I was recently advised that the tenants would be vacating my unit by the beginning of December. No worries, that gives me a few months to find another agent, because I have not been happy with the lack of communication from the current agent. So when on Friday I discovered that in fact the tenants were moving out that day, it was a surprise and yet someone how par for the course with this agency.
I sent an email to the agent asking what was going on, as it is not December yet, and got an automatic reply saying she was on leave until the end of September. Great! However, she did answer later, saying that the original email had been a typo, she really meant the tenants would be out by the beginning of September.
I went to look at the unit and discovered a few interesting things.
This is the front door, when the deadlock is unlocked:
The deadbolt is still sticking out, meaning that the door can't be closed. I also found that if you lock the deadlock, you can't get the key out of it. Back in April the agent told me that the tenants were having difficulties with this lock. I authorised the agent to get a locksmith to fix it, and paid the bill at the end of the month. But obviously no-one checked that the work had actually been done and that the lock was fixed. So now I need to get another locksmith to fix it.
Oops:
The tenants forgot to empty the dishwasher before they left. At least these are clean dishes.
I wonder how efficiently the aircon unit has been operating:
Air intake filter above, and below after a vacuum.
Should work a bit better now! To be honest, I don't remember if I cleaned it when I moved out, but it is obviously a job I need to add to my list of things to check after each tenant vacates.
I've also put new curtains on the back windows and new lamp shades in the bedrooms. Now I just need a new agent!
6 comments:
Where are you located? In my neck of the woods, our regulations allow landlords to go into units every six months to inspect the premises and make sure things are being take care of.
Hi Vireya oh dear these agents sound terrible,i think i would be looking for new ones too,good luck my friend xx
I had to rent out my house in the US for several years when I first moved to Japan. (The renters eventually bought the house.) The first agent was a nightmare, but after a year I found a new one. Hope you find a better one.
Yep definitely need a new agent! I cannot believe they didn't check the locksmiths work, or the tenants didn't complain again. I would be going back to the original locksmith though to ask them to make good what they did not fix properly the first time.
About the air conditioner. Up here, we have companies that clean air conditioners thoroughly. A lot of dust and grime builds up inside where you can not see. This is where bacteria will grow. Look around for such a company and have them do a clean of all the air conditioning units on the one day. They should use a very fine mist of water or steam. There should be absolutely no mess. The clean air conditioner will work much more efficiently afterwards and the air will be healthier. If they do a good job, then go on their schedule for every year at the same time. This is all tax deductible so do not worry about the cost. I think I pay around $100 to $130 per air-con. Talk to your new agent about all the maintenance schedules.
It appears the recent tenants have left your unit in reasonable condition - what a relief. Hope you find a more reliable agent soon.
Post a Comment