Sorry to hear the sad/stressful situation.

The joys of joint ownership soon sour when you realise that your partners have different attitudes/expectations to yourself.

Is the husband more reasonable or does the wife call the shots there too? It may be worth talking to him in isolation.

It appears on face value that some of the issues come down to tenant selection, others due to remoteness/distance, & unreal expectations that you need to drop everything when the tenant f@rts.

Separation of management to an agent would relieve you of a lot of angst, even if you only moved your properties to the agent it would save on sleepless nights & callouts, you wouldn’t face the abuse of tenants or front the tribunal etc.

Values have been taking a hammering of late so all you’d achieve would be maintaining the value of the property.

There is an article on this issue dated 19/08/11 in the http://m.smh.com.au/Domain/first-home-buyers/cant-pay-wont-pay–the-levies-blackhole-20110819-1j0ps.html outlining what happens.

Apparently, around 1/3 of all strata plans have issues with arrears but very few go as far as the courts, so the system must be working.

My solicitor usually advises against the release of the deposit however you have to weigh up: how much deposit are you putting up ie couple of grand or substantial $? Have you negotiated a lower deposit to reduce your risk? Will you put a caveat on the property to protect your interest?

It is not an old fashioned clause, nor a sign of a desperate vendor but toying with a short settlement, early access or lower price can all be to your advantage.

But would you want them?

1. If you buy at auction without a P&B it’s @ your risk, is a couple of hundred too much for peace of mind vs thousands in repairs?

2. Anyone who has a diligent inspection will discover th issues you are trying to cover.

pass it on to rhetorical builder. Make no bones about it – tell them the bond is their responsibility as you have no control over their work & shouldn’t be liable if they cause damage to footpaths, trees, stormwater drains etc.

you might check out http://www.Rentmaster.co.nz

yep, standard practice. Also tree protection. Make sure your builder pays not you.

What ‘s a tap washer, don’t they all have ceramic discs? PS if the taps leak you may not be able to charge water usage.

Light bulbs are the tenant responsibility provided they were working at the commencement of the lease.

Green waste bin: if the tenant is expected to mow lawns & keep the garden tidy, then you provide the bin. If you arrange a gardener, then it is up to you.