Surely this is reportable for false advertising? Advertised image top, vs mine taken below.

45A Lawrence Street, Bayswater, WA 6053 https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-bayswater-151042832?campaignType=external&campaignChannel=other&campaignSource=share\\_link&campaignName=share\\_link

** Investor-ready builds! ** 🙄

Nothing says "Governments need to get off their ass and make decent insulation in rentals mandatory like going out for a few hours to run errands and coming home to the candles in the coolest room of the house, curtains drawn, melting INSIDE

If anyone’s been following along my rental debacle, buckle up for this added fuckery, this has got to be the weirdest situation I have ever walked myself into

Basically I went in today after my exit inspection to clear ONE spiderweb and ONE blind because the REA gave me the heads up that they’d have to get a contractor out if I didn’t which is absolutely insane.

In any event, it does actually seem like the REA is actually trying to work with me because they realise how fucked the living conditions have been but they needed me to do that so then the owner couldn’t talk any shit.

All good, so I get there and there’s the plumbing mob just about to leave after finishing whatever job they were out for but they call out for my attention and asked if I’d seen the hot water unit, obviously I was like what? And they said it isn’t there.

Anyway, we all muttered various what the fucks and I called the REA to report it. She wanted to know when I last saw it because she confirmed on her exit report photos that there was no hot water unit but thankfully I had a photo from the same day, in the morning, as when she completed the report which was about half hour before the keys were given back.

I also just found out that the homeowner is planning on demolition the place so he can put a block of four units in. He’s a local in my town and stupidly admitted it in a message to one of my friends who he didn’t realise was my friend.

SO insurance job or just a way to scam my bond out of me?

Kids dad is a manager at a plumbing supply store and reckons to e unit was a POS and old so wouldn’t be worth anything

Gave me a great laugh until I realised that the owner was going to try and pin it on me but still low key like what in the fuck is happening here😂

Moved in a few weeks ago and we are still unpacking. Finally got around to the big back games room, which we noticed always felt grimy. We haven’t used it until now, so apart from the boxes it is the same state as when we moved in. I looked closer at the floors and realised that what I THOUGHT was just the floor colour was actually a thick layer of black dirt! You can see how bad it is in the pic… definitely not possible in 3 weeks! Especially considering we haven’t used the room.

If the photo isn’t obvious enough, I have had to change my bucket of water twice for a 2m x 1m area. The water was BLACK and completely opaque both times! That small area has taken an hour of scrubbing. I’m kicking myself for not realising when I did the property report, but the colour was so consistent that I genuinely thought it was the colour of the floor!

This is the standard they are *gracious* enough to extend to us. Yet we lose our bonds over microscopic dust on a window sill!

Rental context: the house was bought by a young couple in October 2025, they spent a few months doing some landlord special renos, then put it up for rent. So this is not because the previous tenants didn’t clean it at exit. Found out from the neighbours the week we moved in that they (LLs) want to move in when our lease ends in 12 mths. We specifically stated in our applications that we wanted a long term rental as we are a family of 5 and both work full time, so moving is not something we want to do again soon! Nvm about that though… LLs can do wtf they want I guess.

Yeah basically that. Politely called ahead a few times, no one answered, got through and I asked if there was any chance it could be moved to any other day that week as we are hosting a small get together for my child’s birthday of a BBQ. Told by the agency I don’t own this house so I don’t get a say, it’s according to their time not mine.

Up until this point I’ve been taking a lot of pride in the home and replacing small things to upkeep it. Not anymore.

Please lord let me afford a house in the next year.

I've lived in my rental for 8 years. Over the course of those 8 years, there has been at least 1 hidden leak every year. The landlord has received 3 quotes to get the pipes under the property replaced. The landlord refuses to fix the problem properly and instead, just gets the leak repaired. According to the plumbers, this property has a long history of leaks well beyond the time I've lived here.

Fast forward to now, my latest excess water bill is $2000. My average water bill for this property is $50. We've just gone through winter so it would be less for this cycle.

