[mechidna]

I wasn't sure where to put this, but I'm getting a little p***ed off at these rental agencies. Do they regularly inspect rental properties in the UK? Does anyone else have experience renting over here and the inspections that go with it? I can't seem to keep these people happy. I'm no slob by any means, but I don't have my furniture yet and have been living out of boxes. For crying out loud, I got written up for having sand on the front step.

I'm beginning to feel a little singled out and well, discriminated against. It could be just me. In the states, the only inspections occur for the low income, subsidised housing, basically called the projects. I cannot keep these people happy...

any advise would be welcomed.

Michele

[GeorgeM]

We have a couple of rental properties and we ask our managing agents to do a quarterly inspection in each.

This ensures that we pick up on anything that needs repairing/renewing, keeps some sort of on-going contact with the tenants and makes it plain (even to those who might not need it) that we expect the place to be looked after.

We have good tenants in both places and very seldom does anything need to be 'pointed' out - occasionally someone might let the garden go a bit and a timely reminder can prevent really big problems. In fact one of our tenants keeps the garden far far better than if I was there to do it myself!!!

BUT - the rental market is very slack at the moment (at least in Chch), and most landlords are more than happy to have good tenants who are paying a reasonable rent. If you think that the agency is being overly zealous or just plain bloody minded tell them to back off - I think that you'll find they'll retreat with their tails between their legs. Assuming that you're not trashing the place the landlord is very very unlikely to send you packing in the current climate. And if they did try to get rid of you for having sand on your doorstep you could take them to the disputes tribunal with a high likelihood of success.

[kiwidebs]

This can also protect you as a tenant. Keep all your reviews (they should do a written report and give you a copy). We rented a property for over a year when I was alot younger (there were four twenty-somethings renting the house). We had quarterly reviews and we were careful to fix up any complaints as soon as they were made. When we moved out they did a final review and there was a long list of complaints and they withheld our bond - we took it to the tenency tribunal - and won! Based on the regular reviews and the fact that we had fixed any complaints by the next review and that we had all the reports in a neat folder with photos of any holes in the wall etc when we moved in. And helped by the fact that the judge took one look at our property manager, sighed, and said 'not you again Mr X' :laugh . He obviously made a habit of advising his clients to withhold bond!
So it can work in your best interests too (although it is a pain in the proverbial). There are laws surrounding reasonable access, I'm sure they're not allowed to inspect too often and that they have to give you a good amount of notice before inspecting. If I was you I'd reply in writing if you are unhappy with any findings - just to have it on record.

Debs

[mechidna]

They never really find anything major on my part, but I've asked them repeatedly to fix the flue knob. Basically the knob part is broken so it's just a piece of metal sticking out to open and close the flue, and the door will open whether the flue is opened or closed. The other time, I asked the owner (to his face) if we could keep the kitten we just found. He said yes, no problem. Later we get an infringement letter saying that we had a cat and we had to get rid of it.

I am just beginning to think that there is no pleasing these people. They want the "unlived in" look and since I live here, I can't give it to them.

It's just frustrating. And it's not just on my side. My previous lady at the property management place quit her job because she didn't like the way they were doing things. But I have since found her and she is looking for a place for us. Either that or I have to hurry and get PR so I can get a home loan (my fav option).

Anyways, thanks for listening and the advice.

Michele

[Smiler]

Michelle

Did you sign up for a fixed tenancy and how can you get out of that if you get another place?

I'm asking as we are having some probs getting things fixing here by the agent and the neighbours are extremely noisy. The rental agency owns the neighbours place too.

Deborah

[mechidna]

Michelle

Did you sign up for a fixed tenancy and how can you get out of that if you get another place?

I'm asking as we are having some probs getting things fixing here by the agent and the neighbours are extremely noisy. The rental agency owns the neighbours place too.

Deborah

No, it is an open lease. Thankfully, I can leave whenever I give my two weeks (something like that) notice. Are you complaining about the neighbors to the rental agency?

