I’ve just logged back into FC after years of absence, the trigger being an increasingly troublesome Public Housing resident in our small block of 4 lots in Sydney. Housing NSW is the official tenant, I understand, so I guess she is a sub-tenant. I’m theoretically at least supportive of the proposition of social housing, and I’ve generally been tolerant to this person….
This person has over the last few months tended towards being more and more “twitchy” in the block: flighty, nosy, devious, demanding, etc. so that I find myself referring to her as the “princess”: it’s like she’s expecting her own special privileges in the block, like keeping her own rubbish bin which she wheels out for collection while ignoring the common bins; occupation of common property as if it were her own; leaving notes for other residents, etc. All the annoying behavior of a strata busybody with nothing better to be getting on with. And not too troubling.
BUT this has recently escalated to her making all-too-frequent complaints to the owner of her flat (whereas I suspect this should all go through Housing NSW) which the owner then immediately throws at the Ex Committee with snide remarks that mirror the resident’s own personally troubled world.
She has also recently been making direct contact with the managing agent (which the MA then passes to the owner saying “not my business”), and recently she contacted another member of the ex committee and sprayed him. She’s escalated now to threats of AVOs, police, etc. Nasty stuff, and very disruptive to the normal operating of the OC.
Without being prejudicial at all, a mate who knows the block well warns me off doing anything, saying that she looks like someone who has the skills to know how to work the system of public housing. She’s trouble, he says, and certainly he’s right. But as I find that I am now being intimidated by her in my own home, I need to find a solution.
I have spoken to Housing NSW, and they have sent a copy of their Tenancy Agreement; also I know about Acceptable Behaviour Agreements.
Ideally, I would like NSW Housing to step in and tell her that her behaviour is being disruptive and that she ought to pull her head in or she will have to leave.
Trouble is I am unwilling to act lest the situation deteriorate further, and she turns even more aggressive before anything can be done. I suspect that she’d quickly identify me as the source of the complaint. UGH!
To complicate matters, prior to this letting, the owner of the flat converted what was a studio flat to a two (!) bedroom flat, with no approval of either the OC or the local council. The rent went up by over 50%, and it’s let to a bothersome resident. All up, other residents are wearing the extra profit that this owner is extracting from his unit.
I’m wondering whether the FC community has diplomatic suggestions…..
(post edited to remove duplicated section that it appears was inadvertently a cut/paste from MSWord® or similar….Whale 1240 22/07)