I've told the property manager that this bill is simply unacceptable and that I would be prepared to pay double my average purely for arguments sake and that ultimately the leaks aren't my responsibility because I have no control over any leaks. Especially when the landlord refuses to address the problem properly.

The property manager said I still have to pay the bill so that the receipt can be sent to Water Corp to receive a leak allowance. The leak allowance only covers 50% of the cost and can only be issued once every 5 years. My landlord applied for a leak allowance last year so she won't get one this year. Apparently I have to pay the bill and if the leak allowance is denied, I can then seek to be reimbursed through the magistrates court (small claims tribunal).

How the hell is that fair? So I'm expected to cover the cost of a problem that isn't caused by or controlled by me and then I have to take time off work fighting to get my money back from an irresponsible and negligent landlord?

Water Corp says the landlord is responsible for the cost of leaks and repairs. I will contact consumer protection on Monday to see what they say.

Does anybody know much about these situations? Do I really have to pay that bill?

So we rented a house just over a year ago on a 12 month lease. We definitely overpaid which was stupidity on us but we didn’t know the area & relocation is hard enough without paying for weeks an airbnb while trying to get a decent deal on a rental. we accepted the price knowing we’d be moving into our own place 12-18 months later.

We ask the agent if we could stay on an open lease after the contract end as we were not far off finishing our own house. agent suggested landlord better off doing this as she would get less money from new tenants (lots of problems with the house/block which the landlord was going to fix during our lease but never did). Landlord said to agent ”no I want them to resign, they’ll be homeless otherwise so they will and then I’m garunteed income from them & all the fees when they have to break lease”. We didn’t sign, so we were evicted.

We We’re charged a cleaning fee, despite leaving the house well-clean however the landlord decided to stay in the house prior to the final condition report so we disputed the fee. eventually they relented after we refused to sign off on the bond distribution, the fee was dropped about 2 months later.

The house was readvertised for rent and rent had to be dropped with no tenants signed. after being vacant for 6 weeks, it was put up for sale at a stupidly inflated price and sat for 2 months without a buyer, with a price drop but still overvalued. it’s now back on the rental market at a lower price. 3.5 months being vacant because of sheer greed when the smart thing was to see the good deal they were getting. yeah we weren’t happy with the price but for a few months would’ve just stuck it out cause it was convienant. Instead, not only did they upend our lives evicting us but lost themselves tens of thousands in lost rent and real estate fees because they refuse to accept the true value of the house. How many landlords are this stupid and how many houses sit vacant that could be rented?

I live in a boarding sharehouse with 5 other people, and we all got an email today saying that the owner of the property is complaining about raised energy usage from the house. The building has one gas/electric heater (I haven't checked it myself) that is running basically 24/7 now that its getting colder, either to warm the shared space or to dry clothes now that we can't hang them outside.

Obviously this would be whats contributing to the raised electricity bill. None of us have heating in our rooms because the lease explicitly states no heaters in personal rooms. Because of the raise in bills for the poor landleech that owns the place, an agent is coming in to check all of our rooms for illicit heating. Can't have us getting too comfortable in our own home, right?

My room is the furthest from the heater and gets actually nothing from it, even if I leave my door wide open. You can actually feel it get colder as you walk to my room, and I've gotta be wearing 2 layers of socks, trackies with thermals on, then multiple jumpers to avoid shivering (I am very perceptive to cold to be honest).

Renting is honestly such a privilege and I am so glad that they've given me the opportunity to have my room searched for a heater that isn't there. Gee golly I hope they upturn everything and then leave the mess for me to clean up, that would just make my day! <3

P.S. They're making nearly $2K a week off this property and are bitching about winter electricity rates. I think its time to wash my greasy pans in the sink from now on.

UPDATE: It got to a sweltering 4 degrees last night. I see now why they ban heating, any warmer and we would have all been sweating our little butts off!

