Friday afternoon story

Nothing major, just share a Friday afternoon joke from my RE with others here:

I got a text message from RE property manager yesterday afternoon (about 1:50PM), saying the tenants had informed her the shower hose was leaking, and if I failed to contact the RE by 3PM, she would hire a plumber.

So I rang the property manager, asking her how long it had been leaking and why it was so urgent that it had to be fixed on Friday afternoon. And also the tenants are actually moving out and they will vacant the property next Friday. She couldn't answer my questions. Eventually I said I was happy to go there and have a look at the shower straight way. She replied that I could go to the property only after 5PM. So I did.

This property manager wanted to call an urgent after hour plumbing service for a shower head leak which has been leaking for a while (due to wear and tear and the aging of the rubber seal inside the shower head). Although the shower is leaking, it doesn't affect the tenants to use the shower because the leak is small and only happens when the tap is turned on. WTF.

 

I believe this is the case. But the property manager should have known it was just a normal wear and tear and the tenant shouldn't have worried aabout it.

 

Some PMs do, and Judging by some posts on this forum, some landlords also try to pin every wear and tear fault on the tenant. Seems some expect a property to remain in new condition for years if not decades.

Can’t blame the tenant trying to avoid unwarranted charges taken out of the bond.
Marg

 

Always worth asking more questions....

 

How dare a tenant use something and wear it out.

 

Any chance the PM has a good friend or family member who also just happens to be a plumber, who would be handsomely paid for an 'emergency' job, rather than a stock-standard, pre-organised visit?

 

THIS is why I list tradies completely different to the PMs recommendations when I sign with them.
Might not work for 'emergencies' but potentially stops constant call outs for non issues. My list of tradies is obviously provided to the tenants though.

 

Good question but never know, anything is possible.

 

Hahahaha, good one.

 

More story:

When I went there after 5PM, I noticed a lot of water on the bathroom floor, like it was just flooded. The tenants said their boy just had a shower. I suspect they had the shower door wide open when having shower. Luckily the tenants are moving out.

 

Yeah, those tenants are a bit rude IMO. I'm sure that leaky hose was there for a while.

Look, I keep a variety of rubber grommets in my tool box. They come in handy every now and then, even around the house they're useful. Spring a leak - get the spanner out, grommet it - good as new.

 

My PMs would have had a major battle on their hands if they had classified a leaky shower as an emergency out of hours repair and tried to hit me with an inflated bill!!
Marg

 

The hard part is proving it - unless you can drop by and see it for yourself (which most people probably aren't able to do), if the PM and the plumber are in kahootz, they'll both say it was an emergency, and you're stuck taking their word for it.

Just goes to show how important having a reliable, trustworthy, and on-the-ball PM is.

 

I’ve got this theory for a regional property we have, lots of requests for BS call outs for very minor repairs which keep the locals in business!

 

This happens a lot, or merely they want the trade to have enough work, or they know them through someone....

It is rarely about looking after the LL from a lot of them....

 

Well they are the ones wearing it out ! lol

So I should lease a car, then near the end have the company replace the blown engine and box for free so finance company does not penalise ?

I am always curious as to how one situation everyone would say fine, and another they would say not, but there is little difference.

There are def tenants who should be made to pay for accelerated wear and tear, a chunk of tenants seem to do things is 6 months that myself and my family have not done in 5 decades.......

So it goes both ways, but I know what your saying, some LLs are a little (or severely) handicapped it seems at times....

 

I'm totally with you on that