"I understand that your oven is not working Sir, but surely that's no reason to eat your bathroom door..."
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Maintenance Form - Spelling Mistake
Fail!
"I understand that your oven is not working Sir, but surely that's no reason to eat your bathroom door..."
"I understand that your oven is not working Sir, but surely that's no reason to eat your bathroom door..."
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Hoarding and Squalor
It has recently been brought to my attention that the specialist unit for hoarding and squalor is only available to people who live in major cities. (Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne etc.) I can understand that there would be more people who require their help in the larger cities, but what I can't understand is why they can't find it in their budget to send someone out to the smaller towns once in a while to help out.
There are many companies that send out employees for training in rural areas, but for some reason the Government doesn't see fit to do the same for people who really need help.
Yes these are old photos, unfortunately it has just gotten worse.
I have never been able to understand how hoarding is defined. I can understand having a sentimental attachment to things that have come into your house, however I've never understood how that then turns into not cleaning and not putting things away. The house pictured above wouldn't be half as bad if things that are obviously rubbish - empty food containers etc. were thrown away, laundry was put away, groceries to be put away - the pantry in this property is practically empty, as the food items are strewn around the kitchen and lounge room, and if dishes were washed and put away. There is an unknown food substance that has been squished onto the kitchen floor, which has been there since before Christmas - what sentimental value does that have?!? Why can hoarders not clean up after themselves?
There are many companies that send out employees for training in rural areas, but for some reason the Government doesn't see fit to do the same for people who really need help.
Yes these are old photos, unfortunately it has just gotten worse.
I have never been able to understand how hoarding is defined. I can understand having a sentimental attachment to things that have come into your house, however I've never understood how that then turns into not cleaning and not putting things away. The house pictured above wouldn't be half as bad if things that are obviously rubbish - empty food containers etc. were thrown away, laundry was put away, groceries to be put away - the pantry in this property is practically empty, as the food items are strewn around the kitchen and lounge room, and if dishes were washed and put away. There is an unknown food substance that has been squished onto the kitchen floor, which has been there since before Christmas - what sentimental value does that have?!? Why can hoarders not clean up after themselves?
Hoarding has now been pigeon holed into a category defined as "Hoarding & Squalor" which does make more sense when it comes to the filth and the smell. However there is no clear cut diagnosis which says "Yes, this person has a disability which causes them to live like this."
There needs to be more done for people who live like this, either something as small as education/therapy or as severe as a forced clean out every month, which they need to fund themselves.
I had one tenant try and describe it to me as "If someone came into your house and said 'You need to get rid of half your belongings' you'd have trouble with it". I felt inclined to agree with her until I really thought about it. If someone told me it was either get rid of half my belongings or lose my house, you can bet half of my belongings would take no time to clear out.
Sorry this entry has been a little disjointed, I just find it so difficult to comprehend... If you, or anyone you know needs help with hoarding please try and get help. The damage it can cause to a property can not be undone.
Friday, March 25, 2011
NSW Residential Tenancies Act 2010
As I previously mentioned in a few of my posts, as of January 31st 2011 there were some significant changes made to the NSW Residential Tenancies Act. Below are a few of the key changes, and what they mean to you.
Notice Periods – The only notice periods to change, are in relation to the landlord ending a tenancy on “No Grounds” which has changes from 60 days notice, to 90 days notice and the “End of a fixed term” which has increased from 14 days to 30 days. However, once given notice, (any form of notice outside of the fixed term, not just the two mentioned above) the tenant now has the right to vacate the property any time on or before the vacate date. Which in essence means you could give your tenant 90 days notice, and the next day they could come in and drop the keys off. This is unlikely due to the time it takes to find alternate accommodation and pack up a house, but theoretically there’s nothing to stop it from happening.
Rental Bonds – 4 weeks rent is the maximum amount of bond that can be taken. Previously furnished properties used to be able to ask for 6 weeks, but this is no longer the case. Also you are no longer allowed to ask for “top up” amounts when the rent is increased. Owners and agents now have additional time in which to lodge the bonds with the Rental Bond Board.
Water Usage – In order to claim the water usage back from your tenant, the premises must contain the water efficiency measures prescribed by the Regulations
1) All internal cold water taps and single mixer taps on the premises (other than bathtub taps, garden taps, single hot water taps, toilets and taps for appliances) must have a maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute.
2) All showerheads on the premises must have a maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute.
3) There must be no leaking taps on the premises at the commence of the agreement.
· For water to be recoverable, a copy of the water bill setting out the usage charge must be provided to the tenant.
