Ah – yes the off-property owners who don’t worry about their investment and the R E Agents who take the money and don’t inspect.
You could get a signed statement from the tenant to say this was reported to agent ??years ago and nothing done – & pics if the tenant sent them (especially as they are date stamped) then present to the owner and ask if they pay half or quarter cost of repair. it may work.
we had a townhouse in our complex tenanted over & over – the kitchen awning windows were not winding in so stuck open to the elements – the tenant said nothing, the owner didn’t visit, the agent was family didn’t visit, consequently, the wood rotted and the glass in two panes nearly fell out. when the committee got photo’s of really bad windows and frames we asked the tenant for a signed letter stating how long it had been like that (they didn’t care and they were moving out anyway). we had new windows quoted for put bill ($6k) & photo’s and statement the owners asked them to contribute (even though it’s strata) they did, as they wanted to do up townhouse and sell which they did.
while it wasn’t ‘cricket’ to do so – it’s not fair on other property owners to foot the bill for negligent behaviour from agent and owner. we do have a by-law that states that property must be kept in good repair. (even if it’s strata). & these windows were dangerous there was a piece of ply nailed to one window holding the bottom of the window frame to the side, had that not been there the glass would have dropped.