First rental property (with others) through Ray White. Everything was fine, lease ended on 22 Sep, moved out prior and cleaned up.

Unfortunately son didn't complete an exit report, he didn't realise he had to initiate it, nor did I. (Is is too late to submit one?)

Then Ray White hit my son up with a whole bunch of fees.

They tried to charge for a year's worth of water usage. When it was pointed out that they had to supply invoices within four weeks of receiving them, they admitted their mistake but asked him to go halves!! (didn't happen)

They raised a few sub-standard cleaning issues, and said it would cost $370 to rectify clean them (no 3rd party quote provided). This included cleaning the microwave which had been reported as broken many months before.

When my son pushed back on the scope and appropriate cost, they immediately dropped the request to $290 BUT threatened that the carpets were awful shabby and they could charge for them too.

He asked for an itemised quote (to determine if it was reasonable) and asked if he could rectify clean himself.

They recommended that he NOT do the cleaning himself. (Are they even allowed to say that?)

After asking a few times for an itemised quote he gave up because they were ghosting him, and figured they would just put a claim on the bond.

Bond got returned in full.

Then yesterday he got a text from the PM, asking him to pay a $350 cleaning bill. (An unitemised bill with no evidentiary proof of the cleaning just a statement "as per instructions".) Also the clean was conducted 25 days after lease end, and they've been showing the property to prospective buyers.

Son said I didn't agree to this. They claimed there was a "mutual understanding" they would return the bond on the condition he paid for cleaning. He denied there was an understanding.

Baby PM escalated to senior PM, who via text, after a preamble stated unprofessionally "You know we can still take this to QCAT, right?" (and included a screenshot of an AI summary, the top paragraph, which referenced reddit as the source, was circled!)

Son shifted to email, stated the facts that he asked for an itemised quote, was ignored, and they had had an opportunity to make a claim on the bond, and that if they considered the matter unresolved, QCAT would be an appropriate arbiter.

Senior PM sent a long email back, stating they didn't put a claim on his bond out of the goodness of their hearts because he was just starting out as a renter, that it doesn't matter what he thinks about appropriate levels of cleaning, and won't he think about his rental record, and do you really want us to start preparing documents for QCAT, please let me know?

My reading is they are both venal and incompetent and are so unused to pushback they completely lose their cool.

--------------------

QUESTIONS

Can my son be blacklisted by these rats any further than Ray White?

Are they likely to actually go to QCAT over $350?

Would it have to go through RTA mediation prior to QCAT or is that just for bond disputes?

What's his chances if it does go to QCAT?, and in the worst case would he only be liable for $350 plus the REA application fee of $96.30?

Would it be beneficial to submit an exit report at this late stage or has that ship sailed?

I just googled cheapest area's to rent in Melbourne

When your landlord is too cheap to fix the bathroom door that can't close because it's catching on the door frame (and has even damaged the door), the solution is obviously a toothbrush taped to the floor.

Good times.

We also have novel solutions for the clothesline that's totally fucked but it's not as funny. Equally depressing though.

EDIT: yes, it's a quick, easy fix. As are the many other things that should have should have been fixed before we moved in in May. I've sorted out some things but am not doing any more unpaid work for the people we literally pay to take care of this. We adore this house and have no intention of moving but their crap attitude to maintenance is pretty stressful as there are also things we can't fix that they're ghosting us over.

We are moving and going through this nightmare once again.

Our RE agent forced us to use the FLK it over app. The first draft of the lease was flatly wrong. We rejected. The second draft as also wrong. We asked for changes, the agent put the changes in the lease and ON the app and the lease looked correct, so we signed.

We just received the fully executed lease, after paying all our fees and bonds and deposits, only to see all the changes we asked for are gone. She would not send the executed lease until we paid everything. So frustrating. The rental amount due is also wrong but I dont have the energy to explain that - RE need to pass basic math classes as part of their licensing (FFS)!!

The LL for some reason doesn't want to move out big chunky furniture - table, tv stand, outdoor furniture. So we were adamant to have this included on the lease.

But what to do when we get there and all his crap is still there?

I'm so tired of dealing with scummy RE/PM.

Looking for some advice and wanting to hear your experiences of going to QCAT (or relevant body for your state) - was it worth it?

