HI all,
I currently manage all 3 of my investment problems with 2/3 of them causing me no grief atll. However the other one is! Under the lease agreement they are to pay $240 per week. Every fortnight there is a new story as to why they can only pay $200 or some other amount. I told them to make budgeting easier they are to pay $120 per week instead. This worked for a while but soon turned pear shaped. They are now in arrears to the tune on $360. I have just served them notice to vacate (to renovate and re-let as the lease expires in April) I have tried helping them out wherever I can but they just seem to take advantage of it. I could serve them 14 days notice to vacate for rental arrears but fear they then may just not move out or not pay anything else and leave me high and dry. Any help would be greatly appreciated…
Don’t know which state you are in, but we had a situation similar last year when tenants just stopped paying rent until we had the water into the house tested. Reckoned he could see worms in the drains and in front of his eyes. Turned out he was on drugs but BCC tested the water for us for no cost. Most scary thing visiting that house with the BCC chap and our pest man at the same time, but that is another story. After having to chase the rent the whole time this was the last straw.
Anyway, my advice would be to keep a record of exactly what has happened and be really careful with your dates. We served notice a couple of times, but each time they would pay us some rent so we had to start the notice period again.
Keep meticulous records, diary entries to back you up and issue the appropriate notices at the earliest possible time to lessen the rent you may lose.
Good luck.
Wylie
Thanks Wylie, I keep a database with all correspendance and phone calls made to tenants. Good advice. I am in Victoria FYI.
Talk to the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs as well.
They have brochures for tenants with their rights and obligations as well as one for landlords.
I would go to great length to get them out as quickly as possible. Do not be afraid that they might not pay any more rent. They use this as a carrot. I believe that is one disadvantage of managing a property by oneself. People see you as less professional than a PM.
You may also want to talk to a PM. If they get the business once this tenant leaves, they may be interested to help you get rid of this one. It is obviously an extra expense.
I also believe that you are entitled to your unpaid rent out of their bond.
Talk to as many people that can help you as possible. Go to the local court, offic of consumer affairs, talk to REA and PM, ask the council where you can go for help.
You saved yourself a lot of money over the years, now you may have to do the hard slog.
Good Luck and keep us posted to your solutions and success/failures.
Thanks Bridgebuff. More good advice. I think I will allow them until next week to come good with some cash and if not, send a 14 day notice to vacate fpr rental arrears.
I wouldn’t allow them until next week if they are behind now. I don’t recall without looking back but from memory, we had to give notice to remedy breach, then wait a certain number of days before issuing notice to vacate. You must be really careful you give the correct notice.
Ring the appropriate place (Residential Tenancies Association in Queensland – not sure about other states) and they will be most helpful.
Wylie
Look up the tenants union victoria – they are for tenants but offer a lot of informaion on how to evict someone. Think you should get them out asap.
Terryw
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