Australian landlord complains about rent underpaid by one cent every week
Landlord’s extraordinary rant about ONE CENT underpayment… but were they right?
- A landlord shared a complaint online
- They say their tenant pays too little rent
- The renter pays $1,199.99 instead of $1,200
One landlord said they were struggling to “keep their sanity” after a tenant started paying a penny short of rent each week.
The frustrated landlord shared a call for help online on Monday to ask how other landlords would deal with the ‘raging’ tenant of their three-room home.
They claim that their tenant owes $1,200 in rent each week but only pays $1,199.99, Yahoo News reports.
“I seek your advice on how to deal with a tenant who is clearly laughing at my charges,” they wrote on the Facebook group Landlords and Investors of Australia.
“I rent directly to him (the tenant) and there have been no major problems in the past.
‘We are three months into a 12-month lease. He has started paying a penny short of rent every week on purpose.
“I know it’s intentional because he always paid the full amount.”
An Australian landlord asked for help from a difficult tenant on the Facebook group Landlords and Investors of Australia on Monday (photo, landlord’s post)
The landlord claims his tenant owes $1,200 in rent each week but only pays $1,199.99 (pictured, apartments for rent in Sydney)
The anonymous landlord said they tried to email the tenant about the missing money, but received a snippy reply detailing repairs needed at the property.
“Thank you for your email about the late rent. I have checked my transaction history and you can see that $1,199.9 has been transferred,” the tenant wrote.
“I have applied the rules on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission website… which clearly states that the amount will be rounded to the $1,200 due and as such I consider the rent paid on time and in full.
“I request that you do not contact me again about this.
“By the way, I would like to bring to your attention the following repairs: the door of the laundry cabinet squeaks, the cold tap in the kitchen is under too high pressure, the air duct of the air conditioning in the second bedroom is rattling.”
While it’s not clear if the renter’s rent is divided into weekly payments for a larger amount, the ACCC rule they cited claims that businesses (in this case, landlords) cannot round up costs.
The tenant claims under this rule that they only have to pay $1,199.99 instead of the $1,200 requested by the landlord.
The landlord stated that they “obviously” will not be renewing the tenant’s lease when it expires in February.
The tenant responded to the landlord’s concerns in a snarky email (above) that detailed repairs were needed in the property
The post was widely shared across social media and many people left furious at the tenant’s “petty” behavior, while others called the landlord a “sook.”
‘This person is pissing!! It goes both ways!!! If we want honest landlords, we have to be honest with them!’ one person wrote.
“It’s so petty, and I’m so for it. Is there anything sweeter than the landlord’s tears?’ said another.
“Omg, as someone who works with bills and reconciliations, this is actually infuriating. Provides so much more work than necessary. Especially considering the tenant appears to be unreasonably petty,” said a third commenter.
In this rental crisis, it pays to be nice and not ad**k. Imagine losing a rent for less than a dollar,” wrote another.
A fifth commented: ‘They’re arguing because the tenant has paid them a penny short for a few weeks. I can not stop laughing.’