Rental Bond

[AvantGardener]

My bond was $1200.

Weekly rent is $300.

I've had end of lease cleaning quotes and they are around $600.

I'm buying a property now so future rents won't be a problem for me.

Whats to stop me from not paying rent and getting a clean done and the real estate can just take the bond? Apart from morals because I obviously don't have any to be contemplating this!

 

[Sabbathen]

My bond was $1200.

Weekly rent is $300.

I've had end of lease cleaning quotes and they are around $600.

I'm buying a property now so future rents won't be a problem for me.

Whats to stop me from not paying rent and getting a clean done and the real estate can just take the bond? Apart from morals because I obviously don't have any to be contemplating this!

So you want to vacate the property without paying whatever rent is remaining in the lease period, and without cleaning it, in the hope your $1200 bond will be enough for the agent to call it square?

Really....?

 

[BIRDBRAIN]

What exactly is the benefit of not paying rent only to have it taken out of your bond? No net savings really, just annoy a bunch of people and create extra paperwork.

 

[AvantGardener]

What exactly is the benefit of not paying rent only to have it taken out of your bond? No net savings really, just annoy a bunch of people and create extra paperwork.

If I stopped paying a month ahead and didnt worry about cleaning I'd be in front financially, plus wouldnt have to worry about the real estate not giving me my bond back

 

[Sabbathen]

If I stopped paying a month ahead and didnt worry about cleaning I'd be in front financially, plus wouldnt have to worry about the real estate not giving me my bond back

I don’t think a lack of morals is your biggest problem here... a lack of something else maybe.

If I was the agent and someone pulled this crap, I’d claim the entire bond for cleaning and some repairs that just magically appeared. Then I’d take you to tribunal to recover the unpaid rent.

 

[AvantGardener]

So you want to vacate the property without paying whatever rent is remaining in the lease period, and without cleaning it, in the hope your $1200 bond will be enough for the agent to call it square?

Really....?

No, I know they wouldn't call it square. I would only do it to be financially better off, costing them money. But I wanted to know what retribution they would have given I don't need any future rents so blacklisting me wouldn't matter.

I don’t think a lack of morals is your biggest problem here... a lack of something else maybe.

If I was the agent and someone pulled this crap, I’d claim the entire bond for cleaning and some repairs that just magically appeared. Then I’d take you to tribunal to recover the unpaid rent.

So there is a rental tribunal. Theres my answer.

Take a chill pill dude

 

[Sabbathen]

No, I know they wouldn't call it square. I would only do it to be financially better off, costing them money. But I wanted to know what retribution they would have given I don't need any future rents so blacklisting me wouldn't matter.


So there is a rental tribunal. Theres my answer.

Take a chill pill dude

Yeah, there’s a legal process for most things in life when one attempts to steal from another, are you honestly that naive?

So you’ll never need to rent another property in your life? House will never burn down and need to rent something whilst it’s rebuilt? You’ll never lose your job or be incompacitated in some way and have to sell because you can no longer afford a mortgage? Get offered a promotion to work interstate for a few years and have to rent somewhere to live? So many what if’s...

 

[AvantGardener]

Yeah, there’s a legal process for most things in life when one attempts to steal from another, are you honestly that naive?

So you’ll never need to rent another property in your life? House will never burn down and need to rent something whilst it’s rebuilt? You’ll never lose your job or be incompacitated in some way and have to sell because you can no longer afford a mortgage? Get offered a promotion to work interstate for a few years and have to rent somewhere to live? So many what if’s...

Im not sold that the real estate would go to the board over a few hundred dolllars. I didnt know a board existed. My best guess was send debt collector and go to civil court which I would think isnt worth the effort for them for a few hundred dollars. The tribunal board might be a little easier for them. Theres nothing naive about not knowing the exact process, obviously by asking the question I suspected there was processess...

They are possibilities I'd need to rent but very unlikely.

