Fisher1 Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 As a matter of interest what do aussie landlords do about wear and tear during your tenancy? Are you expected to leave everything pristine? When we rented in Brussels we were charged for wear and tear, the money taken from our initial deposit. Most landlords used a surveyor before and after your tenancy (paid for by tenant, natch,) and EVERYTHING had to be paid for. We lived for fifteen months without putting pictures up because we knew we would be charged for the whole house to be repainted. Also, do landlords generally repay deposits or is it considered extra rent by most landlords? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 As a matter of interest what do aussie landlords do about wear and tear during your tenancy? Are you expected to leave everything pristine? When we rented in Brussels we were charged for wear and tear, the money taken from our initial deposit. Most landlords used a surveyor before and after your tenancy (paid for by tenant, natch,) and EVERYTHING had to be paid for. We lived for fifteen months without putting pictures up because we knew we would be charged for the whole house to be repainted. Also, do landlords generally repay deposits or is it considered extra rent by most landlords? In regards to the deposit it can depend on the agent. Usually the agent is more fussy than the landlord. The bond is usually sent to the RBTA and you both have to sign a form before your bond is released. So if you do not agree with them keeping your bond you can take it to tribunal. The contracts usually state wear and tear is expected. You usually can't put a picture on the wall or paint without the landlords permission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi69 Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 We went over every wall with a fine tooth comb when our time was up. And we Dont have small kids, but walls just seem to get it here. Any slight knock and the paint is off. we had the best cleaner in Perth @irishgirl do our vacate clean.....a job well done, at a very reasonable price. (sorry PQ...I'm not advertising, just saying) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 I was just about to comment about the bond. Before you move in (you will get somewhere eventually!), go around with your camera/phone and photograph every little mark, dent, chip of paint, weed, mould, holes in flyscreens. Even take pics of hair in plug holes, grease in the oven etc. If applicable, photograph the pool if it looks a bit dodgy. We've rented four houses in Aus and been had for doing damage we definitely didn't do. One place wanted us to replace their crap chairs which fell apart after a couple of weeks. They told us they'd cost over $100 each. I told them I wanted proof they were an identical chair at which point they backed down. In the last rental we took photos of everything and sent copies to the landlord, so that when they came telling us we owed X amount ($thousands) we could point them back to the dated photos and they had to refund our whole bond. When we moved into the last one it was in a disgusting state (we'd been assured it would have been properly cleaned before we moved? There was bacon fat in the grill pan, pubes in the baths and shower, dirty loos, weeds everywhere, pool was unusable...). I couldn't get the awful agent to come to have a look, so I sat down at the desk and told her I wouldn't be moving until she got me a cleaner by at afternoon. She eventually phoned the landlord to moan about me (speaking alternately in English and Chinese when she wanted/didn't want me to understand what she was saying). I held firm and sat there for two hours until she gave in and two girls arrived that afternoon to clean properly. I'm like you - a bit of a clean freak and the houses were all in a cleaner state when we moved out than when we moved in, but it doesn't seem to be enough for some. I have many more examples of being treated appallingly, despite being told at rent inspections that we were perfect tenants. I would advise, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. That way you can avoid being shafted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher1 Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 Pretty much like Brussels then :-) Stories abounded of ratty landlords but I think the best was the one about the tenants who insisted, prior to taking on the lease, that the garden maintenance was the landlord's responsibility. Said landlord turned up regularly to maintain the garden, then charged them for the wear and tear on his garden tools when they left ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eera Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 With my joints the agent appraises the "damage" and recommends to me whether it should be classed as damage or fair wear and tear (I have fantastic agents). If I've put in new blinds and they break, it's damage, if they're a few years old then it's fair wear and tear. Chips to paint get overlooked as that happens, bloody great dents in the wall get fixed at the tenant's expense. Basically, rule of thumb is; if it happens through the course of everyday living then it's fair wear and tear, if something physical occurred the cause it then it's damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprug Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 Hi I am a licensed real estate agent that worked in the western suburbs of Brisbane as a rental agent for 4 years (I left to work full time as a relocation agent). From my perspective as