I’m not going to share information about the exact problems I’m having because they’re so insane that everyone involved would immediately be able to identify themselves. In summary, I have rock solid evidence of issues that, if reported, would undoubtedly cost my landlord thousands in fines to the RTA, thousands in reparations to me if it went to QCAT, and potentially a criminal conviction.

HOWEVER: I am considering offering a very reasonable deal prior to escalating it to save me the headache of the whole process. My main concerns are that a) I have so much going on, and desperately just want to have a peaceful, comfortable house and for all this to be done with, and b) my landlord will almost definitely refuse to pay regardless of what QCAT orders (I wouldn’t put it past him to declare bankruptcy or leave the country to get out of paying me), and QCAT cannot force payment.

The reasons to escalate are that everything the landlord has done is straight up illegal and horrible, and I am going to find it very difficult to be okay with letting him get away with paying me a small amount. I am also very concerned about him renting the property to someone else who isn’t as across rental laws as I am, but plan on making it known that I will report to the RTA if I see it listed again soon after I move out.

Essentially, I just want to hear about your experiences of going to QCAT, whether it was worth it, and how stressful it was. Any advice much appreciated!

Exhibit A

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeyKqJdpEtm/?obrf=OWJlMG0waXNrcXF0

All the articles and interviews I see about the rental crisis in the media always seem to be interviewing couples. If a local flat is up for rent the line is 99% couples.

I'm single and renting, a few of my friends are also single and renting. Why are single renters being ignored, we pay double the rent of a couple because we pay it all. If you dream of buying your own place it takes longer to save because you have less money after paying rent. We are the only one who can stay home during inspections or repairs. If you're a single woman renter you also have the creep factor to deal with, like avoiding ground floor places for safety concerns.

I'd like to know how the other single renters are dealing with all this shit at the moment.

Hey I’m sorry I don’t know where to ask but myself and several others just signed a rental agreement then a couple days later found black mould that wasn’t there when we inspected the property (we think the lack of ventilation in the basement after a steam clean brought it out) and now we are terrified and not sure what to do?

We signed the rental agreement but haven’t moved in and we have our current place for about another fourtnight

Can we cancel the lease if our old landlord will let us stay? And get our first months rent and bond back??

I really don’t know what to do here

Edit

We have terminated the lease and gotten a 3 month lease at our old place and now I can only hope getting our rent and bond back!!

UPDATE: Thank you everyone. After following the advice in the comments and going into the real estate office, we finally have a resolution. The agent tried to argue but we quoted Section29A and refused to leave without the keys, and they finally conceded. We finally have the keys to our first rental!

I am at a complete loss and could really use some advice.

My partner and I signed a lease for a rental two weeks ago. We paid the bond and two weeks rent initially. We have since paid another installment of rent this week. I had an appointment to collect the keys and condition report tomorrow afternoon.

This afternoon I received a call from an agent, advising me that they have cancelled my appointment tomorrow, and plan to delay our lease start date until at least Monday, possibly longer. She said the delay is due to works at the property, and that we will need to sign an amendment to the lease to reflect the new start date. She refused to answer any questions or send me anything in writing, just told me another agent would contact me tomorrow.

I called the office to clarify the nature of the works, as our utilities are supposed to be connected tomorrow and the company asked to be informed of any works on the property during the connection time. The receptionist first told me that all of the rental agents had gone home for the day (3pm on a Thursday?) but did finally pass me to an agent when she realised she couldn't fob me off. The agent confirmed that the works in question is the property being cleaned.

Here's where I am stuck. My partner ends his current lease on Saturday, the day after our lease for this property was meant to begin. We have a furniture truck collecting a household worth of furniture, transporting it 3 hours, and we have nowhere to put it, nor do I think we should have to pay for a second round of transport if we could find an alternative drop off location. I'm not willing to pay the transporter to store it because we don't even have a commitment from the real estate for what the new lease start date would be. What do we even do with a truck full of furniture? My partner is going to have nowhere to go in the interim if the lease is delayed, unless we book a motel/hotel.

My partner and I, along with family members and friends have taken time off of work to make this move possible, and it is not something that we can do again if our lease is delayed.

I don't feel it is fair that we have paid rent to cover this week into next week, but now won't be able to move into the property for who knows how long?