 

[Sabbathen]

Im not sold that the real estate would go to the board over a few hundred dolllars. I didnt know a board existed. My best guess was send debt collector and go to civil court which I would think isnt worth the effort for them for a few hundred dollars. The tribunal board might be a little easier for them. Theres nothing naive about not knowing the exact process, obviously by asking the question I suspected there was processess...

They are possibilities I'd need to rent but very unlikely.

Many property managers include attending tribunal on the landlords behalf in their fees. Property managers regularly attend tribunal and will be well prepared and aware of the process.
The application costs for a tribunal hearing is quite small($49 in NSW).
If I was the property manager I would be keeping your bond to cover cleaning and repairs $1200 and any unpaid rent. I would also be making a claim for my time to prepare and attend tribunal, travel costs and any application fees on top. It will also cost you your time and expenses to attend to defend yourself.

I reckon you should give it a go.

 

[Long Live HFC]

I would also be making a claim for my time to prepare and attend tribunal, travel costs and any application fees on top. It will also cost you your time and expenses to attend to defend yourself.

admittedly my knowledge of other states' versions of the RTA 1997 is a bit ordinary, but i doubt that there's a provision in victoria's that allows a landlord to claim for the costs of their own time or preparing any submission to a tribunal or court.

 

[Sabbathen]

admittedly my knowledge of other states' versions of the RTA 1997 is a bit ordinary, but i doubt that there's a provision in victoria's that allows a landlord to claim for the costs of their own time or preparing any submission to a tribunal or court.

No, probably not. Although I’m sure there is an additional stupidity tax they could apply somewhere for instances like this.

 

[Kram]

If I stopped paying a month ahead and didnt worry about cleaning I'd be in front financially, plus wouldnt have to worry about the real estate not giving me my bond back

A lot of real estate agents are absolute crooks and love pinching people's bonds for no valid reason.

 

[sabre_ac]

A lot of real estate agents are absolute crooks and love pinching people's bonds for no valid reason.

I'm certainly not advocating what the opening post is seeking approval for doing...

However I agree with this quote, almost every time I've moved, real estate agents have taken money out of my bond for trivial reasons.

 

[Kram]

I'm certainly not advocating what the opening post is seeking approval for doing...

However I agree with this quote, almost every time I've moved, real estate agents have taken money out of my bond for trivial reasons.

They are dodgy as hell. Wont go int details here again as it makes me angry but one ripped myself and a couple of mates or a heap of money. My bother as a young bloke rented a place once, when they first moved in the agent got some kid that looked about 12 to mow the lawns that did a very mediocre job. When they left they did a far better job mowing and cleaning up the yard but the agent took money out their bond because apparently it wasn't good enough and the lawns needed to be 'professionally' mowed.

Sure they must get awful tenants that wreck places but they should try and make up for that by flat out stealing from decent ones.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

My very first rental, signed the forms, walked in, unloaded stuff. A week later they sent me a letter asking to take photos of any damage. There wasn't any real damage, just wear and tear you'd expect in an old cheap uni-student rental - other than a tiny stone chip in the kitchen window, so that's all I took a picture of, signed the form and sent back.

When I moved out six months later, I'd spent a whole weekend cleaning the place - it was spotless. We even got a family friend to steam-clean the carpets and curtains that looked 1000% better than when I moved in.

Then the inspection came - it was like a forensic team, 3 agents in there for an hour and they took 20+ photos. They found nail holes, water stain in the shower base, a wear mark on the carpet under the breakfast bar, scratches on an internal door, a light switch that was slightly loose from the wall, etc.

All things that were there before I moved in, but they simply showed the two reports side-by-side, took my bond and said they'd be in touch for the remaining "repair and cleaning bill". Six weeks later I got sent a bill for $400 or so and being a poor uni student rang the bank of mum to borrow some money.

One phone call from her later, and the bill was cancelled, then I received a cheque for a full bond refund a few days after that.

I learned an important lesson that day - just because someone tells you it's your responsibility, it might not be.