When my home had NBN we did not pay for the cable in the house, but I have an apartment and recently tenant told me NBN cable is out side the apartment and NBN provider told her that landlord needs to pay for an electrician to put cable inside the apartment and put a socket as well before they can come back to put NBN.
Is anyone else has to pay for electrician to run the cable into and put a socket as well?
Hi AustriaBargain do you remember who put NBN socket into your home? NBN guy or NBN provider?
If it’s a ‘new development’ you need to pay the $300 installation fee. I paid that when we built a new house in August, so it was recent.
Hi Justdigi, its not a "new development" we have ADSL socket.
No, ADSL doesn’t count. If you don’t have an NBN socket, they charge you for it. Unless you mean it’s an FTTC NBN socket?
NBN will upgrade the existing adsl connection at no costs. Unless something has changed recently?
@ElderyMan: Rollout is mostly complete. Any properties that are new or missed the initial rollout now are charged the new development fee.
@justdigi: This is not entirely correct. Nbn network rollout is one thing, a customer connecting to the nbn network is totally different and customers are not slapped the new Dev fee if they were in a brownfield location and want to connect after the main 'rollout'
I was the first tenant in a new apartment and my scumbag landlord made me pay the $300 bill.
Internet is not classified as an essential service so legally he didn't have to. Now I've paid for his apartment and all future tenants. Such bullshit.
He is a scumbag. We paid for for our tenant. It’s for our property and we pay for it, common sense, not greed.
That's horrible.
I'd consider ripping it out behind the socket when I leave
And 'lose' the nbn black box
I would pay for my tenant but the landlord is not required to pay. I think if NBN was included in the ad description the landlord must pay. If not, it is up to you to make enquiries before you sign the lease.
I was under the impression the landlord should be paying for the new development fee since it allows ongoing access at the property afterwards. It's not even much for a landlord to cover compared to a tenant who may only be there for as little as six months.
nbn install everything up to the MDF basement. If the apartment has FTTB you have to pay a registered cabler (not an electrician) to sort out the apartment cabling and socket.
Are you sure about this? Fttb should be using the existing ADSL/telephone port you have in the apartment (unless your apartment didn't have an existing port). What would be required by an nbn tech would be a cutover in the MDF room, so remove patch from street line copper that terminates to Telstra krones (old ADSL network) to new nbn krones (related to new nbn network). Nothing required in house at all (unless the tech choice has changed to HFC or FTTP)
The FTTB NBP (network boundary point) ends at the MDF. Any new cabling and socket or removal of unused sockets in the apartment is considered the customer side of the network and is work for a registered cabler.
You are right in saying that if the telephone port is already in the apartment nbn will do the cutover at the MDF.
Why would a tenant pay for something that will ultimately benefit the landlord?
Having an NBN connection to your property is basically an expectation for most renters these days.
A tenant doesn’t take the nbn connection with them when they leave, so the landlord now has nbn at their investment property and will use it as another selling point for the next renter.
That is not the deal, that’s your deal.
Other landlords aren’t quite as stingy.
@El cheepo: You could make the same argument for a dishwasher or any number of appliances.
I get that internet is common place now but tenants need to take responsibility to check a property has everything they need before they move in.
Sometimes the connection fee for the landlord is not a flat $300 - it can be many thousands of dollars depending on the type of property and the works required.
@drfuzzy: Appliances and utilities are not comparable.
The majority of people rely on the internet for day to day life.
A few hundred bucks to keep a good tenant happy is a small investment that will pay off in the long run.
(Never heard of anyone i know paying more then $400 ish, but i guess in some rare circumstances it’s possible to be ridiculously priced)
@El cheepo: It can be tens of thousands of dollars, but that kind of cost is more likely with non-metro properties.
NBN is not the only internet option out there. Some apartments will use non-NBN services and there is also 5G becoming more widely available. I am moving from NBN to 5G.
@drfuzzy: Thats a different conversation, no reasonable person in that circumstance whether landlord or tenant would pay for that on a whim.
The scenario you are describing is also a very uncommon situation.
While its true there are other internet options out there, it may not be the best or possible solution for the tenant. They are obviously pushing for NBN for a reason.
