Non paying tenant - It's started.

Discussion in 'Property Management' started by GoneFishing, 1st Apr, 2020.

Join Australia's most dynamic and respected property investment community
  1. Dan Wood

    Dan Wood Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18th May, 2019
    Posts:
    353
    Location:
    QLD
    It's also not starting until May? Correct me if I'm wrong they're backdating it though..
     
  2. abc_123

    abc_123 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    22nd Feb, 2020
    Posts:
    185
    Location:
    ACT
    Suncorp have suspended all landlord insurance sales. So I don't know where this will leave people who have renewals coming up soon like me... we may be no better off
     
    SarahSydney likes this.
  3. Beano

    Beano Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    7th Apr, 2016
    Posts:
    3,357
    Location:
    Brisbane
    No renewals I suspect
     
  4. skater

    skater Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    10,256
    Location:
    Sydney? Gold Coast?
    That rental figure is quite low. I've got/had many centrelink customers paying a similar amount of rent each week, with no issues.

    With such a low rent, tenant should still be able to pay, but may have some issues until the new payments come through. If LL is dependent on the rental income, the net result of tenant not paying is just transferring the hurt from the tenant to the LL.
    I feel this is a good compromise.
     
    Phineas and Niche like this.
  5. abc_123

    abc_123 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    22nd Feb, 2020
    Posts:
    185
    Location:
    ACT
    Yes I wonder if you can even take out a normal building and contents building for a rental property to at least be covered for non tenant caused stuff.
     
  6. Simon Hampel

    Simon Hampel Founder Staff Member

    Joined:
    3rd Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    12,412
    Location:
    Sydney
    I know EBM and TS were renewing policies. They don't want to have zero clients after all of this.

    It's just new risk they are avoiding.
     
    Finn Irving and EN710 like this.
  7. Simon Hampel

    Simon Hampel Founder Staff Member

    Joined:
    3rd Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    12,412
    Location:
    Sydney
    Nobody has said anything about not offering building & content insurance - there is no increased risk there. It's only landlord insurance which is the issue in light of the new eviction moratorium.
     
    Blueskies likes this.
  8. HUGH72

    HUGH72 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    3,022
    Location:
    QLD
    Very risky, you have left yourself open to personal injury claim. Once this pandemic is over get some.
     
  9. abc_123

    abc_123 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    22nd Feb, 2020
    Posts:
    185
    Location:
    ACT
    Suncorp is building, contents, landlord combined policy. So not sure whether they offer the standard building and contents for landlords. I guess some insurers must for people that have the separate landlord insurance.
     
  10. Hebro

    Hebro Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    19th Feb, 2020
    Posts:
    136
    Location:
    Aus
    If tenants say they cannot pay, would one response be to let them know that you have to put it on the market, and that they will need to make the property available for inspection?

    This is a real disincentive if they say they will not pay, but really wish to stay in the property.
     
    Carol M and twobobsworth like this.
  11. MTR

    MTR Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    19th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    27,853
    Location:
    My World
    I just reduced rent for a tenant

    i predict many rental properties will come on the market

    there is also access to self managed super fund $10,000
     
  12. Hetty

    Hetty Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    686
    Location:
    NSW
    Yep, we renewed with EBM yesterday. Accidentally let it lapse but fortunately it was only two weeks overdue.
     
    Michael Mitchell likes this.
  13. Propertunity

    Propertunity Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    19th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    3,476
    Location:
    NSW
    You'd have to read your PDS :)
    Maybe it is time for insurers to share some of the pain too? .....not just the banks and the LL.
     
    Phineas and HUGH72 like this.
  14. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    18th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    14,002
    Location:
    Brisbane
    We're in an odd situation, not as straightforward as accepting lower rent just due to Covid.

    We have two houses that are part of our DA. We accepted lower than market for one house because several potential renters weren't interested due to the obvious building site next door. They both have jobs and hopefully will keep their jobs.

    Friends of ours rented the other house 16 months ago, also slightly under market for the same reason.

    With our friends, we've twice foregone a week's rent. Once several months ago to get a machine through the side yard. When wet weather stopped that happening, they offered to repay that week, and we said no.

    Last fortnight, with people not paying him (self-employed), and them nearly two weeks behind, I wiped another week to lower the pressure to catch up. I know they are trying to access some super. I believe he cannot get Centrelink but I know they are looking at all that.

    And today they are allowing a concrete pumper to run a line through their yard which helps our builder. Another tenant could easily have said no.

    We've also lowered their rent by $100 a week for the next four weeks as we are about to build a deck on their house. This was meant to happen 14 months ago and we'd agreed to add $20 a week once the deck was built, but we won't do that now. They will have some noise, so I've said cheaper rent for four weeks and let's see how things are by then.

    If we need to reduce rent further as this Covid thing unfolds, we will do that. We will work with these very good people because they are vulnerable, they are friends and I know they would help us if we needed help.

    The other house we hold has a tenant in a secure job (I hope) so I'm crossing my fingers that they can keep paying rent, because I have to keep paying our mortgage, rates and we are continuing our build.

    Our construction payments are ramping up. We've allowed for them of course, planned for a long time, but we need rent coming in to feed ourselves.

    We will get through this, might take a financial hit, and that might last some time, but if we come through with health intact, able to feed ourselves and hold on for better times, I'm happy.
     
    AnneC, Anchor, Archaon and 3 others like this.
  15. Bazza

    Bazza Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    2nd Jul, 2015
    Posts:
    57
    Location:
    Gold Coast
    I just reduced one tenants rent by 30% until he receives JobSeeker or JobKeeper allowance then it goes back to normal. I figure it is better to get 70% then nothing. The tenants are grateful.
     
  16. abc_123

    abc_123 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    22nd Feb, 2020
    Posts:
    185
    Location:
    ACT
    Well there is certainly nothing specific in my pds either way, and I have asked my insurer and they are unwilling to provide a position yet. However to pay out the rent default, the tenant has actually have to left leaving arrears before a claim is possible. So I suspect that the insurers will remove rent default from any renewals they offer and by time these rules have been lifted and we actually get them the non payer out, we will no longer be covered for rent default and have no claim?
     
  17. abc_123

    abc_123 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    22nd Feb, 2020
    Posts:
    185
    Location:
    ACT
    I can understand the companies that specialise in landlord insurance renewing as that would impact their business a great deal, but insurers where that it is only a small part of their business I can certainly see them deciding to dump it for the time being.
     
  18. MTR

    MTR Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    19th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    27,853
    Location:
    My World
    Whats really important is pro active property managers

    median resi rent in Australia is $430 pw

    Corona Stimulus package. -

    A couple with 2 children, paying 30% of their centre link payment plus rental assistance would be able to pay $472 per week rent and still have $912 per week to live on
     
    1961, Anchor, Silverson and 6 others like this.
  19. Antoni0

    Antoni0 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    6th Jul, 2017
    Posts:
    1,821
    Location:
    Birisbane
    Yep, I've experienced the same, the best payers even when you raise the rent they get a higher subsidy from the Govt.
     
    skater likes this.
  20. abc_123

    abc_123 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    22nd Feb, 2020
    Posts:
    185
    Location:
    ACT
    Well whilst landlords insurance policies are clear in the pds that the number of weeks or amount of $ they cover is limited, I would hope the insurers aren't allowed to hire a bunch of lawyers to try weasel out of paying what appeared to be covered to an ordinary person reading the pds.
     
    Phineas likes this.