Landlord’s shocking email to tenant after loss at tribunal as Australia’s rental crisis worsens
A landlord’s snarky email to a tenant who took him to tribunal and won encapsulates the imbalance of rental power as Australia’s housing crisis worsens.
Landlords have gained the upper hand in the nationwide rental crisis, leaving desperate tenants with no choice but to accept substandard living conditions, along with inspections and rent increases without notice.
As one South Australian tenant recently learned, they also went to great lengths when it came to breaching lease terms.
The dispute ended up before the state Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which ruled in favor of the tenant.
The landlord didn’t make the decision well and sent a brutal email to the departing tenant.
The landlord who sent this email to a former tenant did not take the court’s decision well
‘I hope you realize how cheap you have become by breaking a binding contractual agreement. You think you are such good tenants just because you paid the rent on time LOL LOL,” the landlord wrote.
The snarky message was shared on X by tenant lawyer Jordie van den Berg, who recently launched the rental website S**t Rentals.
“These tenants won at a court hearing, and the landlord sent this to them,” he captioned the post.
The post led to dozens of comments bullying the ‘unprofessional’ landlord.
“There’s nothing like a little narcissism to make your day,” one person wrote.
Another added: “Bro, shut up. You literally make sure these people pay your mortgage.
Landlords have gained the upper hand in the national rental shortage. The photo shows Sydneysiders during a rental inspection
Some called for the officer to be named and shamed.
‘That is outrageous, not only unprofessional, it is a form of intimidation towards the tenant. Not to mention a big middle finger to the Tribunal,” one person commented.
Others shared their own rental horror stories.
“I left an otherwise good rental when the landlord tried to rebuild while I was still paying rent. In the middle of winter he removed the entire wash wall, leaving me exposed to the elements. Subsequently renovated kitchen and bathroom. ALL WITHOUT NOTICE,” one man recalled.
But not everyone was on the tenant’s side.
“Renters now have more rights than owners,” one person wrote.
Tenants have no choice but to accept substandard living conditions, inspections and rent increases without notice. Pictured are queues at a rental inspection in Sydney
The national vacancy rate is just 1.02 percent, after a slight decline in October, with most major capital cities following the trend according to PropTrack’s Market Insight Report.
Renters faced increased competition for homes, while vacancy rates fell in both the capital and regional areas, said PropTrack economist Anne Flaherty.
Renters faced increased competition for homes, while vacancy rates fell in both the capital and regional areas, said PropTrack economist Anne Flaherty.
“Renters faced even tougher conditions in October, with the proportion of rental properties left vacant falling to their lowest level ever,” she said.
Job vacancies in Sydney fell to a record low of 1.11 per cent, more than 60 per cent lower than in March 2020.
The number of available homes in Melbourne has halved compared to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rental vacancy rates are at record lows in Queensland, while available options in Brisbane are less than one per cent.
Landlords have the upper hand in the kidney crisis, with the national vacancy rate at just 1.02 percent, according to the latest data