Hi there all,
we’re currently renting out our home and the tennants have been hassling the agent about the cold water pressure, which is low, also the bit of discharge when first run in the morning. The agent recommends we get it fixed but is a fair job and not another expense we really wanted right now. Anyway, we will do it, but were wondering, would it be realistic to say to the tennants that it will be done but a rent increase will follow?
Appreciate any thoughts or comments.
Thanks, ShellbyHey Shellby!
Great question! I’m no expert but have been renting and renting out and sub-letting AND share housing for 17 years, so, from a perspective of tenants rights as per the Federal Act, clean running water is a standard living requirement, like say, a roof that doesnt leek or windows that will open and close AND from my interpretation, if the water pressure got low enough OR the “discharge” bad enough, the tenant could withhold rent AND employ a proffesional to remedy the problem at your expense without your permission or knowledge IF they have requested the repair and nothing has been done within a reasonable time…Comes under “normal wear and tear”, therefore out of your “maintenance budget” that you’ve been stockpiling over the rental years…
Consider this Shellby, you get up in the morning, go to the sink, half asleep, for your first coffee, before trudging off to the factory to do your 12 hour shift making double stromulator valves, turn on the tap with kettle placed under it, forgetting about the discharge you stand their for 5 minutes (not 5 secs as it should take) waitting ever so patiently for the kettle to fill wondering where your going to find the extra $260 a year ($5 x 52) rental hike the landlord/lady is demanding for fixing the taps that should be working properly anyway… Driving off to work you nearly vomit at the first sip of your coffee… Would you be happy to accept a rental hike?
We are encouraged to “value add” at all corners of our investing strategy and I reckon it would be great to make the tenants pay BUT I doubt it would constitute a “win-win” scenario, do you?
No expert, hope I havent insulted anyone in over simplifying this?
Perhaps doing something else AS WELL AS the plumbing could help you realise a rental hike and therefore absorb SOME of the cost, hows the state of the carpet, or the condition of the heating, or the color of the walls? Could the plumber do a few things whist there at a reduced rate? How olds the house, is the hot water service due to expire, HEAPS cheaper to replace it as a preventative measure than to scream for a plumber when its on the blink? A new stove perhaps (is the stove gas or elec?)?
“ask and you shall recieve”
Sincerely, Jarrah
++CASH FLOW PROPERTY HUNTER
(your not hunting if your not hungry)[email protected]
Climbing & Consulting
Arboricultural Services
0431433288“be ye angels?”,
“nay we are but MEN!”“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes,
but in having new eyes”MARCEL PROUST
“ask and you shall recieve”
Sincerely, Jarrah
++CASH FLOW PROPERTY HUNTER
(your not hunting if your not hungry)[email protected]
Climbing & Consulting
Arboricultural Services
0431433288“be ye angels?”,
“nay we are but MEN!”Hi jarrah and thanks for the response. Just so you know, that I am fully aware of what the water is like, as it is our home and I lived in it for 12 years. The pressure is a bit low in the cold tap only, but certainly not that bad and when I say discharge, I don’t mean anything too bad either, just old pipes. My husband was going to repair it himself last year, only never did as it’s a very tight squeeze down the back end under the house, particularly after he put in ducted heating. He is a plumber by the way. The house is basically in good order and has a new kitchen & family room and was looked after well by ourselves as it was not a place we had considered renting out. We are renting ourselves now, so do know some of the dilemmas from the other side of the fence. Anyway, I do see your point, it’s just there’s been a couple of things, and they’ve only been in there since the end of January, but I’d just thought I’d put the question out there.
Any more comments welcome.
ShellbyThanks Shellby!
I tend to post for all and sundry as I get heaps from the site and try to put back where I can…
I know a lot of newbies and investors are out there reading these posts and gain heaps from even the smallest contribution and I for one try and keep a posative note therefore allowing others to feel and believe their posts will be acknowledged if and when they gain the confidence to contribute…
Hey Shellby, have you read any of Steve McKnights books? He has some great suggestions for tenant management and problem tenants and it might be worth heading up the path of preventative maintenance with these tenants if they’re pointing out problems so early on in the lease…
Perhaps they need to be asked whats really getting at them and be given the opportunitty to write down a list of all their issues with the house THEN you could offer to remedy one prob at a time under the agreement the rent would be raised after each issue is remedied, say, $2 or so a week with each problem, doing one each quarter, that way you get to raise the rent at a reasonable rate and the tenant feels like all their christmas’s have come at once with a wish list of soutions to their complaints…Also encouraging them to be long term leasee’s…
Hope I’m not asking/stating the bleeding obvious?
“ask and you shall recieve”
Sincerely, Jarrah
++CASH FLOW PROPERTY HUNTER
(your not hunting if your not hungry)[email protected]
Climbing & Consulting
Arboricultural Services
0431433288“be ye angels?”,
“nay we are but MEN!”Hey Jarrah,
yes I have read Steve’s books but it has been a while, so it may be a good thing to refresh upon. Not really sure I want to commit to a wish list for these people! We’re not sure what we’re doing with the house after 12 months and may decide to sell it before that time. I guess we’re just a bit peeved as we are renting ourselves now, and the agent here can’t ever get a response from our landlords for anything, and it seems the opposite at our end.
Thanks again for the positive attitude.
More comments welcome!
Shellbyhi shelly,
not being a plumber, but employing many over the years, I understand you predicament.
Maybe you husband could at least have a look at the cold water line into the house and possibly blow through the pipes (air pressure or plunger), or if necessary replace with new copper. The cost, on average , is normally $800 or so but if your hubby does it then all the cheaper.
It sounds like you would have to do it when the tenants move out anyway (for sale)
hope it helps
brenanThanks Brenan,
he’s got someone he knows through work that is going to have a look, although he knows what needs to be done. We’re not so local to the place anymore, and this other guy specialises in that area, so has the gear to do the job maybe without getting right under the house. You’re right, we probably would get it done anyway, but just didn’t need it right now! Can’t have everything I suppose. Also it’s more likely to be around $1500.
Shellby
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