What do you do with tenants who constantly complain

Discussion in 'Property Management' started by TMNT, 27th Oct, 2015.

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  1. twobobsworth

    twobobsworth Well-Known Member

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    I recently had a tenant vacate that would submit a repair/maintenance request every week from the day they moved in. I have spent more in repairs on this property than any other I own including my PPOR.

    The new tenant has been in there 4 months and haven't heard boo.
     
  2. Biz

    Biz Well-Known Member

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    If they had a go and broke something you wouldn't even know. They could just say the handle broke and you would need to get it fixed. Let me tell you something - the majority don't have a go.

    It's not even about being handy. I'm not expecting tenants to do something that requires any more than a screw driver or using a bit of spray where required. The fact is majority won't even do the most basic of maintenance.
     
  3. Mumbai

    Mumbai Well-Known Member

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    And you know that for a fact because?
    I rented for most part of my stay in Sydney. Never complained for trivial stuff (if leaking taps, moulding walls and leaking ceiling counts as non trivial). I have friends who have rented and still rent, keep the place spic and span. They call their PMs to get 'things' fixed which they think they can fix, but don't want to 'break' whilst doing it.

    Any way, no point in arguing with someone who has already grouped tenants in one basket.
     
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  4. Biz

    Biz Well-Known Member

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    Where is @skater ? Get skater in here!! She is always good for these arguments! :p
     
  5. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    There is another thread going about renting vs ppor and with the apra changes there may be more investors renting... As one of them I plan to whinge as much as possible! just to annoy the pm! If they were better liars and didn't talk **** my behaviour wouldn't be necessary! :p
     
  6. Ben Chifley

    Ben Chifley Well-Known Member

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    I'm inclined to agree with that observation, tenants who complain are part and parcel of being a landlord. If it stresses you out then perhaps you shouldn't be a landlord.
     
  7. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    I think the op asked reasonable questions and wasnt stressed out about it, just looking for tips on how to deal with the nutbag. Perhaps forum life isn't for some if reasonable answers can't be provided :D
     
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  8. Chilliblue

    Chilliblue Well-Known Member

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    Unfortunately, the laws that cover tenants in most states would disagree and state that the landlord has requirement to undertake the works when asked.

    Agree with you @bob shovel
     
  9. Ben Chifley

    Ben Chifley Well-Known Member

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    There are way too many people who go into property investment thinking that it's all about relaxing on a kabana with a martini while the rivers of gold flow in from their tenants... and it just ain't like that. It's reasonable to ask if you are prepared for the stresses of being a landlord: If you think a tenant who complains endlessly about trivialities is not something you can cope with then just imagine how you'll feel when someone refuses to pay rent and has to be dragged into VCAT.
     
  10. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    Playing devil's advocate here... but maybe with all the little things fixed, the new tenants have no issues left to complain about?

    What sort of repair/maintenance requests did you get every week?
     
  11. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    Just as an extra comment... we had tenants who wanted all sorts of things done -

    - trim the tree please, but leave that one low branch for our cat to sit on
    - have ants in the front yard grass sprayed, but don't let the cat get sick
    - turn the air-con unit around to face outwards as it is heating up the floor
    (explained to the air-con installer, who explained why it was installed that way, and that there is no way the floor is heating up with the amount of airflow under the highest, battened in house.
    - can we fix the kitchen doors as they have to pushed firmly to close
    - can we replace the curtains as there are some small spots on them

    Would give my brother tight times during which he could mow (she ran a business from home - we ensured we had copies of her insurance). Then she would ring and insist he must come today or tomorrow (too bad, so sad, we will get to it when we can seeing you've upset the schedule already).

    We did some of these things that helped us upkeep the house. We sprayed once to shut them up and told them further sprays were at their expense. They continued to ask, we continued to say no.

    Trimmed the tree as we looked after the garden anyway. Easy peasy.

    Air-con kept coming up at regular intervals. We said no each time. We did suggest they could pay for it to be turned around if they felt strongly about it. We explained why it was installed that way and what the installer said.

    Kitchen doors, sorry... just push them hard. That is not a fault. That is an old kitchen hinge and how it works.

    We replaced the curtains because they were cheap and made the house more attractive.

    We installed security grills on some windows at their request because it makes the house more secure for next tenants.

    They were there a couple of years and one renewal I increased the rent by $20 and my brother took their call requesting that he keep it at the same level and they would take over the weeding and garden work (he would just do the mowing). He accepted that (I was furious). Then they started complaining the gardens were full of weeds!!!

    We wanted to let them go, but it was easier to manage their requests than find a new tenant and lose money on turnaround time. Once they got the idea we were not allowing them to call the shots on stupid things, they settled down somewhat. Still kept asking some things and finally left when they bought their own place.
     
