Butler and surrounds, anyone else have my real estate agent and find her super narky?

[Turk EnJayDee]

I have been living in this house since December 2010, when DP, DD 19 months and I moved over from Sydney.

We have been great tennants (as far as I would say), never pay late, always keep the house clean and never caused any damage.

My RE agent, however, treats us like scum. I have ANOTHER inspection (#6 since moving in) tomorrow, and the demands are always the same.

Wash ALL walls in the house, sweep and wash all outdoor paving, get all dust/dirt off screens (uh I live next to a sand pile the size of China), keep all surfaces free of any objects (kitchen bench, bathroom bench, built in desk), she has even told me that I need to have all furniture away from walls so she can make sure there is no damage... Uh, F/U.

Are ALL real estate agents here like this or is it just mine? I cannot wait to have all our debt gone so we can buy our own place!!!


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[headoverfeet]

I thought mine was bad :hugs: can she actually ask you to do those things??

[Turk EnJayDee]

Oh she thinks she can do anything. Stupid cow obviously doesn't have children but wanted a family to live in this house. I'm terrified to let DD do anything. And I'm 36 weeks with #2 so can't really get all her demands met.

It's just really p!$$ing me off. And we re-signed in December for 12 months. So tempting to break the lease before this bub comes and tell her to jam it. Hahaha


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[headoverfeet]

Hahaha silly cow!

Hey *side note* did u sort out your FIFO and labour/what to do with DD issue?

[Turk EnJayDee]

Nope. Haha. I upgraded my ambulance cover so I can use it in non-urgent times.

I have got a neighbour on call as well. More an accquaintance than friend or anything but she will be ok with DD.

DP and I think bub will come on the 18th which is the day before he is due to fly back to work. Haha.

Thanks for thinking of me. :hugs:


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[BaronessM]

Hi Tasha, I think it's prob illegal for her to ask you to move the furniture like that. Sounds a bit overzealous on the inspections. Check it up on TenantsUnion website. You're supposed to be given a book called 'renters rights' when you move in, illegal not to give it to you, but she possibly overlooked that!

Take her to the residential tenancies tribunal if you find out you are being over inspected. I thought they couldn't do it more than once every 6months, but I may be wrong.

Please look it up at TU website, as I think you're 'Quiet enjoyment of your home' (another right) is being impinged upon, to say the least!

And those bloody inspections are so stressful. I was once with an agent who set not a time, but a 3hr window for inspection, and on the letter (I'll never forget this) it said, 'due to scheduling constraints, this time cannot be changed (found out later that was illegal as it allowed no right of reply).

I waited about for the whole 3hrs, and she didn't turn up.
You can guess what I told them when I called the office...'due to scheduling constraints, this time cannot be changed....'!:laughing:

[BaronessM]

She can't ask you to keep all surfaces free of objects...that's just ridiculous. Where do you put them, the floor? Does she expect you to get storage everytime you're inspected? Sounds like she's trying to hassle you out...why resign you if that's the case, though? Befuddling!

[Farmerwife]

It's been a while since I was in real estate but fairly certain they can not inspect more than once in a six month period & the request of cleaning are beyond regular upkeep. This would make them in breach of the act. Get onto the tenants union. I doubt she can do this to you.

[lulu 2]

Just check the rental market before you go tell her to jam it as it is not good atm, we only have one rental available in our area and there is usually heaps but there is so many ppl coming into the state atm that they are all being snapped up.
3 monthly inspections are the standard here in WA and they usually give you one 6 weeks after you move in too.
As for dusting yes they can ask for it to be done and furniture shouldnt be marking the walls ( you could have felt for all she knows but maybe she has had tenants damamge the walls before and as a PP said it is hard for landlords to get the damages payed for so maybe this is just a precaution) but asking for bench tops to be cleared is not ok as part of a standard inspection unless they have included it in the lease. There is a list on the lease of what they expect at every inspection. At least they are not asking for more money like our landlord, its getting rediculous!