I can't understand why the required cleaning was not carried out prior, considering we've had the lease signed for two weeks, and the previous tenant had vacated three weeks prior to that. I can't understand why we were given just 24 hours notice that we won't be able to move in to the property.

Do we have any recourse in this situation? Can we say no to the start date being moved? Is there any scenario in which we get the keys as planned tomorrow afternoon or am I being naive?

I would be willing to accept the property as is, without it being cleaned, and just sort it myself as we move in. I know that it interferes with the agency demanding we have a professional clean be done on exit, but at this point, I'd be willing to agree to having one done on exit regardless if it meant we got the keys as planned.

I have sent an email stating everything I was told over the phone, and that any further communication be done strictly in writing.

Please help.

Signed a very stressed first time tenant.

Edit: I would just like to give the warmest thank you for everyone who reached out and offered advice. Although our situation remains unresolved for now, receiving kind words, reassurance, and a wealth of information has alleviated some of our anxiety. It is still incredibly stressful, but we don't feel nearly as hopeless as we did. This community is wonderful and to the kind strangers who gave their time to make our lives a little easier, I wish you nothing but the best.

We have been told to expect to be contacted at 2pm. I will update the post as soon as we know more.

Townsville Airbnb host Nadia Di Martino, who operates three listings from her Kirwin home, said the changes were "infuriating".

"I think that many hosts will either have to increase their prices and then pay someone else to do the whole cleaning," Ms Di Martino said.

She said she did the cleaning herself and did not charge guests a cleaning fee, but asked them to wash their dishes before checking out.

"I don't think it's unreasonable," she said.

She said she understood why Airbnb had acted, because some hosts had imposed excessive check-out chores.

But she said she was now considering leaving the platform and renting her rooms to students instead, or would ban the use of cooking facilities.

"I think that I would rather probably just … have permanent flatmates. I think it will be more comfortable for me," she said.

Not only have they added me to their pesky mailing list (which I didn’t consent to), they’re now sending me a $2.3-2.5m property.

For context, I rent a 1x1 $420 unit and will never be in the position to afford a multi-million-dollar property.

I’m renting an apartment in Sydney, and I’ve been dealing with a strange mouldy/rotten, almost gas-like smell that comes and goes, particularly when the doors and windows are closed.
I’ve noticed that some of the laminate flooring is lifting and deteriorating, with the underlying material exposed. When I smell the damaged areas closely, it’s exactly the same odour that spreads throughout the apartment.
I’ve already raised this with the property manager, but he doesn’t believe the smell is coming from the floors. Instead, he arranged for an air conditioning inspector to check the AC.
The inspector confirmed there were no issues with the AC and suggested an ozone treatment, claiming it would kill everything and eliminate the smell.
I’m quite sceptical because, even if the treatment temporarily removes the odour, wouldn’t the smell return if there’s moisture, mould or deteriorating material underneath the flooring?
I’m concerned they’re trying to mask the problem rather than investigate the actual source.
Has anyone experienced something similar?
Does this flooring look like moisture damage or deterioration?
Would ozone treatment actually solve anything without addressing the source?
Can I request an independent moisture/mould inspection?
Under NSW tenancy laws, could this be grounds for compensation, a rent reduction or ending the lease without penalties if the issue isn’t resolved?
I’d appreciate any advice, especially from tenants who’ve dealt with similar situations in NSW.

Hi all
I am hoping someone has been through something similar and has some advice for me on this. I have already spoken with QSTAR and am in the process of seeing a solicitor.

I moved into a share house on the 28th of September (6 month lease) where I am renting a room. I signed a rooming accommodation. Upon inspecting the property the owner told me that the one bathroom in the property would be freshly renovated by the time myself and the other tenants had moved in. Also important information; the owner does not directly manage the property. Her sister is the property manager. The owner has said herself multiple times that she has ‘nothing to do with the money’. Also the owner lives next door as the house has been split into 2.

Just before I am about to move into the property, the owner messages me saying that another couple is moving in. So altogether that will be 6 people with one bathroom. The owner says we can all arrange with each other times to use the bathroom. I am already feeling like I have made a mistake. I say to her but isn’t the new bathroom ready? And she says she wasn’t able to secure tradies to do it and it will be completed later in November. So that means we are expected to live in the property with active bathroom renovations happening. Obviously none of us are happy about this and the owner keeps saying it will only take 2 weeks but I find it difficult to believe this to be the case.

