, we have rented, and we were not treated like underclass citizens. We even painted some of the place (with the landlord giving us the paint). We never treated our tenants like underclass citizens either. Yet we still got dudded.

                      • +2

                        @Bronnie:

                        we were not treated like underclass citizens

                        Have you ever rented outside of Australia or any country that didn't inherit its rental laws from colonial Britain?
                        Anywhere in Europe?

                        Basically, anywhere where this wouldn't be legal:
                        - No ground termination and only 30 days' notice to vacate.
                        - Unregulated rent increases.
                        - Rent bidding.
                        - Up to 4 intrusions of privacy allowed per year.

          • +2

            @Quantumcat: Wrong! There is not a shortage of "housing" just a shortage of "affordable housing." The reason we have a "affordable housing crisis" is because the REA's are the ones pushing up the price of the market.

            • @Spuds Mchaggis: That's the exact same thing - when there is a lot of demand the prices go up and a lot of affordable housing becomes less affordable. With more supply, the prices would not be so high, and the affordable housing would stay affordable

              • +1

                @Quantumcat: It is not the exact same thing!!

                Greedy REA's and to some extent landlords keep putting up the prices and therefore creating a problem that didn't exist in the first place. Where I live now there are houses going up everyday. The other side of my street recently got finished with 6 townhouses and 3 of them have been up for lease for over 3 weeks. Reason why, they are asking too much for them. If it was such crisis people would be lined up to move into a brand new home in a really sort after area.

                The last time I rented (a few years back) the landlord wanted to keep putting up the rent and when I questioned the REA about it they replied "to bring it in line with market rates." I did my research on the townhouse and the other townhouses in the complex and found out I was already paying above "market rates." I showed my findings to the REA and then spoke to the landlord about it. Well the landlord said that the REA informed him that he could get more rent for the property and should put the rent up. After my conversion the landlord actually dropped the rent to the same price as the other townhouses in the complex because he didn't want to loose a good tenant. The REA wanted to look like they were doing a great job for the landlord by bringing him in more money. Needless to say he changed REA.

                • @Spuds Mchaggis:

                  Greedy REA's and to some extent landlords keep putting up the prices and therefore creating a problem that didn't exist in the first place.

                  That makes no sense. If REAs and landlords are only increasing prices because they want more money, why don't they increase the prices to $100,000 a week? Prices are controlled by the market. If there is so much demand that a house gets 200 applications, the price will be increased until they only get 5-10. If they increase the price so much that they get no applications or only 1 or 2 unsatisfactory ones they'll decrease the price so they get a few more (not much point leaving it at the high price waiting for more applications when every week it isn't leased they lose money).

                  • @Quantumcat: And who controls the market? Oh that's right, REAs and landlords! Enough said!

                    • @Spuds Mchaggis: They don't control the market - the market is the balance between the number of people who want a house and the number of houses. It is out of everybody's hands, except maybe the government who could release land more quickly.

                      If more people want a house than there are houses, prices go up. By raising the price, the demand for a particular house is reduced until you get only 5-10 applications.

                      Conversely if there are more houses than people looking, the prices drop because people have lots of houses to choose from, and they'll apply to the ones that are cheaper and the more expensive ones won't get any applications. So they'll have to reduce their prices until they start getting some more applications.

                      This applies to nearly every good in the economy. With other goods, if demand goes up usually they'll manufacture more of them and the supply will keep up with the demand and the price doesn't change much. But with housing, it takes a very long time to create a new house and it isn't easy to do as you need land as well. So prices change a lot because supply can't be increased very easily or quickly

                  • @Quantumcat: It's nice to see that landlords have the time on their side to be able to test the market, and play with numbers to be able to find the highest possible rent!

                    But for tenants with a notice to vacate, it is about finding a place within the next 2 or 3 weeks (The "lucky ones" on a periodic have a bit more time).

                    Totally balanced indeed!

        • -5

          Being a landlord isn't a charity, it's an investment. Would you turn down a 40% payrise? Or are you also greedy?

          • +1

            @redfox1200: I can't understand why you are getting the downvotes, for saying the truth. Because the government doesn't provide enough public housing, it is left to the mum&dad investor to fill the gap. We had longterm tenants in our place - an older couple - who paid their rent on time (mostly) and kept friendly with the neighbours. We even put in air-conditioning and a big garden shed without raising the rent. Yet they dudded us in the end by leaving and installing their dropkick grandkids to continue the lease (in their name). We only found out because the neighbours hunted up our phone number & told us of the state of the place.
            Yes, we obviously had bad property managers (PM) who were not doing their job. A good PM soon turns into a complacent one when they think they have "good" tenants. Fingers burnt, now no longer a landlord…

        • -1

          Whether the market rate or not there is a loan to pay for some owners and this is ever increasing at the mercy of the banks.

          • @skillet: And for those without loans? How do I filter for properties that are fully paid off so the landlord has minimal expenses and thus charges minimal rent?

            • @Jolakot: Rent has nothing to do with expenses, it's supply and demand

          • -2

            @skillet: i dont understand, I wouldnt register to become a nazi if you offered me money. But LL are happy to deny the basic human right and exploit people for money.

        • go and buy your own place, problem solved

          • +1

            @YoungQuan: I’d like to, but parasitic negatively gearing little landlords keep bidding up the price

            • @parsimonious one: blaming others and not taking 100% responsibility for your situation = poor person mentality. You will forever be a broke until you change that

              • +5

                @YoungQuan: it is 100% factual to state that investors contribute to demand and thus push up prices

                Your ridiculous statement of “go buy your own place” reeks of privilege and entitlement and ignores the reality that sky high property prices now mean that home ownership is more difficult than ever for many

      • +1

        I recently saw a post about a re bragging about driving up rents and shaming landlords for not raising rents a significant amount.

  • +16

    You had over 20 applications and still saying that rental crisis is a hype? Seriously???

    • +4

      It's that pipe still hot? Are you serious? Do you live in a bubble?

      • +8

        Probably a boomer who got their uni degree for $1 and was able to raise a family with a house and two cars by working on a factory line not realising that things change.

        • Excuse me they probably worked really hard for a year to save up the deposit required. You young whippersnappers wouldn't have a clue how hard it was back then when a deposit for a house was 15K

          • +1

            @ThithLord: Ah yes sorry my mistake. And that year of saving was spent at a job at the local grocery store as well :)

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