Property Manager - How to handle?

gentlecrack on 26/06/2017 - 14:17

Hello guys

I am in a bit of a dilemma.

I bought an apartment a few months ago and there were tenants already living in there. I got a copy of condition report upon settlement and did a pre-inspection. All found to be in line with the condition report.

However, now when my tenants moved out, I see one of the switch boards detached and when I take the outer layer off, the porcelain board is smashed in half. I pointed this out to the property manager, but she says if it was smashed by tenant, then there would have a smash mark outside, so this was pre-existing. I say, well, its not in the condition report, so ask the tenants to pay for it, or deduct from their bond.

But she is adamant that they don't have "evidence" that it was done by the tenant, so I need to get it fixed myself. I am not sure what is going on. To be fair, I am moving in to the apartment and it being a managed apartment with property manager on-site, I don't want to start on a confrontation note right away.

Has anyone been in this situation before? What do you guys think?

Home & Garden

Comments

  • whooah1979 on 26/06/2017 - 14:30
    +7

    get it repaired and include the bill in this years fiscal. easy as.

  • Skramit on 26/06/2017 - 15:05
    +10

    With no evidence to suggest they smashed it, move on and accept the never ending costs of home-ownership. Not worth the fight.

  • altomic on 26/06/2017 - 15:39
    -2

    A pot plant went missing from my front yard. I reckon the neighbour did it. I reported it to the police and wanyed my neighbour charges but they won't do anything. I wonder why?

    • gentlecrack on 26/06/2017 - 16:29

      So let me get this straight.

      • When you bought your front yard, it was rented to your neighbour.
      • You did a pre-inspection before settlement and counted number of pots and plants in it.
      • You also got the condition report from when your neighbour moved in, through your Yard manager.
      • The plant was present the report and in your inspection.
      • Once his lease ended and you wanted to move in, you found the plant missing.
      • You went to the police because they are now your 'Yard manager'? Err.. that can't be right..

      Btw, I did not neg you.

      • altomic on 26/06/2017 - 16:55

        The basis of my comment is that I/you have no "proof" that the tenants/my neighbour broke the fuse box/stole the plant and that the real estate agent/ police are not going to step in with out proof

        • gentlecrack on 26/06/2017 - 23:02
          -1

          My question is: If you let the place exclusively to someone with everything in it, without access to yourself or anyone else, aren't they supposed to give it back in the same condition? Unless they report a break-in and claim that someone else broke it?

        • altomic on 26/06/2017 - 23:06

          @gentlecrack: things break, wear out. some times things "die" because it's their time. when it's something minor like this then just fix and it and move on. glue the switch or turn off the power and replace it with a new one.

        • gentlecrack on 26/06/2017 - 23:43

          @altomic: Agree mate. I have moved on :)

  • QW3RTY on 26/06/2017 - 15:48

    There's no evidence to suggest that the tenants caused the damage, so there's no chance of recovering the cost. If you commissioned a proper building and services inspection prior to purchasing, they would have most likely gone to the trouble of inspecting major services.

    When all is said and done, you purchased the property "as is", and the cost for the repair of any damage is for you to rectify.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/06/2017 - 15:50
    +2

    I see one of the switch boards detached and when I take the outer layer off

    Are you talking about a regular power outlet or the circuit breaker or something else?

    Why would you even inspect such a thing? Is it currently working?

    • gentlecrack on 26/06/2017 - 16:12

      It's working. Here're the pics - pic1 and pic2

      • QW3RTY on 26/06/2017 - 16:39
        +11

        Mate, I thought you meant an actual panel on your switchboard/breaker panel was damaged ($200+ in repairs), not a $5 power point cover.

        I would say just front up the $5 and replace it. Definitely not worth cracking it and souring your relationship with your property manager over such a trivial amount.

        • altomic on 26/06/2017 - 17:00
          +4

          That's nothing. Seriously. The switch is working. Superglue the surround to the wall or use liquid nails and then buy a cover from bunnings for $3. Or as qwe3rty said - replace the switch for $5..

          That's just a switch. A switch board is the power board i.e. the fuse box. Something that is major. That is nothing.

          Move on.

          It's not a dilemma at all.

        • gentlecrack on 26/06/2017 - 23:05

          I thought it ain't legal to do it yourself?

  • John Kimble on 26/06/2017 - 16:03

    Pics or it didn't happen.

  • prinsenhof on 26/06/2017 - 16:31
    +1

    A switch costs $5 ( a better clipsal one, not shitty bunnings HPM ), callout fee probably $110. Is the hassle worth $115 ?

    • [Deactivated] on 26/06/2017 - 16:42
      +1

      You'll find plenty of people on airtasker/gumtree that'll replace it for $50, if you have the part ready to go … easy money for 5mins of work, especially if they have a job in the area already.

  • JimB on 26/06/2017 - 16:32
    +2

    Sometimes they crack by themselves due to Age or installation.

    HPM is a pretty shit brand at the best of times.

    It's plastic, not porcelain.

    Pay for someone to replace it or DIY if you're game.

