Yes, that’s right, I’m not having trouble getting a tenant out, I’m having trouble getting them to move in.
They pay their rent each week and each week they tell me they are moving in that week and then it all happens the same agian the following week.
My concern is that insurance doesn’t cover theft once the property has been unoccupied for a set number of days. So now what? I can’t force the tenant to move in, it’s not something I thought to add to the lease ie: a clause that says “The tenant must move in withing 30 days” or something liek that. One takes for granted that a tenant who is paying the rent will move in. So what happens when they don’t, you can’t break the lease as they haven’t done anything wrong (and I wouldn’t want to break it as it’s a two year lease).
At this point in time, I cna’t see that there is anything I can do, but just wondered if anyone had any ideas?
Regards
PKWhat a unique problem, or is it a problem at all? If the insurance voids after 30 days, does it matter? You don’t have anything in there do you?
And if they haven’t moved in they probably dont have anything in there anyway.
Is there any chance that there’s something dodgy going on? Who cares, so long as they’re paying the rent and the place is in good order, who cares if they fall off the end of the earth?!P.S. You could always rent it to someone else aswell. I’d like to see the yield if that happened!
Hi PK, quite bizarre… why would anyone want to pay rent when not actually living in property??
beats me…
Have you spoken to them about a specific date that they will move into the property.
I would only be concerned if they keep dragging it out, are theya trying to get out of it.
Pin them down to a date, meet them at the house, tell them you would like to do a handover.
Good luck
they are growing dope in there.
go check the electricity metre and see if it is going crazy.
you will have to check it day or night…it is common here.
Byronent
Adelaide SAYeah byronent – dont take it personal, I thought you looked at little sick. [confused2]
You saying I am stoned?
lol
Byronent
Adelaide SALook at the bright side PurpleKiss – there is no wear and tear being inflicted!!
My insurance compay will insure an un-occupied place after the set period if I call them, advise them of teh situation and pay a little extra premium. Have you asked your insurance copmany whether they will do the same?
I would worry more about vandalism of the empty proerty than not having insurance.
Oh it will be a reno job if they leave it the way they set it up for growing.
HOles in the roof, carpet ripped up, electricity points moved. I have had nightmares after this kind of tenant.
Byronent
Adelaide SAPK, If they don’t move in, you should make sure that the place looks lived in to minimize the likelyhood that no-one vandalizes it. You know, the usual …. no junk mail hanging out the letter boxes. Make sure the gardens are mowed and the lawn watered regularly.Put the bins out on the kerb to be collected weekly. If you’re managing the place yourself, then I’d imagine you’d be checking on this. And ofcourse, be as suspicious as Byronent has assumed, and check the metre box for any action on the meter.
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……………………………………………………….ONe query I do have come to think of your situation.
How do you know they haven’t moved in? My agent tenants out a place and only checks once every 3months. So we wouldn’t know if they tenant hadn’t moved in.
So not sure where we would stand insurance wise.
Byronent
Adelaide SAPK,
Easiest way is to formally request in writing to do the 6 week inspection with the minimum notice period applicable for your state. They’ll be in there shuffling the hydroponic systems like nobody’s business.
Your lease should have a clause there stating the tenant is not to conduct any unlawful activity on the rented premises.
Failing all that, go for the “The ‘insert Authority here’ notified me as Landlord about an emergency and hence I have the right to enter the premises to check on the emergency – or better still send a tradesman over to do the inspection for you.” Works every time….not that I’ve had any experience with any of this…
Cheers,
Dazzling
“Go hard or go home”
It is perfectly legal in SA to grow one plant.
So that wouldn’t work here dazzling.
But I like the rest of your post
Byronent
Adelaide SASomething tells me if they are renting the place to grow, they may be just growing more than one!
I agree Myoung,
My point was it is not a crime to grow one and hence would not be a good reason to enter the property.
Byronent
Adelaide SALooked at a house a few years ago that appeared a bit rough but had new ceiling. Agent could not explain why this older house had brand new immaculate ceilings throughout the house. Suggested it was just maintenance. Turned out it was a “plantation”. The roof space was filled with plastic tubs, flouro lights and a sprinkler system. Look in the windows or even a rental inspection and you would not detect the Grass growing above the ceiling. I suppose it wouldn’t hold together forever and perhaps the ceiling collapsed.
So, purple kiss, it may be as byronet suggests!Just a note regarding Byronents comments about the cultivation of cannabis. It is illegal in all states and territories of Australia to participate in the cultivation, position or sale of cannabis, further possession for ‘personal use’ is not a defence. It is also an offence to give cannabis away either for free or as part of a bartering type system. The cultivation of cannabis and the position of cannabis to certain levels has been de-criminalised in South Australia. This however does not mean that it is no longer illegal, merely that the process for dealing with small quantities has moved away from the court system to the law enforcement authorities. Therefore, a landlord can act on the grounds of illegal activity being carried out on their premises.