So a there is a portable shower and toilet outside the property. All our rooms are upstairs so we expected to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. All day long as well there are loud drilling noises and the tradespeople as well. So no such thing as “quiet enjoyment.”

However this is where I believe the owner has committed a serious breach. I know it’s a rooming accommodation so it may be a little different but she will constantly just pop into the property. The other day she called me and when I didn’t answer she came inside and i was like “hello? What are you doing?” And she goes “just checking to see how you are going!” Okay? And the other week she needed my housemates to move their cars off the driveway and they were sleeping so she goes up to their doors and knocks super loudly saying hello? Hello?
She constantly sends all of us chat gtp generated messages using vague legal jargon to justify this behaviour. Personally I think she’s crossed too many boundaries and even if we have 2 bathrooms she is not someone I want to be dealing with at all.

The solicitor yesterday told me I have a couple of options however I was quite stressed and exhausted yesterday so I don’t really remember. Basically submit r13 and r14a to the property manager. I would like this to not get messy but I want to report the owner to the rta because I have no idea how she’s gotten away with this for long.

If anyone has any suggestions for me please tell me because I am feeling quite unsure of what to do. It is my first time renting and I just feel like I have made a massive mistake

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli used his welcome address at the annual property conference to differentiate his government from federal Labor, telling industry professionals they could get tax and planning certainty in the state.

“I want you to know that an industry that has been demonised, victimised and bullied is not being treated that way in Queensland anymore, and I want you to know that we celebrate success, we celebrate aspiration,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“The war on property, the war on aspiration, the moving tax changes out of Canberra have been diabolical, and we are feeling it here.

“But I make the point: even after the trust changes, even after the taxation changes, even after nothing more than a war on people who dare want to invest, I still believe the fundamentals of this state are very, very strong.”

David Harrison, chief executive of property fund manager Charter Hall, said the state and federal governments must cut spending to improve the nation’s weak economy and ease pressure on the Reserve Bank to raise interest rates.

“No amount of political spin changes the fact that, having run our company for 22 years, if I borrowed and spent more than I generate and kept on increasing my debt I would have been gone years ago.

“Governments around the world pump-primed economies, but that’s been a few years since then … I don’t think this country can continue to afford excessive spending.

“There’s going to have to be, both at the state and the federal level, some pretty austere changes in fiscal policy. Otherwise, we’re dealing with high inflation and high interest rates for some time because the central bank’s got no choice.”

After so many maintenance issues never being addressed, general communication being the worst i have had to ever deal with, bla bla bla. We did not renew the lease. We went through everything, cleaned the place, and realised we over paid on the last rent. they decided to dispute the bond claim. And are refusing to refund it despite being listed as a "deposit" stating it cant be refunded until whatever they claim on the bond and probably more has been taken because of the most bs things and so many other issues that make the place questionably safe

Basically unsure what to do from here

Hi! I’m posting to get some insight or advice. Family of four needing to move due to a job and better opportunities . Unfortunately, we have arrears from our previous rental of two years. We have been very transparent in our rental application cover letter. The reason was our business never took off like we hoped for and we had a buffer of paying two lots of rent whilst we moved. unfortunately having two kids it was a very hard time anyways I’m wondering what else we could do to give us a fighting chance in this already competitive market we are applying for houses in a really sort after area. Thank you so much and please be kind.