  • hikaru78 on 26/06/2017 - 16:39
    +2

    I doubt that anybody would ever pull the plate off to check.

    Thank being said you can buy just a plate and replace. I would stick with hpm as you can just replace the plate and keep the mech.

    Disclaimer " This may be illegal for you to do"

  • jason101 on 26/06/2017 - 17:08

    Ring and discuss with your Landlord protection insurer. I had a similar issue with a glass hotplate, the tenant complained that it was cracked, but they didnt crack it (cough cough), the LL protection insurer didn't provide cover in the end, but the strata / body corp insurance did under the broken glass clause in the policy. I think I was left with the excess.

  • keverns on 26/06/2017 - 17:30

    not worth the time and hassle.

    just a switch, replace it with your electrical guy and move on.

    in my case….tenants somehow split food dye all over the living room carpet. few punched holes… they even tried to fix it themselves and whats worse they freaking use oil based paint over water waterbase.

    it was a headache…

    • airzone on 26/06/2017 - 17:37

      whats worse they freaking use oil based paint over water waterbase

      Doesn't that just give you the shits when people do that…

    • gentlecrack on 26/06/2017 - 17:50

      That's disgusting. Did you end up paying out of your pocket?

  • aussieprepper on 26/06/2017 - 17:33

    Inst this a consumable item? They are a common item to break. I am sure it would be your job as a landlord to fix this issue.

  • Mad Max on 26/06/2017 - 18:09
    +1

    If that is all the damage the tenant did you can consider yourself really lucky!
    Not even worth posting about it…let alone arguing about it with the tenant or the property manager.

  • garetz on 26/06/2017 - 18:51

    Do you work for them or do they work for you ?

    • gentlecrack on 26/06/2017 - 22:58

      Honestly, I am starting to wonder!

  • gentlecrack on 26/06/2017 - 23:24
    +1

    Thanks guys for all the comments. I'd probably change it myself and move on. More than the damage, I was annoyed by the property manager's stand.

    Considering I have been a tenant past 5 years in Australia and having changed multiple houses, I have had property managers trying to rip me off for issues that were pre-existing, just because they were not mentioned in the condition report. From my second experience onwards, I even started taking photos of every nook and corner of the house and started uploading them to web with a copy to Property manager.

    Prior to Australia, there was this instance in New York where I was charged the entire bond amount by the property manager for allegedly scratching polished timber floors. While they were already there when I moved in, but failed to note down in the condition report. I had taken off the country and could do nothing about it.

    It is interesting to see things from owner's perspective for a change. Good that it was not a major item and as many of you pointed out, not worth the hassle. Thanks again ;)

    it's my first experience outside my home country letting a house, It's interesting to look at such things from land owner's perspective while I thought the tenant always got screwed.

  • Ken1977 on 27/06/2017 - 14:09
    +1

    It's not part of the property managers job to remove power point covers to check if the power points underneath are ok. How do you or they know it wasn't like this before the tenants moved in. Why did you think to even remove the power point cover to check the power point underneath. Sounds suspect to me. A property manager will only claim for damages if they know they will win at VCAT. You also pay when you have to take a tenant to VCAT. Will it be worth it for you in the end?

  • HeWhoKnows on 27/06/2017 - 21:25

    The property manager has nothing to loose by hitting the old tenants with the repair cost and everything to loose by upsetting the OP. If the onsite manager is useless the owners can vote to get rid of them.

    • QW3RTY on 28/06/2017 - 09:03

      I am going to loose my mind if I keep seeing lose written as loose.

      Property manager can't charge the tenant with a cost that they cannot conclusively prove that was the fault of the tenant. If the condition report noted "power socket under power socket covers are all intact" at the commencement of lease, then perhaps there'd be an avenue to pursue the tenant for the $5 cost. It seems that is not the case — no property manager would be that thorough in their handover inspections.

      Secondly, the owners can't vote to remove a property manager. The property manager in this scenario is administrating a tenant leasing a single unit within the strata on behalf of an owner. You're thinking of a strata manager, who looks after the common area of units on the strata plan.

      • John Kimble on 28/06/2017 - 09:56

        I am going to loose my mind if I keep seeing lose written as loose.

        Consider your mind lost, because it will keep happening.

        • QW3RTY on 28/06/2017 - 10:06
          +1

          I always have hope that people will reform their ways and take greater care.
          But it seems there can be no winners in the world of spelling errors.

          Only loosers.

        • John Kimble on 28/06/2017 - 10:10

          @QW3RTY: I think it's just one of those things some people just can't grasp, dunno why. One of mates is very smart, pretty high up at a big four bank, but still types loose instead of lose.

        • Third_Gear on 28/06/2017 - 12:11

          @John Kimble: brought vs bought gets me every time….

        • John Kimble on 28/06/2017 - 13:21

          @Third_Gear: what about brang and brung?

  • [Deactivated] on 27/06/2017 - 21:25

    No it's not your job to scerew your tenants or complain when a contractor tell you the truth.
    Maybe you can have something real to post about one day.
    Til then

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join