It's the same in London and the surrounding burbs. And also no desire whatsoever to fix the situation, just people whacking their pensions into but-to-lets and Rat Worms multiplying on the regular.
Here I was hoping that this was just something that Australia had managed to fuck up. Yeah, I see no escape from this problem. Sadly, it is just the new reality.
Jesus wept, my blood pressure was rising rapidly while reading this. The rat-worm hybrid is generous. I lived and rented in Sydney for 5 years with my partner and 3 kids, then we moved down to the Illawarra which was actually no better. Queues of 50+ people to view each shitty property and having kids and pets basically made you worse than uni students in their eyes. We eventually gave up and moved back to my hometown (Perth) and luckily managed to buy, but not before our last landlord tried to sting us $2k for repairs on a bunch of stuff that was their fault. The system is fucked - the landlords and agents are basically running a scam and they have WAY TOO MUCH POWER AND TERRIBLE SHOES!
I COULD WRITE A WHOLE ESSAY ON SPURIOUS REPAIR BILLS!!!!
That's actually the first thing I would change. You want to make a claim against a person's bond? It's an application to an independent body which costs $500, which you'll get back out of the bond should you be successful.
You're also not able to claim for the cost of repair, but for the cost of the damaged item at its CURRENT market place value.
If your claim is refused, I'm allowed to come to your house, and slap you full across the face and you can't fight back.
LET’S PASS THIS INTO LAW! It was ridiculous. The landlord’s son built the property (they were new build townhouses) and they cut heaps of corners like not sealing the bottom of the bathroom doors so the wood swelled up from the steam. Tried to charge us $800 per door to replace them and you’ll never guess who was going to do the repairs? THE LANDLORD’S SON. It was a family racket.
This is so damn spot on for two major things: 1) as someone who moved from Sydney because of the insane batshit state of rent and wanting to actually do a basic thing of saving money, the two ideas were always at battle. It saddens me to say, but Sydney is hammering the nails in the coffin.
Now 2); I dated a real estate agent for a little while, and I can confirm the rat-worm hybrid. The anger, the retribution, the fact that they were never in the wrong when being in the wrong was all too close to home (pardon the pun): all those aspects live in front of my eyes. No word of a lie, after that relationship; I thank and appreciate every interaction with kind, well adjusted people. I am not sure what that was meant to represent, but I feel it speaks volumes.
Oh, I still come back into the big smoke on the train lines and show people how to party, but then after that: I head over to our place by the beach, spin records and be grateful I’m surrounded by nice non-rat-worm hybrid people.
Eventually, Sydney will be back. We’ll be all there! We just may need to weather a horrible storm to get there.
IT’S WILD HOW POORLY THEY ARE ALLOWED TO TREAT US. Yes, I get it, we’re the lowly renters but we do actually pay the majority of their bills. I shouldn’t have to fear asking for maintenance because I’m afraid if I seem too needy that my lease won’t get renewed and I’ll have to pay thousands of dollars to move again 🫠
So often we’re leaving due to the convenience of the owner, have never had to move because of my own wrongdoings. We need real reform in the area, stop the negative gearing and make housing affordable not profitable 👏🏻
It is indeed a crisis and I share your rage. As an older, single female I'm not exactly a landlord's ideal tenant and the anxiety I feel about my options disappearing keeps me awake some nights.
As usual, some absolute gold in this post. Some chuckles in amongst me nodding along in rage.
Karola, I’m so sorry you’re anxious about your housing, it shouldn’t be that way. Especially considering older single tenants are generally so reliable. It does make me angry, too. We should never have made housing an investment. At least give us caps on rental increases and long term housing options.
I feel sorry for rats or any animals for that matter that get used to describe real estate agents. What a shocking system we have that governments after governments are too afraid to do what's needed for house prices to slow down long enough that everyone can get enough. The saving grace may come when the next generation outweighs the older ones at the polls. Hopefully that's not too late.
I think this rage was partially why the Liberal party got clobbered last election. But what to do when NEITHER party wants to address the issue? We’re snookered.
That’s freaking awesome - what a cunch of oxygen thieving bunts if ever there was. If it’s of any consolation, as a landlord I despise them almost as much, without the horrendous uncertainty of living on the streets by being on the wrong side of their shitfuckery. Recently an agent took $482 from us and when asked WTF, instead of an apology, we were offered a “spreadsheet error”
Sorry for your troubles. I’m just sharing so you know you’re not alone in your fury and frustration…
My husband and I were renting a lovely house in a regional city, no kids or pets, out at work all day so we could pay the rent on time etc etc, and on the last day of our lease we got an eviction notice put in the mailbox after close of business. No one would take our calls and there was nothing to see here. We just moved because the agents had been such kidney stones the whole time we were there it was just easier. Delighted to see the next tenants had about twelve utes out the front every day and the place looked trashed. No idea why we got turfed, but that’s the old no fault eviction laws for you 🤷🏼♀️
Firstly, sorry you had to go through that awful stress Steph as that is absolutely awful when you are accused like that. Secondly, I loved this post so much. To the point I was reading your quote out at work and to my husband of how real estate agents are from the toilets that rats are spawned from. Nothing felt more true in that moment.
I think you’re being a bit harsh on the rats and worms out there with this comparison. Hopefully Ai will replace them soon.
The only ethical use of AI.
It's the same in London and the surrounding burbs. And also no desire whatsoever to fix the situation, just people whacking their pensions into but-to-lets and Rat Worms multiplying on the regular.
Here I was hoping that this was just something that Australia had managed to fuck up. Yeah, I see no escape from this problem. Sadly, it is just the new reality.