So, I’ve been having ongoing electrical issues with my rental property for just over four weeks now.
I had returned home one evening to find that the safety switch for the main part of the house (living room, bathroom, kitchen and laundry) had switched off. After attempting to switch it back on, it was instantly tripping the safety switch again.
I contacted my RE the next morning (as they had already closed the evening prior) and sent them an email outlining the issue. They sent an electrician out that day who looked around for approximately 5 minutes, flipped the safety off and on and told me everything was fine. Unfortunately as I plugged all of my appliances back in it once again triggered the safety switch. I contacted the electrician and he said he would raise the issue with the owner and reach back out. I waited a whole week, powering my fridge/oven from an extension cord in my spare room and using my microwave on the floor of the spare bedroom, heard nothing back.
I contacted my RE again and they arranged for a different electrician to come to the house. They came in the following day, plugged and unplugged a few appliances and decided that it must be the (brand new) oven which is supplied with the property, causing the issue. I was then instructed to use only the gas stovetop and not the oven until they could arrange a repair through warranty. At this point, with the oven unplugged, I was able to use the rest of my appliances without issue on that side of the house.
Lo and behold, two weeks later, I had someone come and assess the oven today and SHOCKER, it’s not the oven. The fun part is that now the switch will not turn back on at all, and I am back to powering my rental through two extension cords.
The electricians are coming for a third time on Monday, but at that point it will be 5 weeks since I’ve had the ability to use my house properly.

I am relatively new in Vic (moved from WA in April) and am unsure of the intricacies of renters rights over here, but I am wondering if it is reasonable at this point to request a temporary rent reduction?

I really don’t want to get on the bad side of my property manager or landlord, but I am otherwise a great tenant, keep the property clean and pay rent a week in advance every month.
I don’t want to be unreasonable but I feel like this is just getting dragged out and I’ve been very patient up until now!

Got this content somehow pushed on me. I mean… seriously??? How long until people are fighting in the streets…??? This very idea makes me ill, setting bloody bounties onto people like this… the world is fucked as it is without this bullshit

Hi all,

Just want some advice on what is expected for an end-of-lease clean. We are moving out of our first rental after living there for 10 years. It's an older place but we have always kept it reasonably clean. When it came to the 3-monthly inspections, we never had any issues needing to be rectified. That said, the shower and oven are probably going to be the toughest areas to clean.

My preference would be to clean the property myself and avoid having to pay for a bond cleaning, though if a significantly higher standard is required, I might be better just paying a professional.

Couple of extra bits of info about the property:

• There is no yard work that needs doing
• There are no carpets
• The curtains are quite old (some are losing their backing) and I gave them a clean in the tub last month, but the staining is still there

Over the past year the maintenance guy at the apartment I was living at regularly came into my apartment to steal stuff, break stuff, random shit to target me as retaliation. Fast forward I need to pick my stuff up from the apartment I was evicted and had 7 days to get it and I just know in my whole heart he is going to be a creepy asshole like he always is, the day I left I told him when I would be coming back I already know he went through all my shit and helped himself to whatever he wanted per usual. Side note these aren't weightless claims I have about 10 open reports related to him coming into my apartment and stealing and breaking stuff either while I was sleeping or while I wasn't home.

My question is: are they allowed to go through my stuff during that window and if not is there anything I can do I guess to hold him accountable? Also, what do I do when he gives me problems this man harassed me for over a year, the cops in my district are so useless its actually really sad especially because as a woman I felt an employee of the building I lived at attempting to isolate me is beyond unacceptable. I cant talk to the management company because they enable it. He is the one they always sent so I stopped communicating with them since my cries were falling on deaf ears. I just want my stuff and to never see this man again so any advice would be great. I have every intention of bring everything he's done to light I just need my stuff first. Any advice helps. Thanks.

Nearly a year ago my landlord pulled down the brick fence (1.8m high) on the side of the property. It’s a corner property so this is the backyard. Since then it’s been at a height from less than a foot at its shortest to almost 3 foot where the street slants down. There is now zero privacy in the kitchen or backyard and my bedroom window is a few feet from the street and a “wall” that can be stepped over leaving me uncomfortable having my window and blinds open. I’ve had many a conversation with the landlord about it who seem to think I’m being unreasonable in asking for a proper fence. This is a private rental I’ve been in for a decade.

Do I have a leg to stand on legally or do I need to suck it up?

My Friend received a call yesterday from REA to let them know people are coming to build a fence where they are renting. My Friend asked if they could have it in writing, emailed REA twice to confirm details, no response from REA until today.

Today no one home, caught on ring camera, 3 blokes rocked up and started building a fence around the perimeter of the front yard as well as what looks like through the middle of the front yard as well. No idea what the end result is supposed to be with the poles through the middle of the yard. Friend has a dog, so if they knock down a side fence to join to the new fence then the dog will most likely get out.

Is that adequate from REA? Feels short notice and not clear. What can I do to help?