r/AusRenters

This is a warning to people looking to join existing sharehouses on flatmates.com.

I'm the sole leaseholder of a 2 bed, 2 bath, 1 car space property near the city, and recently advertised to fill the spare bedroom on flatmates.com. I pay $925 per week for the unit, and use the smaller room + bathroom. I advertised the bigger room with ensuite and car space for $480 per week (bills not included). With internet and electricity included, the weekly rent would be $525 per week (and this is taking into account peak period electricity bills). Because electricity can vary so much each quarter, I prefer arrangements where we split the power bill as it's due, and I don't bother charging for internet (though charging for internet is perfectly reasonable - if I incorporated the cost of internet into the weekly rent it's an additional $7.50 per week).

I was shocked to see how many head tenants in my area are advertising similar listings (often with no car space, mind you) for $550+ per week (many $600+, with some approaching the $700 mark). Very much trying to rip off the sub-tenant and reduce their own weekly rent.

For anyone looking for a room, make sure you do your research. Do a google search of the unit/ area to find out what the weekly rent is likely to be, and ask about the bills if you're entering into a bills included arrangement. I know many people prefer to do bills included but in my experience you're less likely to get ripped off if you pay separately for bills and are given a copy of the invoice each time.

So many posts about landlords and real estates being unethical and treating renters poorly, but from what I've seen other renters are just as likely to be scam artists.

Hello,

I have been given a 90 day notice to vacate the property I am currently renting in Melbourne, Victoria. The owner is selling the house.

I have read bits and pieces in regards to the right of entry etc. The real estate agency is planning to advertise the property and have open house inspections for prospective buyers.

Can someone please confirm whether or not I can refuse these inspections? I have found some information saying that this has to happen within the last 21 days of my tenancy but I am not sure if this is true.

Any information helps. I have tried contacting consumer affairs just now but will have to wait until Monday for them to re-open.

Thanks heaps.

Hi everyone,

I'm after some genuine advice from both renters and landlords because I'm feeling really conflicted. My partner and I rent in NW Tassie and have been long-term tenants. We always pay our rent on time and take good care of the property. Last week I found a friendly dog in the bush. He was incredibly friendly, came straight up to me, and happily jumped into the car. He wasn't microchipped, and after trying to find an owner he ended up at the local dogs home. We've since been told that if nobody claims him, we have first priority to adopt him, and we've become pretty attached already. Before doing anything, I contacted our real estate agent for permission. The owners have said they would prefer the dog to stay outside and the proposed lease clause says the dog must be kept outside at all times. I sent a detailed email explaining that we'd hoped for a supervised indoor/outdoor arrangement, that he'd never be left inside alone, and that we'd take full responsibility for any damage, professional cleaning, flea treatment, and any pet-related costs. We're still waiting to hear back from the owners. Here's where I'm struggling.

I grew up with dogs that were part of the family and came inside when we were home. I honestly can't imagine never letting him inside. So I'd really appreciate some honest opinions:

If you were the landlord, would my proposal make you reconsider?

If you're a landlord, what would it take for you to allow supervised indoor access?

If you were in my position, would you agree to the outdoor-only clause?

And here's the question I'm most curious about: in the real world, do many renters agree to an outdoor-only clause but still have the dog inside while they're home, making sure the property is clean and the dog is outside during inspections? Or is that simply too risky and likely to end badly?

I'm not looking for advice to deliberately breach my lease. I'm genuinely trying to understand what people have experienced, what landlords think, and whether agreeing to an outdoor-only clause is something that can realistically work. I'd really appreciate hearing from both tenants and landlords.

Thanks everyone.

As the title suggests, I (21F) am renting through a real estate for the first time, and I need advice because I’m getting worried.

I signed a 1 year lease for my studio in December 2025 ($495 p/w) and since then have been dealing with dodgy plumbing, faulty smoke alarm (that has been serviced, and is still faulty!!), mold that keeps coming back on my walls and ceiling, and what I think might be termites?? Additionally, the “stove” that came with the apartment did not work from day 1, and I have had to use electric appliances to cook. Oh, and also I don’t have a mail box or even really a real address?

Although the living situation is not ideal, I live in Sydney where rent is not cheap and options are limited especially for someone on my income, so I want to renew my lease, but I’m so scared that I will be blamed for all the problems in this apartment.

Is there anything I can do to fix these issues? Or do I have to contact the real estate? I’m anxious that they will not renew my lease due to the issues & my cat and I will be left without a place to live by year’s end..

HELP!! VCAT

I have been renting a house that had 1 bathroom and 1 bedroom unusable due to black mould and the water from the bathtub and sink would leak into the bathroom floors and bedrooms carpet making it unusable

We lived there 16 months begging for this to get fixed as we could not use the bathroom or the bedroom and it never got fixed to the point we just had to leave.