Jesus wept, my blood pressure was rising rapidly while reading this. The rat-worm hybrid is generous. I lived and rented in Sydney for 5 years with my partner and 3 kids, then we moved down to the Illawarra which was actually no better. Queues of 50+ people to view each shitty property and having kids and pets basically made you worse than uni students in their eyes. We eventually gave up and moved back to my hometown (Perth) and luckily managed to buy, but not before our last landlord tried to sting us $2k for repairs on a bunch of stuff that was their fault. The system is fucked - the landlords and agents are basically running a scam and they have WAY TOO MUCH POWER AND TERRIBLE SHOES!
I COULD WRITE A WHOLE ESSAY ON SPURIOUS REPAIR BILLS!!!!
That's actually the first thing I would change. You want to make a claim against a person's bond? It's an application to an independent body which costs $500, which you'll get back out of the bond should you be successful.
You're also not able to claim for the cost of repair, but for the cost of the damaged item at its CURRENT market place value.
If your claim is refused, I'm allowed to come to your house, and slap you full across the face and you can't fight back.
LET’S PASS THIS INTO LAW! It was ridiculous. The landlord’s son built the property (they were new build townhouses) and they cut heaps of corners like not sealing the bottom of the bathroom doors so the wood swelled up from the steam. Tried to charge us $800 per door to replace them and you’ll never guess who was going to do the repairs? THE LANDLORD’S SON. It was a family racket.
Totally wild for you to expect bathroom doors to be able to withstand contact with steam and water.
This is so damn spot on for two major things: 1) as someone who moved from Sydney because of the insane batshit state of rent and wanting to actually do a basic thing of saving money, the two ideas were always at battle. It saddens me to say, but Sydney is hammering the nails in the coffin.
Now 2); I dated a real estate agent for a little while, and I can confirm the rat-worm hybrid. The anger, the retribution, the fact that they were never in the wrong when being in the wrong was all too close to home (pardon the pun): all those aspects live in front of my eyes. No word of a lie, after that relationship; I thank and appreciate every interaction with kind, well adjusted people. I am not sure what that was meant to represent, but I feel it speaks volumes.
This is deeply, deeply gratifying to read.
But it's fucking sad Sydney lost you. Another fun, creative person chased out of a city they enjoyed.
Oh, I still come back into the big smoke on the train lines and show people how to party, but then after that: I head over to our place by the beach, spin records and be grateful I’m surrounded by nice non-rat-worm hybrid people.
Eventually, Sydney will be back. We’ll be all there! We just may need to weather a horrible storm to get there.
IT’S WILD HOW POORLY THEY ARE ALLOWED TO TREAT US. Yes, I get it, we’re the lowly renters but we do actually pay the majority of their bills. I shouldn’t have to fear asking for maintenance because I’m afraid if I seem too needy that my lease won’t get renewed and I’ll have to pay thousands of dollars to move again 🫠
I was thinking about you when I wrote this, actually. The amount of times you've been forced to leave, the incredible inconvenience of it all.
So often we’re leaving due to the convenience of the owner, have never had to move because of my own wrongdoings. We need real reform in the area, stop the negative gearing and make housing affordable not profitable 👏🏻
It is indeed a crisis and I share your rage. As an older, single female I'm not exactly a landlord's ideal tenant and the anxiety I feel about my options disappearing keeps me awake some nights.
As usual, some absolute gold in this post. Some chuckles in amongst me nodding along in rage.
Karola, I’m so sorry you’re anxious about your housing, it shouldn’t be that way. Especially considering older single tenants are generally so reliable. It does make me angry, too. We should never have made housing an investment. At least give us caps on rental increases and long term housing options.
I feel sorry for rats or any animals for that matter that get used to describe real estate agents. What a shocking system we have that governments after governments are too afraid to do what's needed for house prices to slow down long enough that everyone can get enough. The saving grace may come when the next generation outweighs the older ones at the polls. Hopefully that's not too late.
I think this rage was partially why the Liberal party got clobbered last election. But what to do when NEITHER party wants to address the issue? We’re snookered.
A whole fortnight? Sheesh. In the US it’s three days.
That’s freaking awesome - what a cunch of oxygen thieving bunts if ever there was. If it’s of any consolation, as a landlord I despise them almost as much, without the horrendous uncertainty of living on the streets by being on the wrong side of their shitfuckery. Recently an agent took $482 from us and when asked WTF, instead of an apology, we were offered a “spreadsheet error”
Hear hear! They are like politicians. When the shoe’s on the other foot and tenants are hard to come by they are as shwarmy AF.
Sorry for your troubles. I’m just sharing so you know you’re not alone in your fury and frustration…
My husband and I were renting a lovely house in a regional city, no kids or pets, out at work all day so we could pay the rent on time etc etc, and on the last day of our lease we got an eviction notice put in the mailbox after close of business. No one would take our calls and there was nothing to see here. We just moved because the agents had been such kidney stones the whole time we were there it was just easier. Delighted to see the next tenants had about twelve utes out the front every day and the place looked trashed. No idea why we got turfed, but that’s the old no fault eviction laws for you 🤷🏼♀️
Hope you’re okay 🍊😊
Firstly, sorry you had to go through that awful stress Steph as that is absolutely awful when you are accused like that. Secondly, I loved this post so much. To the point I was reading your quote out at work and to my husband of how real estate agents are from the toilets that rats are spawned from. Nothing felt more true in that moment.
The problem of unaffordable housing is occurring in major cities across the world and several of my children are struggling with the issue.
You said, "It would take so little to materially improve matters." I am genuinely interested in hearing what those little things would be?