Michele

[Smiler]

No haven't yet, I've had a lot on my plate this week. I looked into phoning the noise people from the council last night.

I work from home and the thud thud of the stereo during the day is bad enough, but last weekend, this friday night and last night they had parties and the noise is so loud. It's ok up until a certain time but at midnight and later, it's a bit much.

The RA has been promising to fix the faults the last tenant left, but in 2 weeks all they have done is bought along a small dehumidifier for the very damp and mouldy laundry room. I gave them a list of faults on tuesday in writing but they were already aware of them. I 'waited in' for 4 days last week for people to come and fix things and just got fobbed off when I phoned to say no one had been. @so & so was sick and we didn't know'

I had a booklet somewhere on tenants rights and will look for that again today. Gary seems to think I am being intolerant and that makes it worse.


D

[kiwidebs]

Michele, I'd def get out of there if I was you. People like that are never going to be happy. Just wish them the tenants from you-know-where when you leave :laugh :laugh .

Deborah, your neighbours sound awful! And seeing as you're stuck there all day, every day I think you're being very reasonable. Keep calling till they're so sick of you they actually get things done. Ah that good old Kiwi 'she'll be right' attitude - works well on a social level but when you want things done......*sighs*

Debs

[lisa]

Hi

we are in the process of trying to get our bond back and are having a few problems. we were only in the rental place for 11 weeks and in this time we had grafitti sprayed up the wall outside which they took until the day before we moved out to fix - in the meantime I was accosted at least 4 times by different people asking when we were going to do something about it - one lady even asking if it was one of my children that had done it!!
there was also a leak which we reported to the landlord whos insisted it was due to our washing machine which had overflowed but the problem kept reoccuring making the lounge carpet wet. we pulled the carpet up to stop it from rotting and called them again - another week went by before the sent a plumber in all this time I was running a small fan heater to keep things dry.
anyway property was sold and hey presto when we want the bond back they are saying that they want money for relaying th carpet (which they have now dropped!) I am sure they didn't want a rotten carpet on their hands, they also want money to reline the curtains in one of the bedroom ($166) which have become mildew. we didn't think to look at the back of the curtains so they may have been like it before we moved in, and it was a polystyrene house with no heating in the bedrooms so it must be a common occurence. I always ventilated the room and wiped windows down but there is surely a limit to how much you can do.
anyway we have had the owner of the rental agency on the phone practically begging me to agree but that was Friday and I haven't phoned him back yet!!!
sorry for the long rant but it is really bugging me at present (bet you couldn't tell!!!)

right anyone with any advice please let me know

thks Lisa

[mechidna]

Well Lisa, the only thing I know to do would be to call the tenancy tribunal. We really do have some rights over here and that's the place I think we're supposed to go if the landlords are not doing their part.

Michele

[Avalon]

Michele,

Our last agency we rented through (in the UK) called us "Grubby"! Our landlord here called us "perfect tenants"! We honestly behaved no differently.

The place where we were called grubby was a brand new house - and yes - the owner wanted it to stay brand new and did not want to accept that this was a bit daft. The agency were terrible about it - and I felt that they were causing a problem where there neednt have been one.

Our landlord here kept back $150, becasue I wanted to pay to have cleaners in. I only did this because they had cleaned the place before we went in, and I thought thye did a top job - and I couldnt be bothered.

He was a great landlord, and I would recommend him to anyone who wants a Wellington City apartment for about $550 a week !

[real_sunfire]

The important thing to note whether UK or NZ that most rental (letting) agents are muppets.

I was renting in the UK for about 8 years, without exception the rental agents were a nightmare. I'm no angel but I did expect to be treated like an adult especially when I'm paying alot of money for rent. One of my biggest bugbears was neighbours - I lived in one place where the couple next door complained that we walk up our stairs too loudly. Instead of knocking at the door and asking us to be a bit quieter they complained directly to the letting agents *sigh*. I've yet to find a decent rental agent.