We asked for 8k in compensation, the owner said 4k, i called vcat AND THEY SAID CAUSE THE OWNER LIVES IN A DIFFERENT STATE we cannot go through vcat and its better to take the 4k :'(

IS THIS RIGHT? 😭😭😭😭 please help me im so lost and dont know what to offer or negotiate

We are moving out of a rental with our lease ending Thursday. The real estate has had inspections for future tenants twice a week (every tuesday and thursday) for the last 4 weeks. I was home for one and 3 seperate people asked for the application.

The real estate just emailed to say they will do one this Tuesday which is when we have removalists coming. We will also have a bond cleaning done this week. Surely we can refuse entry for this week. Or will they still come anyway?

Hi, I’m part of a research team at the University of Melbourne and Monash University. We’re studying what happens when private renters in Victoria have to move out of a rental and away from their usual neighbourhood, and how they rebuild their lives afterwards.

We’re looking to hear from people who:
– live in Victoria
– have rented from a private landlord or agent in the past 5 years
– have moved in the last 5 years when they didn’t really want to (for example due to rent rises, the property being sold, a notice to vacate, damaged or poorly maintained property, or only being able to find a place further away).

The study starts with a 10‑minute online survey. At the end, you can optionally volunteer for a 60‑minute confidential interview (in person or online). Interview participants receive a $75 thank‑you voucher.

Survey link is in the comments below...

Thanks folks, we really look forward to hearing your story 🙏

​I need some advice on how to handle my current property manager/agent, Shae in safety beach Victoria. The situation has become completely absurd, and I feel like I'm being bullied out of my home.

​I’ve been living in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with my best friend, Sam, who is the primary tenant of 2yrs already.he was helping me, I moved in to help split costs after an emergency and we decided to get two rescue kittens. Everything seemed fine, but here’s where the circus began:

​we let the agent know I was living there and she demanded I be put on the lease. We submitted the paperwork.

​She then demanded that we submit “application forms” for the two kittens, which we did.

​Shortly after, she denied my application and the kitten applications, claiming the owner believed the apartment didn't have enough space to house Sam, myself, and two small cats!

​I pushed back on this, pointing out how ridiculous that claim was for a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment. The very next day, Shae completely shifted gears and served us a formal 90-day Notice to Vacate, claiming the owner was moving back in. She even included a witnessed Statutory Declaration from the owner stating they were moving from Wangaratta (3 hours away)and they were moving in with their family. (4 adults)

​Knowing a bit about Victorian rental laws, I knew this looked highly suspicious—switching from "it's too crowded" to "I'm moving in" the moment I challenged their first excuse screamed retaliation. I sent them a firm email laying down the law, pointing out that my 12-month fixed-term lease wasn't up until May 2027 and that kicking a tenant out early under those terms is illegal without strict evidence.

​Here's the kicker: The agency completely panicked. Within hours, they called us up and retracted the Notice to Vacate entirely, claiming it was just an "administrative error" and asking us to just go back on the lease as normal.

​Now, we’ve found out from previous employees of hers that the "Statutory Declaration" from the owner was actually in Shae's own handwriting, and we seriously doubt it was produced legally under the timeframes given.

​So, I sent another firm email laying down some final terms, demanding our tenancy be strictly respected and asking for compensation to cover our eventual removal costs & for the extreme stress, as well as an ironclad positive rental reference for the future.

​Shae responded, trying to use a previous polite email against me where I accepted her apology as being the end of it, and threw in a thinly veiled threat that if we take this further to Consumer Affairs or VCAT, it might negatively impact our rental reference.

​Has anyone dealt with something this underhanded before? We are currently planning on reporting this whole mess to Consumer Affairs Victoria, because faking a Statutory Declaration and threatening someone’s rental reference feels like a massive breach of trust, if not outright illegal.

UPDATE :: below is the the final email we intended to send yesterday; Dear Shae,

​Thank you for your response.

​To clarify, my previous comment about wanting to "move on" was predicated on the assumption that we would reach a fair, mutually agreed-upon resolution regarding the severe disruption caused by recent events. Accepting an apology for an "administrative error" does not waive my rights, nor does it diminish the gravity of what occurred.

​A Statutory Declaration is a serious legal document. Asserting that a signed, witnessed declaration stating the owner intended to occupy the premises was simply an "administrative mistake" is highly contradictory. If the owner’s daughter genuinely intended to move in due to family circumstances, it was not an error; it was a choice that was only retracted once the legal validity of the notice was aggressively challenged.