· The tenant must be given not less than 21 days to pay the account.
· If the landlord/agent does not provide and request payment of a bill by the tenant within 3 months from the date of issue of the account, the water usage will be unrecoverable by the landlord.
· If the landlord/agent has issued copies of the water usage account to the tenant and has sought payment within 3 months from the date of issue, the amount for usage will continue to be recoverable if not paid by the tenant.
· Any rebate received by the landlord with respect to the tenant’s water usage or an equivalent amount, must be passed on to the tenant.
Service of Notices – hand delivery of notices to the tenant’s letterbox is now an acceptable method of delivery of notices. This will save 3-4 days in the service of notices by mail.
Holding Fees – these deposits can only be charged once the tenant’s application has been approved. If the tenant withdraws, they will lose the entire fee.
Disclosure - owners/agents must disclose whether the property has a sales agency agreement or if the bank has served any reposession/foreclosure notices. You must disclose whether the house has been affected by bushfire or floods in the past 5 years. You must disclose if the property has been the scene of a serious violent crime, or if there is a serious health or safety risk at the property.
Break fee - a fixed penalty can now be applied for a tenant who seeks to break the lease prematurely ie within the lease term. This must be documented in the lease if it is not documented then a set break fee applies on a tiered scale.
Early Release without penalty – tenants are now permitted to end the fixed term if they accept an offer of public housing or move to a nursing home.
Sale of Rented Premises – two weeks notice must be given to the tenant prior to the placement of a notice for the sale of the property. Up to two inspections per week are permitted and further access can be negotiated.
Sub-letting – tenants will still require the owners consent to bring a new co-tenant into the property.
Domestic Violence – victims of domestic violence will have the right to change the locks to keep out the person listed on an AVO and to seek to take over the lease of the premises is their name is not already on the lease.
Rights of co-tenants – disputes between co-tenants can now be brought in front of the Rental Tribunal. Co-tenants can give 21 days notice to terminate the agreement outside of the fixed term. Operationally, this may mean that all persons listed on the tenancy agreement will need to give notice to terminate the lease.
The new legislation in it's entirety can be found here www.legislation.nsw.gov.au
Notice Periods – The only notice periods to change, are in relation to the landlord ending a tenancy on “No Grounds” which has changes from 60 days notice, to 90 days notice and the “End of a fixed term” which has increased from 14 days to 30 days. However, once given notice, (any form of notice outside of the fixed term, not just the two mentioned above) the tenant now has the right to vacate the property any time on or before the vacate date. Which in essence means you could give your tenant 90 days notice, and the next day they could come in and drop the keys off. This is unlikely due to the time it takes to find alternate accommodation and pack up a house, but theoretically there’s nothing to stop it from happening.
Rental Bonds – 4 weeks rent is the maximum amount of bond that can be taken. Previously furnished properties used to be able to ask for 6 weeks, but this is no longer the case. Also you are no longer allowed to ask for “top up” amounts when the rent is increased. Owners and agents now have additional time in which to lodge the bonds with the Rental Bond Board.
Water Usage – In order to claim the water usage back from your tenant, the premises must contain the water efficiency measures prescribed by the Regulations
1) All internal cold water taps and single mixer taps on the premises (other than bathtub taps, garden taps, single hot water taps, toilets and taps for appliances) must have a maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute.
2) All showerheads on the premises must have a maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute.
3) There must be no leaking taps on the premises at the commence of the agreement.
· For water to be recoverable, a copy of the water bill setting out the usage charge must be provided to the tenant.
· The tenant must be given not less than 21 days to pay the account.
· If the landlord/agent does not provide and request payment of a bill by the tenant within 3 months from the date of issue of the account, the water usage will be unrecoverable by the landlord.
· If the landlord/agent has issued copies of the water usage account to the tenant and has sought payment within 3 months from the date of issue, the amount for usage will continue to be recoverable if not paid by the tenant.
· Any rebate received by the landlord with respect to the tenant’s water usage or an equivalent amount, must be passed on to the tenant.
Service of Notices – hand delivery of notices to the tenant’s letterbox is now an acceptable method of delivery of notices. This will save 3-4 days in the service of notices by mail.
Holding Fees – these deposits can only be charged once the tenant’s application has been approved. If the tenant withdraws, they will lose the entire fee.
Disclosure - owners/agents must disclose whether the property has a sales agency agreement or if the bank has served any reposession/foreclosure notices. You must disclose whether the house has been affected by bushfire or floods in the past 5 years. You must disclose if the property has been the scene of a serious violent crime, or if there is a serious health or safety risk at the property.