  12. Mumbai

    Mumbai Well-Known Member

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    I disagree. The tenant does not seem to be a nutbag based on OPs description.
    In the list of least urgent issues for the OP, there are these two items
    - window doesnt open (frame is a bit old)
    - drip here, drip there

    As a tenant not being able to open a window (though non urgent), is important. Again, without a full picture, they might have no aircon, have mould developing, hot day, etc
    Same with drip here, drip there. That is infact is a pretty important stuff.

    Not sure who is a nutbag here.
     
  13. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    We could assume all sorts of stuff... But as they say if you assume you make an ass out of u... But no one makes an ass of me. I'll do that thanks.

    The windows in fact could be letting in the sharp branches which have decapitated their budgey, while the dripping has been dripping on their forehead while they sleep as a form of torture and has now developed into a form of post traumatic stress disorder.
     
  14. Fargo

    Fargo Well-Known Member

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    I put the rent up hoping they will leave, the last one I tried to put it up $40.00 they baulked at that so, I put it up $20 to be reviewed every 6 months, then they demanded a perfectly good carpet be replaced so I put it up another $20 and was able replaced the tenant instead.
     
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  15. TMNT

    TMNT Well-Known Member

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    I doubt there is a micron of stress in my tone and language in my post.

    Talking about it doesnt mean there is massive uproar.

    If i talk about what human life will be like in 1000 years, does it mean im stressed abput it
     
  16. Perthguy

    Perthguy Well-Known Member

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    I had a stoner tenant complaining about drips above the laundry. I sent my tradie around to re-silicone the air vent above the laundry. Complaints stopped temporarily and then started again down the track. Re-sent my tradie who soaked the area with a hose... no drips. I told the tenant sorry. The drip was tracked down over a year later. The noise was actually from a clothesline the tenant had taken it upon himself to decommission and store outside his bedroom window... even though I told him not to put it there. Water was condensing on the pipes and dripping onto some tin.

    I would not assume that dripping noises are urgent issues but of course they should be investigated.
     
  17. Perthguy

    Perthguy Well-Known Member

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    I agree. I didn't read any stress or distress in your original post. It's like someone asking for help dealing with tenants who are behind on their rent. It doesn't mean they are stressed, just asking for some hints.

    Anyway, having had a tenant who emailed a constant stream of trivial complaints, I understand where you are coming from. I do believe that tenants that behave like this need to be managed a certain way, as other posters have pointed out. There have been lots of useful posts.

    I don't think that saying 'property investing is not for you' is particularly helpful.
     
  18. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    I recall a tenant in a house we sold years ago. Tenant was ex-army. I think he was used to reporting anything, lodging a "fix it please" form, and having "someone" fix it. We had a window torn from its hinges in a wild storm and organised a builder to re-attach it and make good.

    Thankfully I knew this builder. He called me to ask how many of the things on the list I wanted him to do that day. I said "what list?"

    Turns out our tenant thought this was a great time to get all sorts of things "fixed". He new we had a builder coming to fix the window, and he gave the builder a hand-written A4 page of things he thought needed doing. How rude. They were things he and his wife would have liked done if they owned the house. Nothing other than the window required "fixing". They were little upgrades and extras they thought would be great to have done, at no cost to themselves.

    Thankfully, builder called me to check. List was binned.
     
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  19. skater

    skater Well-Known Member

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    OK, OK, I'm here now! Sheesh & I was enjoying that nice little nana nap.:p

    This......but I'm mean, I would put the rent up as well. Call it my whinge money.:D

    And this!

    At the end of the day, they have rented the property AS IS! Unless there is a problem (real, not imagined) I will not even think about it. If you go running around for your tenant, all you do is create a problem for yourself.

    So...there's a stain on the carpet. Was it there when they moved in? Yes? My answer is "It was there at the beginning of the tenancy, so the rent already reflects this. You rented it AS IS". If the answer is NO, well then they can pay to get it removed.

    If I get a heap of stupid requests, I just put the rent up. Either they learn their lesson & live with it, or they move. Either way I'm happy.:D

    Actually, now that I think about it, it is a rare occurrence that I get silly requests, because most of my PM's will take it upon themselves to 'teach' the tenants that a property is leased 'as is'.
     
  20. Ben Chifley

    Ben Chifley Well-Known Member

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    I said perhaps.

    Somebody else mentioned the right answer earlier - if the tenant complains then most states say you have a legal obligation to fix it. Otherwise there's no point coming onto a board like this and saying 'what do I do?'. You have to fix it - doesn't matter how trivial it is. As to what to do with a tenant who makes up apparently spurious lists of things - that's another matter altogether.