​Regarding the compensation package: we are not seeking "financial gain" from an error. We are seeking a formal, binding agreement to ensure our security. Given that the relationship and trust have been severely damaged by a fraudulent attempt to end our tenancy early, we require a guaranteed commitment that our relocation costs will be covered when we vacate at the natural expiry of the lease.

​Furthermore, I am deeply concerned by your statement regarding our rental reference. Implying that exercising our legal right to seek guidance or initiate proceedings through Consumer Affairs Victoria or VCAT would result in a "black mark" or negative notation on our rental reference is entirely inappropriate. A rental reference is intended to reflect a tenant's conduct—such as property care and rent payment history, both of which you have acknowledged are exemplary. Using a reference as leverage to discourage a tenant from pursuing a legal dispute is a serious matter that we will gladly add to our documentation for VCAT if necessary.

​We note that Rohan’s application has been placed on file and that the pet request is not being formally disputed.

​Our position remains unchanged. We require a written agreement securing our tenancy until May 2027, alongside a signed commitment to the compensation package upon our departure and an unreserved, positive rental reference that is not contingent on us staying silent about these breaches.

​We look forward to your final confirmation by Friday.

​Sincerely,

​Sam and Rohan

NEW UPDATE: her response was: Thank you for clarifying the meaning of your previous email. I appreciate the explanation.

In relation to your comments regarding the Statutory Declaration, this document was provided to Exclusive Property Management by the rental provider based on the information available at the time. Due to an administrative error, the tenancy dates had not been updated in our system following the lease renewal, and the tenancy was incorrectly recorded as being on a periodic tenancy. Based on this information, the owner was advised that the tenancy had expired.

The owner advised that they wished to move back into the property due to personal family circumstances, which were disclosed to us. On the basis of the tenancy being incorrectly recorded as periodic, our administration assistant issued the Notice to Vacate.

Once we became aware that your tenancy had, in fact, been renewed and was subject to a fixed-term lease until May 2027, the notice was immediately withdrawn. I hope this provides clarity as to why the Statutory Declaration was supplied in the first place.

The Statutory Declaration itself was, and remains, truthful. The rental provider did genuinely intend for a family member to occupy the property and was prepared to rely upon that intention. Once it became apparent that the incorrect tenancy status had been relied upon, the notice was withdrawn immediately. The administrative error related solely to the tenancy status recorded in our system, not to the truthfulness of the owner’s declaration or intentions.

In relation to the rental reference, we are disappointed by your interpretation and words like “black mark” in regards to our previous correspondence. You specifically addressed what impact any proceedings may have on a future reference, and we responded. At no stage was this intended as leverage or as an attempt to discourage you from exercising any rights available to you.

As previously advised, your tenancy history, including the way the property has been maintained and your rent payment history, has been positive and would be reflected accordingly. Equally, if a future managing agent asks whether there have been any tenancy disputes or proceedings, which is a common question during the referencing process, we are obliged to answer truthfully. Providing factual information in response to a reference enquiry is not punitive or retaliatory; it is simply an accurate account of the tenancy history.

It appears there continues to be some misunderstanding, as we have confirmed on a number of occasions that your tenancy is secure and remains in place until May 2027. 

Given the seriousness of the allegations being made and we are still unclear of the financial loss incurred we formally request a mediation meeting.

The owner and I remain willing to meet with you in good faith to discuss the outstanding issues to come to a resolution. 

Please let me know a suitable day and time. 

Thank you.

So I plan to send this email in response....(In the morning)

​Hi Shae,

​Could you please ensure that Rohan is included in all future correspondence regarding this matter going forward? Rohan was CC’d on the original email chain and, as a co-tenant on the lease, is a direct party to this dispute.

​Thank you for your email and for clarifying the circumstances surrounding the incorrect Notice to Vacate.

​While we note your explanation regarding an administrative system error, we remain deeply concerned that a Statutory Declaration was executed and a major legal notice issued without verifying the physical, signed fixed-term lease agreement in place until May 2027. Furthermore, it is deeply troubling that this Statutory Declaration was used immediately as a retaliatory action right after we raised questions regarding a property decision. This oversight and timing caused significant and unnecessary distress.

​Regarding your request for a mediation meeting, we are willing to discuss a resolution in good faith, provided that the owners, Melissa and her husband, are also present, and that the mediation is officially overseen by an independent oversight body, such as VCAT or Consumer Affairs Victoria, to ensure a formal and legally binding framework.

​To help guide this upcoming discussion, we have prepared an initial agenda outlining the key points and impact we intend to raise:

​• Overview of the Impact: The unlawful issuance of a Notice to Vacate caused severe stress and disruption, placing us in a state of housing instability precisely when we were focused on recuperation and stability.