Break fee - a fixed penalty can now be applied for a tenant who seeks to break the lease prematurely ie within the lease term. This must be documented in the lease if it is not documented then a set break fee applies on a tiered scale.
Early Release without penalty – tenants are now permitted to end the fixed term if they accept an offer of public housing or move to a nursing home.
Sale of Rented Premises – two weeks notice must be given to the tenant prior to the placement of a notice for the sale of the property. Up to two inspections per week are permitted and further access can be negotiated.
Sub-letting – tenants will still require the owners consent to bring a new co-tenant into the property.
Domestic Violence – victims of domestic violence will have the right to change the locks to keep out the person listed on an AVO and to seek to take over the lease of the premises is their name is not already on the lease.
Rights of co-tenants – disputes between co-tenants can now be brought in front of the Rental Tribunal. Co-tenants can give 21 days notice to terminate the agreement outside of the fixed term. Operationally, this may mean that all persons listed on the tenancy agreement will need to give notice to terminate the lease.
The new legislation in it's entirety can be found here www.legislation.nsw.gov.au
Landlord Protection Insurance
The recent increase in natural disasters the World over has come as a wake-up call to many.
Landlords should be aware of their rights and responsibilities in the event of a natural disaster.
In NSW if damage is severe, and the property is unlivable, a tenancy can be ended. However, the agreement needs to be legally ended by one party and agreed to by the other.
Damage to the property must have been caused by the natural disaster and not due to the actions of the tenant or landlord/agent.
In cases where part of the premises has been damaged or destroyed, a rent reduction may be negotiated. Any reduction in rent must be negotiated by the tenant and the landlord/agent.
As well as the devastating effects on the lives of the people living in these affected areas, the question has to be asked – Are you covered for damage in the event of a natural disaster?
CHECK WITH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY THAT YOU ARE COVERED!!
The most important thing to be aware of when checking if you are covered for disasters is the definitions of the elements of disaster damage. Some policies will specifically not cover flood, but will cover storm damage, including rainwater damage – it all comes down to what the definition of a ‘flood’ is in your policy.
It is better to be safe than sorry – check with your insurer today!
Landlords should be aware of their rights and responsibilities in the event of a natural disaster.
In NSW if damage is severe, and the property is unlivable, a tenancy can be ended. However, the agreement needs to be legally ended by one party and agreed to by the other.
Damage to the property must have been caused by the natural disaster and not due to the actions of the tenant or landlord/agent.
In cases where part of the premises has been damaged or destroyed, a rent reduction may be negotiated. Any reduction in rent must be negotiated by the tenant and the landlord/agent.
As well as the devastating effects on the lives of the people living in these affected areas, the question has to be asked – Are you covered for damage in the event of a natural disaster?
CHECK WITH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY THAT YOU ARE COVERED!!
The most important thing to be aware of when checking if you are covered for disasters is the definitions of the elements of disaster damage. Some policies will specifically not cover flood, but will cover storm damage, including rainwater damage – it all comes down to what the definition of a ‘flood’ is in your policy.
It is better to be safe than sorry – check with your insurer today!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Vacation Notice
Just a heads up that over the next few weeks there will be very few - if any - posts.
I'm heading away for my wedding and honeymoon!!
However with all the new legislations that have just come into play in NSW, you can bet that more updates will follow shortly.
Have a happy Feb/March everyone!
I'm heading away for my wedding and honeymoon!!
However with all the new legislations that have just come into play in NSW, you can bet that more updates will follow shortly.
Have a happy Feb/March everyone!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Twelve Days of Christmas - Property Management style
I received this by email from EBM Insurance brokers, thought it was quite clever and that everyone might enjoy it.
On the first day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
My property had a vacancy.
On the second day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
My tenants did a runner,
That’s why my property has a vacancy.
On the third day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
They hadn’t paid the rent,
And then they did a runner,
So my property has a vacancy.
On the fourth day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
They’ve taken all the blinds,
And hadn’t paid the rent,
That’s why they did a runner,
Which has now left me with a vacancy.
On the fifth day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
They’d plugged up all the drainholes,
As well as pinched the blinds,
And they hadn’t paid the rent,
Which is why they did a runner,
And has now left me with a vacancy.
On the sixth day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
They turned on all the taps,
After plugging all the drain holes,
As well as pinched the blinds,
And they hadn’t paid the rent,
Which is why they did a runner,
And have left me with this rotten vacancy. On the seventh day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
The place filled up like a pool,
‘cos they turned on all the taps,
After plugging all the drain holes,
As well as pinched the blinds,
And they hadn’t paid the rent,
Which is why they did a runner,
And I can’t believe I have this vacancy.