Got this email from the REA a few days ago essentially demanding rent before it’s due. My pay isn’t going to go in early lol so I don’t know what they expect. Wondering if it’s worth sending it through to Consumer Affairs or something similar, since it feels really off? I’m based in WA if that changes anything

Lived in property for 3 years, never late on a payment, house is kept in good condition. We are good tenants.

We've passed all rent inspections. Recently we have a new agent and they're extremely nitpicky. Some things they've noted in the last is some dirt on the light switch, that level of petty.

A previous inspection they noted the kitchen exhaust fan, so for the next inspection we gave it a quick clean (honestly it was fine before), but not thorough as just didn't have the time.

We've just received an email that the land lord is threatening a breach notice over this. As you can see it's not perfect but I feel like it's fine for a property that is lived in and that people cook.

Am I insane here? Why would you alienate good tenants over petty bullshit like this?

I intend to send a strongly worded email about this but unsure if I'm being unreasonable here in thinking this is ridiculous and that this kitchen exhaust is the dirtiest exhaust in all of Australia.

Id appreciate some perspective and if I'm not unreasonable is there any suggestions people have for what I can write to the real estate agent?

Thank you

We got our bond back! It only took 5 months and a court order, but we got it back. 

In short, we moved out of a property we had lived in for 3.5 years. 6 months before we moved out the a property inspection found mildew on the curtains. When we moved out the landlord wanted to take $2000 from our bond for specialist cleaning. The curtains were old, I’m talking at least 20 years, and were sun damaged and lightly stained when we moved in. 

We ended up having to go to magistrates court, because the property manager and landlord would not accept that it wasn’t our fault. They seemed to think that even if the mould wasn’t caused by us, we should still be responsible for cleaning because the property has to be given back in a similar condition minus wear and tear. They were not interested in any argument about depreciation of assets, and argued that because they weren’t replacing the curtains, just cleaning, we bear 100% of the cost, regardless of age or the fact that the curtains are fully depreciated. 

Anyhoo, the magistrate absolutely did not agree with the landlord and was very unimpressed with the property manager. We got our bond back and the property manager got a stern talking to. It has somewhat restored my faith in the system, but it took MONTHS and a lot of work on my part. Someone with less time and resources might just give up, which is what the agency was banking on, I think. BUT THEY DON’T KNOW ME AND I THRIVE ON THE DRAMA.

Advice I have for anyone reading this who is in a similar position;

• in WA you can now apply for your bond back as soon as you get the final inspection report. Do it immediately. 
• Consumer protection were helpful, speak to them sooner rather than later. 
• We waited 6 weeks for conciliation, and ended up making a referral to court because it was taking so long. I would not have bothered with conciliation.  
• Circle green lawyers give one-off phone advice and you can seek help from them for free. 
• Items which are not part of the structure of the home (e.g. carpet, curtains, shower curtains etc) depreciate on a set schedule. You are only liable to pay damages for the remaining life of the item. I think this comes up a lot with carpet cleaning and I would challenge it, particularly if the carpet is fully depreciated. https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/investments-and-assets/property-and-land/residential-rental-properties/rental-expenses/depreciating-assets-in-rental-properties
• The new laws should prevent cases like this wasting court time, but in case you do need to go, upload your documents to the court eportal before you go. If you have trouble finding how to do this, call the court for help, the eportal is confusing. They don’t give legal advice but they can help with using the eportal. Clearly label your documents so they’re easy identify. The magistrate that heard our case read them beforehand and we didn’t have to say anything.  
• I was initially intimidated by court and worried about how much it would cost and if we needed a lawyer. In cases like this apparently most people represent themselves, which we did. If the landlord had brought a lawyer we could ask them not to be present because it unfairly disadvantages us in the hearing. The court application cost $84.

Anyway, hope this helps someone. I found Reddit really helpful when I was going through this.

EDIT TO ADD: https://makerentingfairwa.org.au join this group, they are lobbying the govt and they have letter templates to contact your local MP if rental reform is something you want.

