Apartment not painted before move in date

Hi guys,

Just wondering where I stand with an apartment I have just signed for.
Property was horrendously painted, every wall and door in the place was a different colour - bright yellow, pink, orange, red, black you name it, it was there (think play school). It was up for a while so assuming this was the reason.

We applied on 25th July, move in date Saturday 11th August, on the condition it was painted a neutral colour- requested white. We was approved on the 27th and told it would be painted. We paid $700 deposit.

Its now 6th, we are supposed to move on the 11th. We called up today to pay the remaining bond/ deposit, and also request to view the newly painted place. The agent has just told us the painters haven't been yet, but will begin painting on Thursday 9th... They want us to pay the bond and another weeks rent two days before moving in. My partner is getting worried about this...

Is 2 days enough time to paint a whole 2 bed apartment and clean ready for Saturday?
If its not done by the move in time, is there any grounds on a 'claim' if we are out of home and have to pay for a hotel...

If the painting is complete, but is below par, is there grounds for a refund on deposit?

Starting to think we may be homeless this weekend...

 

• Are you paying for the painting? It's unlikely that you can comment on the workmanship
• 2 days is more than enough usually (acrylic paint, low humidity, planets aligned etc) however, the painter should use a low VOC paint if you're expected to occupy without being affected by the paint fumes.
• Maybe If you have signed the lease and paid all monies due (bond, rent in advance etc).
• Where doesn't leave you If the painter doesn't perform? Looking for another place which is move in ready?

 

Thanks for the reply.

obviously not paying for the painting, but I feel it’s understandable to concerned about the quality of workmanship if they expect all that to be done in two days. There is no shortage of apartments around here that present extremely well, so we wouldn’t be moving in if it looks like it was painted by a blind elephant using watercolours.

That’s my concern, planets don’t align often. Paid money but not signed...

Not necessarily find another place, just have no where to live until it’s liveable... costly hotels, with costly storage of home contents. Is this claimable?

 

If anyone is going to be concerned about the workmanship, it should be the owner.
Cheap job = Cheap paint.

The moment the paint bubbles - not peels, let the agent know so they don't blame you for it.

If a tenant demanded that as a reason to move, they would get a decline from me. I don't know tenants from a bar of soap, but these things are red flags for property owners - renters who want to see how far they can push.

 

Thanks, noted about the bubbles...

I am not seeing "how far I can push", far from it, I am looking to be a hopefully long term tenant, at least for the foreseeable two to three years, so we want to be comfortable with the place and not 'just make do'. So if the apartment was not done up to a decent professional standard - that matched the market for the price range offered, why am I not allowed to say no? Because if that was the standard on the initial viewing we would of walked away and got a place that was for the same money.

 

@CDaly, so the question is, why didn't you walk away?

There is usually a debate between who's worse, the tenant or the property owner. I'd say there are bad eggs in each camp.

For me, I believe in making sure a place is presentable before first open (and photos for that matter). My places would have been painted prior to relisting and photos take afterwards.

There are others property owners who only fix on reaction and will do what is required to delay the fixes (even if they are important ones).

My tip would be to DOCUMENT everything. Every call should have a follow email with a confirmation requested from the real estate agent (we all know the "oh i didn't get that email trick" that people pull).

Keep yourself protected and document. My opinion is that owners who are slow to react are usually the ones that are quick to cry poor and demand the tenant pay for damages.

Do yourself a favour next time and rent a place that is actually in good nick.

Oh and photos photos photos! Take heaps of them, include them when you return your ingoing inspection report and make sure the agent signs and dates ALL the photos you took. That is going to be your proof when crap hits the fan later.

 

@neK Yes, agreed with the painted prior to inspection - it should of been or we should of walked away. It was in a good location, a complex we liked, layout was good, move in date suited our move out date, so we thought it would be great with fresh coat. Now we are a little nervous about if its going to be ready as promised. I like to 'hope for the best, but prepare for the worst' so I am preparing my plan for the "its not ready, sorry" = hotel$$ or "I can see the lime green through that white coat..." = find another place because the landlord is not true to his word/cheap - the bad egg as you put it.

Misses has made sure everything is in writing, phone call follows etc.

Got ya, get the misses DLR, tripod and go to town filling my hard drive. I hope this is a simple accidental delay in getting the works completed and not a nightmare landlord

 

I'd put to an accidental delay. Tradies aren't the most reliable, but at the same time, some owners take a long time to deliberate on things, by the time they agree, the painter who was scheduled to start last week, isn't available for another 2 weeks and the owner doesn't feel like paying $500 to a guy who can start immediately.

It's the prep work that takes ages, having to fill holes, waiting for it to dry, then sand. I totally hate prep, but its the most important part.

As for painting, it is quick. undercoat a whole house in a day, then by the time you're finished, the top coat is ready to go.

I'm assuming they'll just go in a paint without filling. I wouldn't worry about dents in the wall etc (I would photograph it to be on the safe side - don't even need a close up, just a far shot with the area circled will be sufficient), but for the agent to hold it against you - that's just a joke.

 

Just a note don't actually circle the dent / blemish on the wall, like a mate of mine did and then had trouble removing the pencil from the wall without removing some of the paint and he did it about a dozen times through out the apartment.

Ha HA HA

 

Sorry when i meant circled, I meant on the photo using the paintbrush tool (everything is digital these days)