NSW Nbn box replacement

Has anyone had experience with the nbn box going missing and the cost to replace a new one? My tenant moved out and the nbn box is missing. Agent tried to contact them and they don’t know where it is. Not sure how to go about getting a new one and whether I can get that taken from the bond.

 

Happens all the time. Next tenant just logs a fault with nbn and they replace it

 

Are there any costs involved?

 

We heard of incidences before, so when our very first Tenants connected to NBN, we told them that the Box is to remain in the Property when they move-out. We even make sure it is on the Exit Report!
However, this doesnt stop other Agents/Tenants not doing the right thing.
We had a couple of Tenants moved-out and then contacted us for help. The new place they moved to didnt have the NBN Box!
In one instance the New Tenant was able to just get a new NBN Box from her Provider, however the second one wasnt so lucky, the case went on for months and the Provider finally get a replacement for them.
It is really a pain for us PMs and I blame the NBN not being able to design something better, eg fix it to the wall.
It looks like a portable gadget and many people took it by accident; it is address specific so they cant use it in the new place anyway.

Sorry for the rant, not really helpful for your current scenario, except to get the New Tenant to apply for new one.
As to charging for the Old Tenant, you might be able to do it if you can find the replacement cost. I cant.....

 

Any recovery would come from the nbn as it is nbn’s property not yours. And it is for them to pursue the other party directly if they wish.

typically they don’t bother as it is too difficult

 

the fibre NTDs are fixed to the wall. And marked with warnings not to remove them.

doesn’t stop people doing it though

 

But wouldn't NBN charge me to get a technician out to install a new one?

 

Why would they charge you?

it isn’t your property and you didn’t remove it and you aren’t in contact with them to replace it

 

I saw this on some real estate agent's website (i was googling to find the answer earlier):

It says
"Finally, it is very important tenants are aware that the equipment the technician installs is allocated to the residence. It should not be altered or removed when the tenant vacates the property as this may incur a new installation fee."

https://www.marshallwhite.com.au/20...ord-responsibilities-during-nbn-installation/

 

For the PMs on this forum, are you able to share roughly how many of these do you encounter a year? I would assume it would be quite high. It doesn't help taking them because I am of the understanding that the box only works with the property. But sometimes, people just pack everything and go whether it's intentional or not.

 

I'd say at least 1 in 10 people take them by accident. Out of those, at least half the time NBN replaces them faster than we can recover them. There's never been a cost involved.

 

If it's for HFC there's a supply problem with the NTD boxes - the little black NBN boxes (COVID causing a chip shortage or something). I've read from 6 weeks to 6 months to get a replacement box. And they've halted new installations of HFC.

We’re temporarily limiting the number of HFC connections | nbn

Tenant should contact their RSP (ISP) to get a new box sent out (should be free of charge). But I suspect there will be a significant wait, so if you can get it off the previous tenants that would be best.

Property managers/landlords please make it a point on your exit inspections! Even though internet provision is not considered an essential service, I think in the real world it is. If the property is serviced by HFC, without that NTD box you might not be able to get a good internet connection to the property & therefore it's devalued from a rental perspective.

 

We have been told that the Government aren't buying anymore boxes and so the isps don't know when they can get one to the tenant. They have said it could be weeks, months, or not at all. This leaves a working from home tenant with no internet through no fault of their own. Is anyone else aware of this being an issue, or is this a fob off?

 

The subscriber is the responsible person. ie The tenant. Its not for a dwelling and a fixed device. Its just a modem. If the former tenant owes the ISP $ for it then they will be billed for it. You know their forwarding address if a bill turns up ? Most ISPs send by email so shouldnt happen. The ISP will have it precoded for fast install to their service. Plug and play usually. (NBN dont issue modems AT ALL...ISPs do) BUT you can use any other modem once you edit the admin settings (pain in the butt). NBN tend to install their hardware so its not disconnectable. The ISP modem plugs in.

The next tenant can choose any ISP they want and a free modem could be part of a deal (contract ?) . That up to the tenant. Same as there wont be a phone. They can buy and connect anyphone IF they also arrange a voice service at the same time as the internet.

 

Thank you, but the issue is that the ISP have said that a replacement could take weeks, months or actually never occur. Is there somewhere that this can be addressed? The previous tenant is not responding to requests to return it. As silly as that sounds.

 

Move to an ISP that will actually fight for you instead of fob you off and feed you misinformation.

I suggest Aussie Broadband, they are usually pretty good.

 

It was Aussie Broadband. I'll get him to ring around.

 

That’s unusual. Aussie are usually much better than that

 

The NTD (& the FTTC Network Connection Device) are property of the NBN and shouldn't be removed from the premises. They won't work for another address. All those ones for sale on ebay will be useless.

The NBN absolutely should have made these so they're not disconnectable. You plug your modem into the NBN device for Wi-Fi etc. When you first connect to HFC an NBN technician will come out to your property and install the device. Not much of an installation, but the NBN does supply it.

Real problem - not misinformation. They've halted the HFC installs because of the lack of NTDs. And suspect faulty NTDs will be prioritized for replacements over situations where the tenant nicked off with it.

I think all you can do is let the previous tenants know that the device is property of the NBN, it won't work at any other address, but the current tenants are now faced with the prospect of no/unreliable internet. Please return it ASAP.

I found an FTTC modem in my garbage bin -_- . Must have been from one of the neighbours who moved in. Some people! At least the FTTC device says quite plainly on it "Do not remove from premises". I suspect it should be in a larger font.

(And plastered all over the NTD one as well!)