Removal of carpet and getting circuit breakers installed on rental property

[Indianinoz]

Hello,

1) Our home is carpet. Its just been a few weeks in our rental home but both me and my wife feel it is making us sick. We keep getting these static electricity currents which were not the case before when we were in a home without carpet. Also, it seems the dust on the carpet is not helping us. Can we get it removed through the real estate agent?

2) Our home has the old style of electrical meter within the home which only allows me switch off the entire electricity for the home. The other circuit breakers like 'stove', 'lights', 'power1', 'power 2' etc. are sealed in a way that only an electrician can turn them off/on. My friend who is an electrician says they're now illegal and the home should mandatory have these circuit breakers unsealed. My real estate's electrician says though the 'sealed way' is outdated, it is not illegal because when our home was built(and its an old home), the 'sealed way' was prevalent and hence it is not illegal. The real estate'es electrician said that I cannot force the owner of the property to unseal the circuit breakers. Who is correct?

Thanks!

[Parley]

I think it is a stretch to say carpet can make you sick.

Obviously you need to vacuum it regularly but carpet is used in probably 80% of all homes.

So I doubt there is any reason for it to be removed. Get it professionally cleaned though if you want to go beyond just doing it yourself.

Why are you wanting to fiddle with the electricity anyway ? I don't see how that is going to affect you in any great way. It is extremely rare for a circuit to get tripped. It is not up to you to be doing any electrical work on the house anyway if it is a rental.

Edited October 12, 2017 by Parley

[Guest241083]

.........carpet unless worn and needs replacing

.........I doubt your landlord would just change it 

........your electricity power board would/should of been checked by a licensed electrician

.........a safety switch is compulsory ...

........each state having specific guidelines .......if the circuit breakers are in good working order and deemed safe

......    again the landlord will not change them ime

.........you can get a tenants rights booklet or download one from your agent

.........it will tell you what you can reasonably expect from your tenancy 

 

[Evandale]

56 minutes ago, Indianinoz said:

Hello,

1) Our home is carpet. Its just been a few weeks in our rental home but both me and my wife feel it is making us sick. We keep getting these static electricity currents which were not the case before when we were in a home without carpet. Also, it seems the dust on the carpet is not helping us. Can we get it removed through the real estate agent?

2) Our home has the old style of electrical meter within the home which only allows me switch off the entire electricity for the home. The other circuit breakers like 'stove', 'lights', 'power1', 'power 2' etc. are sealed in a way that only an electrician can turn them off/on. My friend who is an electrician says they're now illegal and the home should mandatory have these circuit breakers unsealed. My real estate's electrician says though the 'sealed way' is outdated, it is not illegal because when our home was built(and its an old home), the 'sealed way' was prevalent and hence it is not illegal. The real estate'es electrician said that I cannot force the owner of the property to unseal the circuit breakers. Who is correct?

Thanks!

You rented the house with carpet (fitted I imagine) therefore it will have to stay unless you come to some arrangement with the estate agent or owners, but you will have to replace it like for like I would have thought! The nylon content in the carpet will be the culprit giving you slight shocks as opposed to 100% wool. If you google static in carpets there are several remedies you can try!.. Woolworths hire out "Rug Doctors" !

Regarding the electricity http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ftw/Consumers/Product_and_service_safety/Electrical_safety.page

The RE's electrician would be aware of the rules.

In Europe it was mandatory to be able to switch off the oven and hotplates from a central switch on the wall.... our last house in Tasmania which was built appro 17 years ago didnt have this facility which was a constant "beef" of mine for safety reasons but apparently legal. A nightmare when children are around/and standard practice for me after cooking to switch off!  Luckily now we have this facility!

Maybe with all these various allergies you are better off looking for a tiled flooring premises, so easy to keep clean! Good luck!

 

Edited... 

New South Wales

Safety switches are only required in home built or substantially rewired after 1991.http://www.build.com.au/safety-switch-laws-and-requirements

Edited October 12, 2017 by Evandale

[evets]

Carpets, I really doubt the landlord/lady will change them unless they are extremely old, damaged and a safety issue. This is there retirement income and will not want to expend any money that is not necessary. And then it could be a struggle. If the area you are living in has a low vacancy rate and is popular, they will have even less incentive.

I tried to get a kitchen worktop replaced during an inspection of a new rental I was viewing. The landlady had just replaced the freestanding cooker and living room carpet. The RE said to me she was an OAP and did not have the spare money to fix up the rest of the unit. Sad, that this is what the rental market has been in parts of Australia.

 

[Eera]

I've allowed my tenants to replace carpet with wood veneer before, but they paid for it as there was nothing wrong with the carpet.  Same with paint; I'm happy for my tenants to decorate as they see fit, as long as it's done to a high standard and they pay for it (and if it's a bright colour, they return the place to neutral at the end of the tenancy).  If it really bothers you, approach the landlord, pay for it and be prepared to pay to return the place to as it was at the time you rented.

Queensland has legislation that rentals must be fitted with an RCD, but as far as I'm aware NSW doesn't have anything mandating this.

 

[Parley]

12 minutes ago, Eera said:

I've allowed my tenants to replace carpet with wood veneer before, but they paid for it as there was nothing wrong with the carpet.  Same with paint; I'm happy for my tenants to decorate as they see fit, as long as it's done to a high standard and they pay for it (and if it's a bright colour, they return the place to neutral at the end of the tenancy).  If it really bothers you, approach the landlord, pay for it and be prepared to pay to return the place to as it was at the time you rented.

Queensland has legislation that rentals must be fitted with an RCD, but as far as I'm aware NSW doesn't have anything mandating this.

 

I'm sure you would love it your tenants pay for refurbishment and redecoration of your property.

Can't imagine many tenants falling for that though knowing how expensive carpet and painting is.

Would be a lot cheaper for them to move.

[Eera]

1 hour ago, Parley said:

I'm sure you would love it your tenants pay for refurbishment and redecoration of your property.

Can't imagine many tenants falling for that though knowing how expensive carpet and painting is.

Would be a lot cheaper for them to move.

Maybe, but they asked to remove a carpet less than two years old and to paint a neutral home with red feature walls.  I could have refused but I figured I'd let them make it more homely.  And from experience I can tell you that renters are put off by bright colours so it's a condition that they restore the place to the same colour scheme when they move out (they've been there for four years now and have just renewed for another year.  Obviously they don't feel *that* hard done by).

Edited October 13, 2017 by Eera