[A. Mazed]

On the subject of debt, I think I had alrewady written something. As an “old man” (I’m 72) this should not be happening to me! I was unemployed for a shgort time and could nbot afford the levies on my investment property. I tried to sell the property as it is an investment for mny old age. Five months later nobody will buy the property. So, I am in arrears with the levies, owe $6,000 in fees to the Real Estate guy who said he could sell my property within a fortnight!!! PLus the solicitor’s fee. As I am working, I can afford certain things like paying my own mortgage but now STRATA have put ion the debt collectors. There is a lot of work to do on the property. I can’t afford to keep paying upwards of $7-8,000 a quarter for repairs. It’s a vicious circle. My agent can’t sell the property to pay my debts and the fees keep going on and on. While I am working that only pays my needs and my mortgage, nothing else. Any help out there or solution???

[A. Mazed]

Well, that has happened to me as a landlord! I have to live off the rent received as I am not working. My contract ended at Easter and I’m having difficulty finding casual work. I bent over backwards to help the tenant when he was in hospital but STRATA won’t help me. i have said that I “can’t” pay but will pay. So, they got the debt collectors in and threatened to seize my apartment and take the tenant’s things!!! At $8,000 a quarter for repairs I just can’t pay. I will pay but only when I can. To prevent debt collectors I had to take out a loan on top of my own mortgage that I can hardly pay!

[A. Mazed]

No pets, no smoking, no noise, no garbage, no obstructions, no washing, no BBQs. Is there anything one is ALLOWED to do in an apartment? Sleep? Live? Eat? Watch TV? Have people over?

I have just been ordered to stop feeding honey to my visiting lorikeets. No by-law or number just “You are forbidden to feed birds, other animals, or strays. OK but what about the cockroaches that invaded my property when the whole of the building was treated? They all seem to have come to me, well, at least the ones who survived. Will STRATA punish me because they are feeding at my place? Will STRATA pay for them to be removed or will STRATA remove me? I own my property.

[A. Mazed]

Thank you all for your comments. I won’t go into every detail re-the 400% increase in levies. I’m the only one at these meetings and don’t understand all that is going on. Certainly everything goes through “on the nod”.

However, after investigation and reading your fantastic and helpful comments, I realise that every time something needed doing the STRATA people refused to do it as it would cost the owners too much money!!! So, for years, nothing has been done. Now we have new people in the same STRATA and they are deciding to update everything.  I think I coud put up with high fees for a short term but not long term. In fact, I am seriously hoping that all five unit owners will want to sell. The place is old and a mess and, conspiracy theory or not, the best solution would be to knock it all down and re-create something better.

Thank you fir all your help and suggestions!

[A. Mazed]

I can’t find out how to make a post!!! A few weeks ago I explained that my agent wanted to keep my bond because there was a stain on the carpet. I had paid $440 for the agent’s cleaners to clean the place. I refused to pay and said I would go to the Rent Tribunal. The agent then threatened to ask for damages for having a dog on the premises. I had told the agent and the manager that I would have my daughter’s dog for some of the time. At the Tribunal the agent didn’t turned up and I got my bond back in full.

SDON’T BE BULLIED IT ONLY COSTS $45 TO GO TO COURT.

[A. Mazed]

I am, I hope, a good landlord, tolerant and flexible! Unfortunately I had to rent a place for six months. The agency and landlord were excellent until I left! They wouldn’t give me my bond back! I had paid the agency’s cleaners to clean the place from top to bottom. They did a very good job except for one stain. I had paid the agency’s cleaners $440 to clean everything and the carpets. At inspection I was told that the stain would be taken up with the cleaners. BUT OH NO! The agency said I had to pay an extra $220. When I refused and said I was going to the Tenancy Tribunal they threatened to counter claim because I had had a dog on the premises. Yes, true bit not full time only when my daughter brought her over. I am off to the Tribunal on Monday. I will not be threatened or intimidated. I hope I will win. What does FLAT CHAT think?
In my years as a landlord I’ve had good and bad tenants. I hope my good nature with all of the tenants will come good on Monday in my favour.

[A. Mazed]

Cutting the story short and not wishing to blame anyone!!! For months and months my tenants were tormented by the neighbours and neither the agent or Stata or the police could do anything. When damage was caused to my property I called Strata who called the owner who soon got their tenants in line! Very easy after over a year of suffering.

[A. Mazed]

@Whale said:
Peter – your tenants can’t be held responsible for amounts arising from leakage, but in NSW the Residential Tenancies Act prescribes that where a property is individually metered for water, the tenant is required to pay for all water so consumed. 

So upon receipt of each Water Supply Invoice for your property, all you need to do is pay the total amount shown which will typically be itemised for service availability (water & sewerage) and for the metered water usage, and then provide a copy of that paid Invoice to your tenants (via your Property Manager / Agent) who must then reimburse you for the metered water usage component of the total invoice (only).

Thank you. That is quite clear but I forgot to mention that the property is in Queensland! Does that change anything? Yes, of course, I’ll pay for the leak and the water but I suspect the tenants are running a business from the house but that’s another story!

Peter M.

[A. Mazed]

Thank you for all these wonderful suggestions. The problem lies in the car being well within the property in my car space! Neither the Council nor the police will touch it. It has no registration and no plates and is covered in a tarpaulin. I suspect it belongs to one of the other units. I intend to put a notice on it to be removed. Then I’ll enquire if anybody like a dealer or twoer will take it away for free. If I have to pay, I’ll pay but not immediately! Peter Mayes.

[Author]

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