If it’s a trivial reason and there are easier better options available, it’s understandable to not get done for them.
If there’s not, it can’t hurt to invest in your property.
The landlord benefit by having another selling point for renters?
Damn, hope not all landlords are like you.
I had to pay to get internet connected at the last place I rented. If I didn't want to then I didn't get internet 🤷♀️
Tenant pays for it anyway, directly or indirectly (via rent increase).
I moved into one of the newly built unit. NBN charged me connection fee, which landlord paid me.
I agreed for the installation and tenant got Telstra in but Telstra technician said get an electrician to put NBN cable inside the apartment and put a socket in as well.
You were told by whom?
That's ridiculous. Why should the tenant pay for it if the connection installation will stay with the property if they decide to leave.
@Phlume: Because the landlord doesn't want or need it.
Should landlord pay for any other random thing the tenant wants to install? Why is this any different.
@trapper: But how is it any different from the other two utilities such as power and water. The one-off payment for the connection stays with the property not with the tenant.
@trapper: In this day and age I don't see why it's not. Telephone lines are an essential utility same as power and water. The internet is just the successor to phone lines.
@Phlume: Even if internet was an essential service (which it isn't) there is more than one provider of internet.
Should the landlord also pay for a Starlink dish or whatever else the tenant decides he wants?
Were you told it’s their responsibility by a landlord group? The only reason you can get away with not paying is because the government wanted to pass on costs, rather than footing the bill (like the telco’s used to), you’ve essentially charged them to improve your property.
I agree that ongoing and regular connection fees should be covered by the tenant, but this is a once off fee, that future tenants won’t have to pay.
Compare it to say electricity, you wouldn’t charge the tenant for the cabling to get it into the house from the street would you? Why is the internet any different?
I've had some experience of this in Vic, but it was 7 years ago and rental laws have changed
I had a phone line cable that needed to be replaced. We were getting ADSL connected, there was an inactive phone line in the apartment
As the rental was started with a disconnected phone line, it was on us (the tenants) to pay for the upgrade. If the phone line was active, it would have been the responsibility of the landlord to maintain it in working order.
but Telstra technician said get an electrician to put NBN cable inside the apartment and put a socket in as well.
Weird, when my NBN was installed the technician was arranged by the provider, we already had HFC sockets in a few rooms so he just replaced one of the sockets and we were off to the races.
Why couldn’t the tenant use wireless NBN if there is such a thing.
Because you don’t get a choice of technology, the government determines what you can use. Wireless NBN is only for area where they haven’t laid cables, and it’s shit.
Wireless NBN is only for area where they haven’t laid cables
We have NBN, fixed wireless, mobile wireless and satellite available.
Absolutely false. This is the property owner's responsibility.
Source: Telco technician 20 years+ experience
First go onto the NBN web site and find out what type of NBN your apartment block has. Then ring up say ABB and ask them if there is any cost of getting NBN installed.
Then if you still want to proceed ask the landlord if it's okay and then ask the body corp if there are any rules you need to tell the installer.
Ok I think this is sensible and will try it out
I didn't pay for nbn to be installed. In a old unit block and nbnco ran hfc cables to the front of each unit. Then when I switched from adsl to it I was not charged a fee. Afaik neither was the owner
How much did they say?
If it is for 300 dollars then it's the "new development" fee. This is for any new NBN installation that hasn't been activated yet at an address.
I think new development is new properties.
Yea I'm sure you're right. Sorry, just saying from experience. I moved into two units that haven't had the NBN activated and the service provider charged 300 dollars to activate it for the first time.
Come to think of it, we were the first Tennant's in those units. But one unit was open in 2017 but we moved in 2019, the previous tenant didn't activate the NBN so we got the 300 bill lol.
I was the first to activate NBN in my unit and no bill. But this property is older then me.
I was not told to pay a dollar amount I was told to get electrician to put cable insider the apartment and have a socket
Is the nbn mandatory? I know that the landlord need to provide heater and hot water to tenants, so I'm not sure if nbn cost should be shouldered by the landlord? I'd like to know more of the outcome of the OP and others experience.
When I was renting I was told NBN not an essential service, therefore landlord not obliged to pay. I paid for it myself.
