How to Deal with Lousy Property Managers? Escrow account?

Geekomatic on 04/05/2017 - 00:20

I'm about at the end of my patience & lease. We have exemplary rental history- complete with written references. We're near the end of our 2nd year here & all around us rents have fallen, yet we're still paying premium for shoddy upkeep. A whole lot was broken on move-in & the first lot sent "professionals" through to fix, who didn't. I went around a few times with them, they at least seemed they were trying.

I have reported current issues since last year. The property manager changed. I reported again, in Feb. of this year after 1st inspection w/them- - still no change.

Specifically, I'm in WA— has anyone here had experience in opening escrow accounts to hold rent until they "come to the party" & fix what ought to have been done?

The issues range from falling apart appliances, to many burnt bulbs where the end-user cannot just replace the globe, to various other amenities which are beyond the scope of the lessee to fix. They also left us two weeks with a non-flushing toilet (luckily has the 2nd- but not great).

Any help appreciated.

Ta

Home & Garden

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 04/05/2017 - 01:44

    Escrow account

    blackmarket Property Manager serices?

  • frondono on 04/05/2017 - 07:10

    I think there is a rental hotline to ring to get advice in this sort of thing. I have heard of people straight up not paying rent in this sort of situation, until the home is deemed livable again.

  • mskeggs on 04/05/2017 - 07:11

    Have a chat to these guys:
    http://www.tenancywa.org.au/

    As a rule, with the number of issues you mention, best option is to move, especially if it will net you a rent reduction.

    I would also suggest following up a bit more regularly if you want things done. Asking for something in February, then posting about it in May isn't likely to get a result, but calling them weekly is.
    And while there may be a number of issues, try not to be unreasonably demanding.
    For example, replacing the bulb in an oven or similar is a pretty reasonable thing to delay until there is a second reason to get an electrician to visit. That is what I would do in my home (well, I would replace it myself, but in principle), but if nothing is being attended to and the list is mounting, give them a call asking when it will be fixed. Then call back after their nominated date if it isn't.

    If by burnt out bulb you mean something like an aircon unit that still works but the control button no longer lights up, then it may be you being unreasonable, as fixing such an item would require replacing the whole control board.
    As for the issue with the toilet. What was the reason for the delay? Hard to tell if it was reasonable or not.

  • bargainbargain on 04/05/2017 - 07:38

    You got to continue paying rent otherwise you will be in breach of the tenancy agreement.

    I having issues with my property agent as well - after four reminders and 7 weeks of waiting today I have sent note to their senior property manager "checking" if everything is alright as radio silence from the allotted agent.

    I m in NSW btw.

    • tomsco on 04/05/2017 - 09:14

      radio silence from the allotted agent.

      Haha. Wow. Great demonstration of professionalism there.

      • bargainbargain on 04/05/2017 - 10:56

        mate - they don't give a shit..now much in it for them !!

        Would be different if there was a multi family or Private Rental sector as developed in US and UK and higher vacancy…

  • slow on 04/05/2017 - 09:36

    Can you contact the landlord directly? Maybe they don't even know that their property is being mismanaged?

    I once got a letter from a tenant threatening legal action over maintenance items that hadn't been done - I went over to see the tenant and turned out I didn't even know about the issues - the useless agent had either not passed on the requests to me or had ignored or denied the tenant's request without even asking me. It was a similar situation with the agent changing every few months and no communication.

    I kicked the agent straight out and resolved the issues

    • bargainbargain on 04/05/2017 - 10:57

      I don't have his contact - i looked at the lease agreement but there is nothing in it - just the name !

  • Geekomatic on 04/05/2017 - 17:09

    Hi all,

    The burnt overhead light bulbs were seen to by the past manager & replaced. They kept burning out. They had Western Power check our line & we get over 255 (not 240) & I believe that's what's knocking them out. At the moment, we have four burnt— one hall coming in from our dark garage (no garage opener light there, either), one kitchen bench, & both bathrooms are running on one bulb— if that goes, we get to use a lamp in our bathroom— would you call that reasonable? These cannot be replaced by the end user— you have to pull the whole socket out of the ceiling & I'm not a sparky.

    The towel racks keep dropping from the walls & the one toilet cover just drops off & we see no way to "lock it" in & have no idea what caused it as it was like that, but it didn't slide off until a few weeks in.

    The burnt bulb in the garage means complete darkness when you pull in at night- not the end of the world, but one more wonky thing that ought to not be that way, same with the one, dodgy remote that I've paid to constantly refit with battery & it just drains down (it was held together with sticky-tape, like the A/C vent).

    The issues have been reported numerous times since Sept. 2016 & again since the new "inspection" in Feb. 2017. The toilet was just ahead of Good Friday, so I waited until the following Tuesday, as promised. It took until the end of the next week to get a guy to come out to replace the float— took him ten minutes.

    I've sent numerous texts & emails & left messages— nothing.

    And it's easy to say, "move" (I'm looking, actually), but that costs two weeks of duplicate rent as one wants the bond & you must give two weeks min. notice to leave (plus cleaning bills for carpets, moving van/service, ect).

    I was hoping that someone at OB might have gone through this & successfully rectified it.

    Ta.

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