Some Advice For a Friend

I just received a message from a friend, who has another friend that appears to be in a bit of a mess with their rental property. I've asked for a bit more information, but below is the full message & hoping that the brains trust here can help me with some advice. @Lil Skater, @Hayley Cannon, @Mel Morgan.

I have no idea what this verbal agreement is, nor anything else other than this message.

 

A builder could offer a professional opinion but an electrician would be able to declare the item electrically unsafe and decommission/make safe (disconnect).

A working stove/cooking facilities are essential
"Cl 20 ...Note. The type of repairs that are urgent repairs are defined in the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 and are defined as follows: ...

(j) a failure or breakdown of any essential service on the residential premises for hot water, cooking, heating, cooling or laundering".

Why a tenant would take on the project management is beyond me, risk of having the tenant (probably not a licenced kitchen renovator or builder) supervise work etc rings alarm bells.

 

Hmm is the tenant a friend of the landlord? Otherwise its odd that the landlord would ask a young tenant to manage quotes etc.

Also did the builder explain why he believed it was a fire hazard? Was it wired incorrectly? Are there exposed wires? Is it just old? Depending on the issue licensed electrician would provide more insight.

 

Does seem odd.

I find it interesting the oven was assessed, this seems unusual to do in the first place unless there was a prior fault? In which case why was it a builder?

Obviously I don’t know the breach and NCAT process, but I’d imagine there would be one to follow there for the tenant.

 

the landlord has to provide a safe working stove and oven AFAIK.

The renovation business sounds unusual and odd.

 

Definitely need more clarification on the supposed renovation agreement?

 

It would be better if an electrician inspected, I wonder if the stove is not working or just installed incorrectly according to the builder?

In NSW it is classed as an urgent repair when the stove isn't working, the tenant is able to arrange the urgent repair and expect reimbursment within 14 days up to $1000. For reimbursment to occur the tenant has to have had advised the landlord and given an opportunity for them to repair as well as have a licenced tradesperson complete the repair.

There is a new avenue to go through when seeking an order on repairs now here is a link that explains the process:
Residential tenancy complaints

 

My interpretation of the issue could be the following in terms of plausibility. The landlord asked the tenant to allow some builders to come and quote on renovating the kitchen. One of these builders during the inspection to quote has said that the oven is a hazard (unknown why of course) and needs to be replaced/fixed.

This could explain why it was a builder who has given the diagnosis. Unclear if there was an issue and the tenant asked the builder to look at it whilst they were there or if it's just something the builder has taken it upon themselves when they saw the oven.

 

It's all very confusing. Hubby is an electrician by trade, but when reading through weren't sure if it was actually something about the stove, or if the cabinetry was installed at the correct height to be compliant. I've asked some questions.

I don't know why you'd put a tenant in a property that is being renovated either. It's all very strange.

 

@skater - are you trolling

Kitchen benchtop is usually at the same height as the range (around 900mm above FFL),the legs under the range will screw up/down for adjustment.

 

The stove/oven has been assessed by a builder to be a fire hazard.

This is another hypothetical. Perhaps the stove itself is OK but it has previously been installed in the wrong location - either too close to the kitchen sink (electrocution risk) or right up against a wall or under a window with curtains (fire risks). I've seen it in older homes with out-of-date (I mean nil) building standards.

 

Just wondered if the Tenant has raised this matter with the property manager, as it doesn't seem to have been addressed in to OP? Or is the property self-managed by the landlord?

 

Who knows. A photo of the stove and it's issues would demystify

 

Not at all. Those are the messages I got, & I couldn't make head or tail of them.

With the cupboards, I was referring to overhead. Thought they might have been too low & Hubby gave her the standard heights. Still waiting for more information.

 

Yes, still waiting on clarification. In older homes, there is no requirement to update them, but when you do, they have to conform to Aussie Standards, so can't stay as they were.

 

Sounds to me like it's a self managed place, but cant be sure.

 

Should be somewhere between 600-700 mm otherwise it's too high to be effective. Too low and it is in the line of sight & could possibly be a grease catcher/fire hazard if the filters are not cleaned regularly.

 

Standard is 600mm for electric & 750 for gas, I think. I know I was very cranky with him when he did my new cabinets at home. They're too damn high for me to actually use, but it's the regulation hight.

 

He should've made the cupboards shorter