I have thought about that. Tenants told me NBN provider said have to put NBN socket insider the apartment and she asked me to do it and I am going to property this afternoon to check it out.
No. Like Telstra for the old copper phone lines, nbnco is the "provider of last resort". Their are many apartment blocks (and the entire suburbs around South Brisbane) where alternatives are the only option.
It sounds like the NBN termination point is the MDF. If that's the case NBN don't go past the MDF and the rest of the cabling is left up to the owner from that point.
yes
I would definitely be pushing the landlord to pay for this because they will be the ones getting the long term benefits of it when you move out. And they may also need to notify Strata or body corp if they need to get a cable to the apartment and need to drill anywhere. That is not something that a tenant can ask for
If this was me and they refused I would make sure that the work I paid for was removed or rendered unusable when I moved out. As per the terms of the lease
And when you do move out check the new Ad and see does it state that it is NBN ready. If they advertise it and it doesn't work they will have to pay to fix it
Considering it's a tiny amount over the lifetime of a property and all the different costs they can depreciate against the asset this is a small price to pay. And they should pay it. If they don't pay then they shouldn't get the use of it
@t_c: Maybe, maybe not, doesn't matter regardless.
However I've just been drinking what haters and the complainers don't drink, should give it a try someday.
@t_c: I disagree, while there are a largish number of places that have fttn and get bad service the problem usually lies with the bad copper wire that brings the NBN into the property. This is the same copper that brought in the ADSL connection.
If you are in one of these areas it pays to have a good ISP on your side to log issues and faults and take it up with NBN to possibly get this copper fixed
And it is very important that there are no phone lines daisy chained inside the house, the FTTN connection should terminate in one phone jack and the rest should be disconnected. This is a big source of issues. But if you are over a kilometre away from an exchange then there is not much that can be done until FTTN gets upgraded/replaced with something else
@HeadTheWall: I think nbn uses mixed tech in my area, and comes in via old coax from foxtel or optus.
I could understand if the place was advertised as 'NBN ready' and it actually wasn't, but that isn't the case here, is it?
@trapper: The bloody building is nbn-enabled, but OP doesn't have wiring and a socket running into their unit. It seems like a no-brainer that they would be happy to set up such a simple and relatively minor installation for current and all future tenants.
A large volume of people work from home full time or at least flexibly, and that will probably become even more important in the future. Any owners in this thread who actually think it's ok to not cover the cost of putting proper wiring into your property before renting it needs their head examined. Good luck getting good quality tenants though
In SA internet is not an essential service. Landlord is not obliged to pay for connection:
https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/housing/renting-and-letting/ren…
Lot of flustered boomer nesters in this thread. If you want your value extractor to succeed, pivot and meet the needs of a modern consumer.
Alternatively do not and follow the broken window logic to the point you lose it all.
NBN is not mandatory unless it was advertised you need to pay for nbn.
Renter does have the option of 4g/5g which is better than nbn in most places.
unless you don't want packet loss
Better what?
Surely not consistency, ping, download quota and reliable coverage? Mobile internet is not ideal for most families with multiple simultaneous users or gamers, or people working from home. Which covers nearly everyone in this country in some way.
As a landlord myself, I can only advise you to just do it and treat it as an investment. Happy tenants make a stable of stream of income with less problems. And not having "NBN ready" in your ad when the current tenant leaves will actually turn off some potential tenants. Having the option of good internet is pretty critical for some.
I have a similar situation in a new complex, it doesn’t have nbn access but a local fast broadband, forgot the name but essentially nbn doesn’t come into the building. They wanted $300 for the initial connection even though the wiring was already inside and a router already in place.
In the end I just selected Optus ‘NBN’ and they provided it via 4g network because they didn’t have access to my apartment.
Hope this helps you.
Wow, negged for giving advice on saving $300. Am I at the right place? Lol
Jowu17 have you worked out what is the nbn technology type serving your apartment??
Plug in your address, hit check residential, scroll down to technology type and tell us if the tech type is fttb, fttc, HFC or FTTP.
am tenant, apartment is at least 5 years old, did not pay for installation
I was in a similar situation where the landlord agreed to pay for the cabling. IMHO, this is worth more for the landlord than the tenant.