a rental agent working in affluent areas of Brisbane it is always preferable that the would be applicant sees the home - whether this be through a relocation agent or in person. Tip for securing a home would be to have the following with your application: 100 points id 2 personal reference proof of income (wages, offer of employment, bank statements) A letter from either a selling agent or a rental agent from your last home A personal letter to say why you want the home. Additionally whilst it is not required it may be prudent to offer a little more than the asking price (even 5 dollars a week to make your application stand out). I recently secured a home for a nurse from the uk (last month) in North Lakes whilst they were in the UK. When they arrived in Brisbane I collected them and took them to the new home - no temporary accommodation was needed. The couple in question secured the home against 11 other candidates by having all the paperwork ready (via me) and offering $5 a week more I worked with a lot of pommies as a real estate agent and I have a lot of Pommies as relocation clients and it is not impossible to secure a home when you are not in the country - in fact quite the opposite. When I was a real estate agent everyone would jump when a relocation agent wanted to view a home. It was generally considered that if the individual was using an agent they were already pre screened and were more likely to be the kind of candidate that would look after the home as they had money behind them. The bond deposit is not held by the landlord but by a third party and it is not the norm for agents to keep bonds for unnecessary reasons. As the other person stated be extra picky with the entry condition report and take lots of pictures. Make sure you get the report into the agent within the required time frame normally 3 days from the lease start date. Wear and tear in real estate is defined as follows: Wear - anything that occurs through normal usage i.e the kitchen unit door falls off because the hinges are old. Tear is defined as anything that occurs outside normal usage i.e the kitchen unit door fell off because in a fit of rage you kicked it. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flissbob Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 Hello fellow poms, I have recently moved to the north lakes area with my husband. I am a nurse and my other half is working as a retail manager for a large supermarket chain here in brissy. I used opal relocations (Shelley) who found us a lovely house before we even left the uk, which took out the stress of dealing with real estate agents and booking expensive short term accommodation. Shelley also arranged to pick us up from the airport and bought us a bed complete with bedding, along with some other bits and bobs. This meant when we landed exhausted from our 24 hour flight we had somewhere to sleep and some essential foods, including a much needed cup of tea! Shelley also gave us a welcome pack on the local area, introduced us to previous clients (yey friends!) and has answered all those silly little questions, which has made settling in all that much easier. I would highly recommend using a relocation agent and in particular opal relocations as they are a boutique business who only take on one client at a time and I also feel I have made a friend. We feel in the long term we have saved money as we have not had to pay for expensive short term accommodation and meant we could focus on essentials such as looking for work that much sooner. If anyone would like to message me please feel free, I am always on the look out for new friends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmconley Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 We have a lovely 3 bedroom home in Kellyville, a suburb of Sydney which we rent when we go on holiday. We advertise on AIRBNB and Gumtree and Craigslist. We have rented it twice in the last 1 1/2 years to UK applicants who were moving to Sydney. We are on Skype - rmconley - and show our home from our laptop. Both families have raved about our home. If you or anybody you know is interested in renting a home in the Sydney area, we are going on holiday from 6 October to 1 November and 24 November to 11 December and would be happy to rent our home to UK applicants. Hey Peeps, Tell me something guys and girls, what is it with Aussie landlords ? we have applied for a few rental properties online (using that 1form through estate agents) and on blind good faith of just seeing online photos we have applied, but always the landlord has gone with other application and no doubt they have chosen domestic applicants. Are we just wasting our time here? are Aussie landlords so blind to UK applicants and never consider them? Has anyone had experience of successfully securing a rental from abroad in the UK? I would be grateful to hear of your experience and how you did it, many thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisleylass Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 Yesterday we went to view a rental and had already completed the application, part of which was a signed statement that we had inspected the house in person and would pay the deposit and move on xxx date. It looked great on the photos, but when we turned up there was a gardenful of bogans next door blasting doof doof music, the house in front also emitting a dull bassy-y music noise, which could all be heard throughout the large interior of the house we inspected. Pool area was overlooked by 4 houses, absolutely no privacy, and the 'enclosed' backyard had