It is important to note that comments made in this forum are advice only. It would be advantageous that people posting would only include information that is based on fact not general consensus.
OK, I know they haven’t moved in and therefore not growing dope because…. “they haven’t picked up the keys!”
The neighbour is doing a good job making the place looked lived in ie: lawns watered and junk mail out of mailbox. (Costs a carton every now and then). Point is, this is their repsonsibility as part of the lease really and they could get upset about her being on the porperty if they knew, which of course they don’t becasue they havne’t picked up the keys to go there and they won’t be making a quick trip to go there and see if someone’s watering thier garden as it’s three hours away from where they currently live.
Grafitti, always a possibility, but would normally be covered by your insurance. Whether or not it would be as the house has been empty for longer than the insurance allows I don’t know and will check. When I took out the insurance it was stipulated that they didn’t cover for theft if a property was empty for longer than 30 days. I agree there’s not much in there but theft is still a possibility ie: the garden taps were stolen 6 months ago. I know I wouldn’t even bother claiming taps on a policy but when you think about it there’s the following that could go: taps, HWS, gas bottles, bin (the shire does not supply, you have to supply your own) and if there was abreak in, then there’s blinds, more taps, coat hooks, stove, the broken window etc. All sounds little but would add up if it all went. Most likely won’t happen but well, it’s an interesting situation.
Marissa, thanks on your point of a handover, but I have a feeling I could make a time with these poeple and they just wouldn’t show, that’s what’s happened with the keys so far, they’ve said what day they’d pick them up and they just havne’t shown up. Thankfully it’s not put anyone out.
I’ve spoken to them and asked if they were wanting to break the lease and they’ve pleaded with me not to, that they really want to move there, that’s where she grew up and she wants to move her kids there etc. Tells me how much she’s looking forward to it. Her first reason for not moving in was, she hadn’t packed everything, then it was that her kids had a final sports game they wanted to do before moving, then she was waiitng for her final pay cheque, then it was last Thursday “for sure” she said, well, it didn’t happen and we havne’t heard a thing since.
Next rent is Wednesday but am guessing it will go in just like last week and the two prior, and just maybe she’ll move in this week?
Will keep you informed, but if anyone else has any other ideas, let me know and I’ll speak to the insurance company as well.
Regards
PKHi Purplekiss
1. Most leases specify that the tenant must take care of the property. That would require keys.
2. Only law abiding citizens need keys, not dope growers. Maybe they want deniability, to claim they haven’t moved in yet so the hydroponics outfit isn’t theirs. Turn off the electricity in the meter box for 3 days, see what happens.
3. The tenant’s completed copy of the condition report is supposed to be returned to the landlord not later than 7 days after the lease commences. If they leave it too long, the house won’t be clean, and the condition report will be inaccurate.
4. Who are they currently renting from,? hope you already checked with that landlord, see if they’ve given notice and when .Sounds fishy, not like good tenants at all !
Hope it works out ok. Good luck.
cheers [confused]
thecrestthecrest | Tony Neale - Statewide Motel Brokers
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Thanks thecrest,
OK, references with their current agent were fine. When checking the reference I didn’t ask waht date they were leaving, it’s not normally needed.
Also had the Landlords Advisory Service run a check on them through the National Tenancy Database, this check was also clear.
Will trun off the electricity switchin the meter box jsut in case and see what happens.
All rooms look clear though as blinds are still partly open (how I left it when I locked it up) so if you go right up to the window and peer in you can see it’s totally empty.
Just one thought though, could it be a social security scam? Could they be saying they live here to be able to claim a single parents pension while living the partner elsewhere? WOuld this be worth their while. I ask because the neighbour rang earlier today and said the letterbox is full of letters from Social Security. I’ve left a message for the tenant at what should have been their old address (their answering machine still answers) but again, no reply.
This is wierd! Not a problem I’ve ever had before.
PJ
hmmm- just a thought concentrating on the “”people”” side of our business, maybe your “”tennants”” are in the middle of some sort of relationship/split up crisis, in which case taking possession of your property is probably the least of their priorities, especially if they were going to do it joint and now there is only one of the (which one ?). As for growing hash, well not sure where you are, but that seems to be a preoccupation with the SA members. There was something on the TV news here in Sydney at the weekend about people renting houses to do that, but they weren’t worrying about doing it in the ceiling. It was more like in the livingroom and/or backyard
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