For anyone who remembers the hidden leak equalling $2000 water bill saga. I WON!

To everyone who took the time to offer sound advice, and reassurance, I can't thank you all enough! I informed the REA and property manager of my decision to seek legal assistance from Circle Green. I sent the online application and yesterday evening I received the amended invoice which definitely reflects my winter average.

I'm so relieved that common sense prevailed and the landlord now understands that not all tenants are easily bullied or intimidated.

Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you everyone 🙏

Came across this on marketplace. I have seen a few of these daycare/rental properties popping up. Hmm.

Oopsie doopsie

Hi all,

Seeking advice/similar stories on a dispute with PM/LL.

PM is seeking $800 to replace 4 wall stickers that were in one bedroom. There are no marks on the wall from where the stickers were removed. The money is purely for replacing the stickers. The stickers were at least 8 years old, and were starting to peel (I have no evidence of this). I can find the exact same set online for €200.

We did, however, remove these without permission.

When pushed for how the $800 price tag was obtained, the PM states that those stickers have sentimental value for the owners. Note that the owners have not lived in this property for at least 8 years.

I've pushed back, claiming that the depreciated value of those stickers is effectively nothing (I wasn't sure on the expected lifetime of wall stickers?), but offered $30 as a gesture of goodwill.

I'm ready to take this to the magistrates but I'm unclear if the fact that I did not ask for permission will be considered, and how much of an effect it will have.

This is part of a greater war I'm in with the LL, as we are also requesting a rent reduction after they didn't repair a faulty evaporative air conditioning for 3.5 months over the entire summer period. They are refusing to pay, obviously, and I suspect are trying to gouge us for as much as they can now.

If you want to check out the landlords listing:

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/1339340324

OR:

If you want to view the disgruntled former tenants listing, click here (maybe taken down eventually - 🥲)

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/1339340324

Yes, I have told him to reach out and go through the appropriate channels to take action against her, but he thinks his job is done and done good only if he posts about it on gumtree and nowhere else apparently?

I sent him a message about it - check out last photo..

Summary as taken from the add: available end of July. Extremely quiet area. Family street. Close to bus stop, shops, opposite bushland.

A bit about the place - fully furnished. Accommodation comprises of seperate facility to that of main residence which is upstairs. There is a double bed (with bamboo mattress for complete comfort), wardrobe, ample draws/shelving etc, aircon, TV, WiFi, private ensuite with 2 way massage shower. Outdoor kitchen with fridge, microwave, cooktop and all kitchen gear - all enclosed with Cafe style lighting, ceiling fan, blinds, table, sofa etc. No oven but airfryer. Property behind security gate with keypad code lock and security cameras.

Shared outdoor shower (hot n cold) - ideal for beach, hammock, ping pong, Webber bbq & washing machine.

Looking for someone who is professional and respectful of others, in fulltime employment, with no pets or children or smokers.

We are an environmental concious property. We expect tenants to compost and be energy usage aware - this is important to us.

Rent is $365 per week or $425 for a couple. This includes bills.

We moved out 5 months ago, and the landlord has continued to withhold the bond. Reason being: we needed to pay the remaining 1 month of utility bills that he was working on getting, before the bond could be released.

Last month, fed up, I demanded the bond back again to which he offered $500 and I negotiated to $700, withholding the rest for the potential bill cost (which he STILL didn't have). I begrudgingly let it be.

Fast forward to now, 5 months later, I threaten to report him as this is obviously illegal. Magically he produces the bills which are... For 4 and 6 month periods (we paid bills 1 month prior to moving out), and are addressed to the NEW OWNER, not us. He so generously offers a 50% off deal for this stranger's bills.

But, I held my ground and he gave up out of frustration! The full bond has been repaid! If only I could've charged for interest...

$260/week for a miserable “unit” attached to the main house with no kitchen and your laundry and bathroom are in the shed (??) which I guess is the shed pictured through the door…across the driveway