It's worth nothing to the landlord though…
It's not compulsory for the Landlord to pay because it's not mandatory
BUT…. most Landlords do pay for the initial installation, just like those days where you need a new telephone line to the premises
Tenant pays for the service
If the tenant wants something like cable TV like the old days which probably is not around… that's probably a no for the install cost
I was an REA and under the impression that internet needs to be available with a property. I probably would've told the landlord it's their responsibility to provide a property that's internet ready. Apparently with NBN its slightly different tho.
This is what tenants.org says about it. So pretty crap of a landlord to not pay for it tbh.
New connections
If you want a new connection installed you must have the landlord’s consent. Installation of a carriage service for connecting a phone line or internet is an alteration that is of a ‘minor nature’, as prescribed by the Regulations. This means the landlord/agent cannot unreasonably refuse consent (see the NSW Fair Trading factsheet ‘Asking to make an alteration’ at fairtrading.nsw.gov.au).
You will have to pay for installation (although the landlord may agree to pay or contribute to the cost) and any repairs to connections you have installed.
Oof. Am only aware of this where the ex. was in a similar position except she owned the apartment rather than tenant it out.
But unfortunately, NBN co have provided the connection to the 'MDF' / Comm's cupboard or the like somewhere within the building and it is up to the owners of each dwelling to organize the last run into their apartment. It might mean co-ordination with your OC as well, to gain access (assuming its restricted) to the MDF. Hope you're OC is easy to work with otherwise this could be problematic and lead to delays. Sadly the ex had to wait months to get this co-ordinated.
As for your choice whether to supply the NBN connection at landlords cost, then my advice would be to treat it like an investment. It might be a bit of a hit to the hip pocket now, but will would benefit you as a landlord in the long run. Having an 'NBN ready' is a quite the draw for some tenants, especially now with WFH being an option. And a happy tenant will likely result in a longer, stable rental with less hassles.
I didn't want to pay the $300 fee so instead got wireless 4g, much less hassle and ended up being faster than NBN anyway.
I'm pretty sure the ISP I signed up with (AussieBB) organised the final cable connection and I didn't pay an extra fee. The NBN guys installed a cable to outside the front door of each apartment, and then a contractor from the ISP came and ran a cable from the door, through the roof and into a cupboard where I wanted the modem.
This is in Brisbane, and HFC if it matters.
Interesting, however pretty sure the contractor that came to your place was not the ISPs contractor, rather nbn contractors that were organised by your ISP once you placed an order with them.
Ah yes, that sounds right.
nbn subcontractors install everything for HFC including the cabling and nbn NTD. The subcontractor was not from the ISP.
I'm not sure what State you're in, but in Victoria 'The rental provider must pay all costs and charges for the initial installation of fixed internet and phone line connections to the rented premises, including through the National Broadband Network (NBN).'
Do the right thing, pay for it. The next tenants will also be asking for NBN anyway.
Rentals where there is no NBN connection & the landlord didn't want to pay for it to be connected I immediately dismissed when I rented. Advertising you are a bad landlord means you will only get tenants willing to treat the rental as disposable, rather than work with you to maintain the property.
Having a stingy landlord looking to extract every cent isn't worth the trouble. If they wont pay for $300 for a permanent improvement to their property, they wont pay to fix things like broken fixtures or leaking showers. They are also the kind of dogs that try & rinse you for your bond.
You might already have TPG fttb at your place.
Yes. I in-fact had to pay for it in a rental apartment :-( (You don’t need to now)
The scumlord and their agent was telling apartment wasn’t advertised as nbn ready so it must be paid by tenant. I wish I knew better those days but then again I just did not have enough energy to fight back.
The tenant can't do this themselves, you as the owner need to get strata approval to do work external to your premise leading into your unit to facilitate this.
As an owner surely you respect your customers (aka the tenant) enough to provide them with such a basic service. if it's a new development and nbn bills them the $300 fee, that's on them (even though I don't agree with this). But what you're talking about is electrical work and wiring, in any other situation a real estate agent would be working with the owner to arrange this, not ask a tenant to fix your mess for you.
AustriaBargain on 09/01/2022 - 15:43 Comment score below threshold.
