Ok, I've just had a new company take over my house. A much bigger company.
On signing the lease they decided to tell me that they would not be reponsible for the reverse cycle air conditioner attatched to my house. The oven, gas heater, etc etc yes, but not the R/C.
The R/C was put in when the house was built. Its not something someone has come along & fitted after. Even if it was, it was fitted by the owner, not a tenant (all 4 of these houses/villa's have one).
Can they just choose not to fix something that I assume I am paying rent for?? Should my price have dropped when they decided this? Since it was the previous owners responsibility?
I'm a bit confused! This is in WA, & laws are different to other states, but there's nothing I can find specific to this. Maybe I'll have to contact the tribunal to find out.
If they're responsible for the other stuff, why wouldn't they be responsible for the RC? Did they tell you before or after you signed the lease? If before, I think it'll be difficult to fight, but if after, easy. Sounds weird to me!
We had a similar issue in our last rental, except it was a dishwasher-older style not new, that was not to be fixed or replaced.
If you sign the contract then it is binding. I would say to them if you haven't that you want either a fixed rent price for 12months, or weekly rent drop for the existing contract.
If I were you, I would get in contact with the Tenancy Advice Bureua (sp?!) ASAP to see where you legally stand, and if possible, have the Agency replace it with something new, clean it professionally, or remove it. Is it a potential health hazard? Make these kind of complaints if so.
When the house was advertised, was it advertised with the aircon? Hold them to the advert, its your strongest advantage right now from I can see. Also, enquire as to when it was last serviced, and demand an invoice for proof.
Play the game, make them EARN your rent money
PM me what Agency you're with, if its the one we had major issues with I can warn you at least! Also, people sell those portable aircons all the time on these Facebook selling sites, worst case scenario is you get a good 2nd hand portable air con, and the r/c is the Agency's problem still when you leave
Last edited by Sunny Love; November 27th, 2012 at 07:23 AM.
Its not through an agency, community housing. Same rules apply in general.
But I guess the pricing is a different deal. All their houses are set prices on income or whatever (but higher than others in town here pay). Yet they will be putting my rent UP in 6 months.
They told me about 10 seconds before I signed the lease, & it did make me hesitant to sign. Will have to ask the others if they got the same deal. There's nothing wrong with it now, but if something was to go wrong I couldn't fix it. And I am wondering, if its attached to the house & starts a fire somehow, they'd have to take care of repairs somehow wouldn't they?
Does that mean I can take it with me when I move? (Not really serious here, but I do wonder!)
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