a crazily low fence so no good for our cat. I can't stress enough how vital it is to inspect the property in person. The photos in listings are selective and fail to show the whole picture, and give away nothing about noise and neighbour behaviour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisleylass Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 By the way, that's the only open home we've been to that only one other couple turned up to, most get at least 5 parties, perhaps better local knowledge (we live 5k away currently) put off most potential tenants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Yesterday we went to view a rental and had already completed the application, part of which was a signed statement that we had inspected the house in person and would pay the deposit and move on xxx date. It looked great on the photos, but when we turned up there was a gardenful of bogans next door blasting doof doof music, the house in front also emitting a dull bassy-y music noise, which could all be heard throughout the large interior of the house we inspected. Pool area was overlooked by 4 houses, absolutely no privacy, and the 'enclosed' backyard had a crazily low fence so no good for our cat. I can't stress enough how vital it is to inspect the property in person. The photos in listings are selective and fail to show the whole picture, and give away nothing about noise and neighbour behaviour. Ah yes, never underestimate the boganicity of the neighbourhood, always worth checking out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortlepuss Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Managing agents do like to take the p1ss - we had minor scuff marks by the door and were forced to pay for total repairing of the walls. Even if you, like us leave the property in a better condition than when you moved in, prepare to be shafted. There is the odd exception - I actually have just moved out of a lovely property as landlord was returning and the worst thing was losing the only decent respectful and honest managing agent I know. I was in the market for similar properties as you - you get slightly better treatment for a higher end property but not brilliant. I drive by rentals before viewing and reject around 90% on sight alone - as others have said - bogan neighbours, major roads, takeaways next door, blocks of flats in close proximity/houses in garden - never advertised. Always ask if it is being sold, or is not a buy to let (ie owner returning). Tenants have v little protection against being turfed out here. I have moved 5 times in 7 years and am over the expense and hassle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petkula73 Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Re: Bond... Expect your landlord to try and shaft you over your bond and make sure you're fully prepared to fight your corner. We moved last year as our landlord wanted to sell the house. He spent $1800 on fixing up the garden before putting it up for sale. Four months later when we get a sniveling email from him saying it was only right and fair we pay our share of the gardening costs, but as he was basically such a nice guy he'd do us a special price and settle for $650. We told him that the garden was his business, not ours and we were under no obligation to pay for renovations, only to maintain the upkeep. When we left we took hundreds of photos - all aspects inside and outside the house. He then refused to sign the release papers for the bond until we paid for the original garden work, plus new garden work, window cleaning and oven cleaning. Again we told him we were not prepared to do that and filed with VCAT (small claims court) to get our money back. He counter claimed for something like $1500. We made sure we were fully prepared, had evidence that all his claims were spurious. Anyway, we went to court and had a right old ding dong with him. The judge found 100% in our favour and we got the full amount back. The lesson learned is always CYA no matter how petty and trivial. When I think about this guy now 12 months on I still want to punch him though. I could make a crass remark about the religion he belongs to, but I'll refrain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quote Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Hmmm, never been refused a rental property in Melbourne yet. Current resident are obviously more appealing then someone who is yet to enter the country. Put yourself in their shoes. Too risky. Find a place once you get here, they do go fast (in the nice areas). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petkula73 Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 As an idea for the original posters, you could go through a short term letting agency for a furnished apartment. We lived for a year in an apartment in Southbank (Melbourne) courtesy of my company who rented it from a letting agent who manage apartments. I think that's easier than going through an estate agent as it's more geared up for overseas visitors and short term letting. If you live somewhere like that for a few months you'll build up enough credibility to then go and rent elsewhere. I'm not going to give them any free advertising on here, but if you want the company name drop me a PM and I'll send it over. The only drawback is you pay a premium. I think our flat was something like $1250 a week, but that's for a fully furnished 2 bed flat next to the Yarra, so there will be cheaper options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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