[Turk EnJayDee]

And those bloody inspections are so stressful. I was once with an agent who set not a time, but a 3hr window for inspection, and on the letter (I'll never forget this) it said, 'due to scheduling constraints, this time cannot be changed (found out later that was illegal as it allowed no right of reply).

I waited about for the whole 3hrs, and she didn't turn up.
You can guess what I told them when I called the office...'due to scheduling constraints, this time cannot be changed....'!:laughing:

We don't get given a time. In our letter it is on blah day between 9 & 5... Nice huh. Especially since I have a stir crazy 19 month old to entertain at home all friggin day!



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[Turk EnJayDee]

Just check the rental market before you go tell her to jam it as it is not good atm, we only have one rental available in our area and there is usually heaps but there is so many ppl coming into the state atm that they are all being snapped up.
3 monthly inspections are the standard here in WA and they usually give you one 6 weeks after you move in too.
As for dusting yes they can ask for it to be done and furniture shouldnt be marking the walls ( you could have felt for all she knows but maybe she has had tenants damamge the walls before and as a PP said it is hard for landlords to get the damages payed for so maybe this is just a precaution) but asking for bench tops to be cleared is not ok as part of a standard inspection unless they have included it in the lease. There is a list on the lease of what they expect at every inspection. At least they are not asking for more money like our landlord, its getting rediculous!

There are quite a few houses in my area so no problem there.

Dusting I can understand. I keep the house clean and don't have a problem with that. It's all the other demands on the inspection letter that sh!t me.

Also, she has put our rent up every 6 months, which I know is allowed but she has told us it's because of DP's good salary. Gee thanks, didn't have other things to pay like a massive pile of debt. Also, she is demanding that we pay the extra onto the bond due to the increase in rent... Not likely to happen as I'm not legally obliged to, don't want to and it's such a hassle every 6 months to change the rent payment because the RE don't do it. I have to ring the company that does all their rent payments to do it.


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[lulu 2]

Is the agent writing the rent increase into the lease seeing your lease is for 12 months? Otherwise they have to give you 60 days notice in writing if they intend to increase it. I am checking with reiwa today as I think there is a limit to how much they can increase it if they are doing it more than once within 12 months to the same tenant, well i hope so anyway as we cant afford it if it goes up anymore. As for the bond top up you have to pay that as per the rules of the residencial tennacy act ,we had to top our pet bond recently too as that has gone up another $160 which is not decided by the agents either they have to do this by law.

[BaronessM]

That's a bit discriminatory to up your rent due to your income. The house is worth what it's worth, your income should have NOTHING to do with it in the private rental market. She really sounds like a piece of work. As for the over-inspecting, if you're not tearing the place apart and have so far caused no damage, (and I'm pretty sure you don't sound like the house-wrecking kind!) she has no cause to inspect so often and it sounds illegal to me. Take her to the Tribunal if you have the energy for ruining your quiet enjoyment of the place.

Don't let this ***** tread on your rights!

[Pregnor]

Inspections in wa are every 3 months, and rent can be increased 6 months into a 12 month lease

She sounds like a nightmare, would you feel confident she would find tenants asap i'd you broke lease? As you would be liable to pay rent until new tenants were found.

Call the tenants advice board ang tell them every thing, they may have some advice.

**Mum, Dad, Big boy (Dec 08) and Baby girl (Feb 11)**

[Pammyla]

Legally, you have one six week inspection, and then one every three months thereafter until your final inspection. Any rental increases have to be written into your lease or agreed upon resigning a lease. Legally you have to top up your bond. They are required to give you ten days notice before entering your property and if they attempt entrance before this you are well within your rights to refuse. As for the cleaning etc. Inspections are meant to ensure you are not damaging the property. My real estate gives out a letter of what's expected and it's normally pretty reasonable. The only time extra inspections are allowable is when a breach is issued.


Waiting on the arrival of William :)