This company (specifically the office at Wishart in Qld) have made the last two years of my life h**l.
One side of the rental property I wanted to from them was in bad condition when I looked at it. The RE promised it would be replaced/fixed within 6 months, this was very important since I have dogs. I took the lease but didn't get it in writing - BIG MISTAKE. After a year I served them a notice to remedy the fence this was also just before my lease was up the first time.
Two quotes were done. Mind you, I wasn't called at any time to be warned there were tradesmen coming and one lot I found in the back yard with my dogs cowering in the far corer. I assume he kicked one or both of them, he definately scared them.
I don't follow through with the breach knowing that the RE can make my life worse if you are a "troublesome" - read expect your rights - tenant. I think the fence is coming now anyway so I sign for another 12 months. Even with a new fence I want to get out soon as the house is a dump (holes rotting in the floors, paint coming off the ceilings etc) and it was only meant to be temporary while I saved for a better place.
When the lease is up again I query the fence, suddenly two more quotes are done. Still not notified of the tradesmen coming. I get told verbally (gosh they saw me coming miles off) that the fence is being done this time.
I sign for 6 months, during which time no fence work is done and I serve another breach notice because by now, the fene is so rotten and collapsing, I have to keep my dogs in the house when I'm not home otherwise they get out. I also now get wandering dogs coming in my basically unfenced yard.
When the lease is up, you guessed it, two quotes (I might note that by now I'd figured it out and the only companies they've been sending - a new one each time - are free quote companies), I was going to leave but couldn't find anything decent at the time.
Took another six months within which time I bought a house and was definately leaving. But they still not only got two quotes but after I informed them I wanted to go on periodic because I was finding a house to buy they even sent someone around to trim trees "in readyness for a new fence". Despite this, still no fence at the property when I last went by.
They also tried to cheat us with rent increases (that happened every new lease despite no maintenance being done on the property nor council rate rises) by sending us letters informing us the increase starts before the new lease. When pulled up on this, they claimed that it was a "typo" to put "June 30th" instead of "July 22nd".
We were broken in to while at the property through a back window that we had repeatedly asked to be fixed. Since the intrusion happened due to faulty (therefore deemed unlocked) window, contents insurance wouldn't cover most items taken. We fixed the window after that. The RE when notified of the break-in asked only "Was there any damage to the house?"
The first week of the tenancy we got rent free if we agreed to clean the house and mark it as clean on the condition report. We thought this sounded ok since there wasn't too much that needed cleaning. But when we moved out we discovered the ruse. We had marked the report clean, thinking that the things that were stained and uncleanable were a given, but no, we were expected to either clean the impossible or pay for damage for these items. That given all the small improvements we did to the house (new towel rails, landscaping and so on).
So, all in all, the items of bad service were:
- Not following proper RTA procedure.
- Making promises and not keeping them.
- Not maintaining properties in a fit state for tenants to have "quiet enjoyment" of them.
- Trying to rip tenants off with rent and bond.
- Not being interested in the safety of their tenants.
Liana
Brisbane
Australia
0 comments