On the eighth day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
The damage is horrendous,
As it filled up like a pool,
When they turned on all the taps,
After plugging all the drain holes,
As well as pinching all the blinds,
And they hadn’t paid the rent,
Which is why they did a runner,
And now I have this silly vacancy.
On the ninth day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
Lucky you have insurance,
‘cos the damage is horrendous,
As it filled up like a pool,
When they turned on all the taps,
After plugging all the drain holes,
As well as pinching all the blinds,
And they hadn’t paid the rent,
Which is why they did a runner,
And I also have this stupid vacancy.
On the tenth day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
We’ve filled out all the forms,
It was lucky for insurance,
‘cos the damage is a nightmare, From it filling like a pool,
When they turned on all the taps,
After plugging all the drain holes,
As well as pinching all the blinds,
And they hadn’t paid the rent,
Which is why they did a runner,
And I hope it also covers the vacancy.
On the eleventh day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
RentCover to the rescue,
They’ve approved all of your claim,
It was lucky for insurance,
‘cos the damage is a nightmare,
From it filling like a pool,
When they turned on all the taps,
After plugging all the drain holes,
As well as pinching all the blinds,
And they hadn’t paid the rent,
Which is why they did a runner,
And they even said it covers the vacancy.
On the twelfth day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
Have a lovely Christmas
Your loss is now all covered,
RentCover’s paid the bills,
It was lucky for insurance,
‘cos the damage was a nightmare,
From it filling like a pool,
When they turned on all the taps,
After plugging all the drain holes,
You will now get all new blinds,
And the rent it is all covered,
Even though they did a runner,
So no need to worry ‘bout a vacancy.
On the first day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
My property had a vacancy.
On the second day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
My tenants did a runner,
That’s why my property has a vacancy.
On the third day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
They hadn’t paid the rent,
And then they did a runner,
So my property has a vacancy.
On the fourth day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
They’ve taken all the blinds,
And hadn’t paid the rent,
That’s why they did a runner,
Which has now left me with a vacancy.
On the fifth day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
They’d plugged up all the drainholes,
As well as pinched the blinds,
And they hadn’t paid the rent,
Which is why they did a runner,
And has now left me with a vacancy.
On the sixth day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
They turned on all the taps,
After plugging all the drain holes,
As well as pinched the blinds,
And they hadn’t paid the rent,
Which is why they did a runner,
And have left me with this rotten vacancy. On the seventh day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
The place filled up like a pool,
‘cos they turned on all the taps,
After plugging all the drain holes,
As well as pinched the blinds,
And they hadn’t paid the rent,
Which is why they did a runner,
And I can’t believe I have this vacancy.
On the eighth day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
The damage is horrendous,
As it filled up like a pool,
When they turned on all the taps,
After plugging all the drain holes,
As well as pinching all the blinds,
And they hadn’t paid the rent,
Which is why they did a runner,
And now I have this silly vacancy.
On the ninth day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
Lucky you have insurance,
‘cos the damage is horrendous,
As it filled up like a pool,
When they turned on all the taps,
After plugging all the drain holes,
As well as pinching all the blinds,
And they hadn’t paid the rent,
Which is why they did a runner,
And I also have this stupid vacancy.
On the tenth day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
We’ve filled out all the forms,
It was lucky for insurance,
‘cos the damage is a nightmare, From it filling like a pool,
When they turned on all the taps,
After plugging all the drain holes,
As well as pinching all the blinds,
And they hadn’t paid the rent,
Which is why they did a runner,
And I hope it also covers the vacancy.
On the eleventh day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
RentCover to the rescue,
They’ve approved all of your claim,
It was lucky for insurance,
‘cos the damage is a nightmare,
From it filling like a pool,
When they turned on all the taps,
After plugging all the drain holes,
As well as pinching all the blinds,
And they hadn’t paid the rent,
Which is why they did a runner,
And they even said it covers the vacancy.
On the twelfth day of Christmas
my agent said to me:
Have a lovely Christmas
Your loss is now all covered,
RentCover’s paid the bills,
It was lucky for insurance,
‘cos the damage was a nightmare,
From it filling like a pool,
When they turned on all the taps,
After plugging all the drain holes,
You will now get all new blinds,
And the rent it is all covered,
Even though they did a runner,
So no need to worry ‘bout a vacancy.
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