My recommendation would be to rent from a private landlord/lady. Yes there are some dodgy ones out there but at leasr unlike a rental agent they have a vested interest in the property.

We are probably going to rent for a while when we first move to NZ so I'm hoping we get a nice landlord/lady.

Rgds.,
Nick.

[dave k]

Landlords? Don't talk to me about landlords...

I've always had problems with them...either them or agencies...I think the very title goes to their heads to be honest.

It's funny how they're immediately available if the slightest hiccup occurs with paying the rent, but dissappear completely if something needs fixing. One place I lived at in the UK developed a huge hole in the kitchen ceiling one particularly stormy night ( after weeks of me telling him there was a prob with the roof), and water was flooding through the light sockets & pouring down the walls. We were on the phone straight away but he refused to do anything about it, saying he'd had quotes & it was too expensive to fix!!
I notified the city council ( as it was in fact a listed building) and refused to pay any more rent until he'd sorted it out. That got him straight round, threatening all sorts of court action...but the Enviromental Health people saw it our way.

I could go on & on here with old war stories...another place wanted to charge me 100 quid out of the bond for replacing 2 light bulbs!! I suggested that I'd nip up to Tescos & get them for about six quid, but no..they wouldn't have it. So, since I actually knew the new tenants, I spoke to them , gave them the money for new bulbs & eventually got my full bond back. Bloody crooks!

We're just moving out of our place now and, although the landlady has been quite good with us, even she started to get crabby about little things like some rust on the oven ( I mean, this thing is an antique!). They just don't seem to want to play fair when it comes to giving you your money back & all notions of "wear & tear" seem to go out the window.

Unfortunately, the law is heavily stacked in their favour...as I've found to my cost in the past...so tread carefully.

[GeorgeM]

Unfortunately, the law is heavily stacked in their favour...as I've found to my cost in the past...so tread carefully.
For every tenant who says this you'll find an equally vehament landlord who says that the odds are stacked in the other direction.

I've heard dreadful stories about how tenants have been ripped off, but also others where property owners have been hung out to dry by tenants who won't pay the rent and do terrible damage to properties.

Many of us have seen things from both sides of the fence and understand abuses can occur from both angles with the law always seeming to support the party who would clearly be fingered by most people as being in the wrong. (Perhaps we only get to hear of such instances - no one being prepared to front up with loud pubicity on an issue where they're clearly in the wrong).

Last year much publicity was given to a Chch family who made a hobby of moving from let to let, never paying rent after the first couple of weeks and trashing the places they lived in before moving on. They tricked their way into properties by forging references and so on. But once they were in the law couldn't or wouldn't get them out even though they had only been accepted under false pretences. The big pubicity resulted from when one landlord found out she had been tricked and proceeded to go round, let herself in with her spare key, move all the contents of the house onto the pavement and change the locks. About 5% of people thought that she was in the wrong.

For many people in NZ a rental property or two is the equivalent of a personal pension in the UK - these people aren't multi-millionaire Rachmans who run property empires, but ordinary people investing for their retirements.

[jocalla]

We too are in a rental and have an inspection every three months. To be honest it supprised me at first when they told me that they will be doing this, but when they told me it was what they do to all of the properties they managed, it didn't really bother me. The agent just sends me a letter a week or so before hand to let me know she is coming, she can just let herself in if I am out, so I don't have to stay in and wait, and can honestly say I have not had any probs. Just get a letter a few days after thanking me etc for looking after the property. We have had a few problems with the 'agent' at the beginning of the tenency but apart from that all good so far. Lets see if I am still this happy when I want my bond back ;)

Joanne

[Smiler]

Is this link any good? http://www.dbh.govt.nz/housing/tenancy/



It's who is holding our bond.I've had a quick look and seems a good site with pro forma letters etc and mediation.

Deborah