• Personal Circumstances: An overview of current hardships, including recently being the victim of a violent crime (armed hold-up) which necessitated the relocation from a previous property, ongoing recovery, and current lack of employment during this recuperation period.

• Proposed Resolution: A request for compensation of $3,500 to cover our relocation and moving costs, framing this as necessary financial support to allow us to transition to a new living arrangement without facing severe financial hardship caused by the agency's administrative negligence.

• Rental Reference Guarantee: We require a written rental reference stating our positive tenancy history, including the way the property has been maintained and our rent payment history, which you have confirmed as exemplary. Any conversations with agents seeking references must stick to the law, and the failings (mistakes) of the rental agency and subsequent dispute must not adversely affect our future tenancy options and would thereby in turn be investigated.

​Please let us know what times next week work best for a formal meeting to discuss these points under an appropriate oversight body.

​Regards,

​Sam and Rohan

I have lived in a fairly dilapidated old Queenslander with my Fiancee for the past 4 years. It has had its fair share of issues, holes in the floorboards, tiles falling off the shower etc. but overall it has been good enough. The only issue has been the heat over the summers. There is no ceiling fans or aircon, and even if there was the insulation between rooms is so rubbish that it's impossible to keep anything cool. We preciously used a portable aircon before it broke from struggling, and it was just too expensive to replace.

The temperatures are consistently hotter than outside, pretty regularly reaching high 30s with high humidity. Typically we can deal with this as we saved some money to move out. About 2 months ago we resigned the 12 month lease.

After signing We discovered that we are expecting a kid early next year. I do not think that there is anyway that we could safely raise a baby in the house, even if ceiling fans or the like were put in. I think we will likely need to break the lease to look for a safer house, and I have no idea about the best steps to take to save as much money as we can in doing so.

Has anybody been in a similar situation or have any advice?

Hi team need advice from non handy person.

Property manager refuses to get plumber…

1. The taps and flanges in shower alcove are not flush with wall-water runs straight into wall cavity. There is already mold and termite damage. Can I fill with spray foam the. Water proof sellys? Gaps around both taps can put car keys into (gaps car key width.

2. There is a bath facet installed in the Landry (short stubby one. It’s too close to the wall to fill a bucket how do I take it out and put a proper one in?

3. The faucet in vanity song is too large - it hits the basin and sprays goin of person washing hands and creates splashes on floor-slip hazard for friend who lives there.

We have waited since February to move in and are couch surfing. We are done waiting.

Advice direction on where to find videos etc- liek everyone plumbers are hard to get for this shitty little jobs

Many thanks

I know we tend to shit on the ol' REA pretty happily in this sub - myself included, but I wondered today if we have actually asked our fellow REA redditors these kinds of questions about what they do and why...

What i'd really like to understand is:

1. Why did you become a rental agent? From what I can tell, none of you really want to be doing what you're doing. The majority don't seem to take any joy in helping or engaging with other humans in a largely people-facing role, it appears to be pretty thankless and about average wage, and I'm sure you cop a lot of flak from disgruntled tenants and owners alike. What's the appeal? What drives you to show up to work everyday?(In b4 "gotta pay the bills" - I get it, we all need a job, but why this one?).

2. What would you attribute to the common experience of many renters struggling to get their REA to actually do what they're apparently being paid to do in a timely and satisfactory manner?
   i.e why is it so hard to get urgent repairs seen to? why are so many simple and routine things regularly missed? why do they just "forget" about requests for information, replies to emails, giving notice of various notifiable events, and so on? Why are they seemingly able to continually fail to meet the basic requirements of their job with impunity?

3. What do you feel that you/your REA does well? For one, I can see a lot of effort goes into exit reports and ensuring vacating tenants are pinned with the maximum that can be passed on to them while upon entry it's pretty minimal. Are there other things like entry condition reports that take up a lot of resource, time and energy? Why are those things prioritised over supporting tenants in so many cases?

I anticipate a lot of this is systemic and not always a case of individual incompetence or lack of care, but I really just want some first-hand insight as to what it is like for you guys so maybe I think twice about the increasingly frustrated tone of my email before sending the 5th one in 3 days to our agent about our leaking hot water tank. I struggle to think of another industry where the individuals/businesses operating in it can fail so regularly with more-or-less 0 consequence.

As a renter, I know we have rights, but I'm also aware that rocking the boat can often end up in your lease not being renewed, so unfortunately going to the RTA for every failure isn't really viable. With that in mind, what do you think needs to change? What would you like to see improve in the REA you work for or the industry as a whole? What would help you access the motivation/time/resources to do the job properly?

Cheers

Hi guys.

I see a lot of rentals with no planned inspection date. Is it worth applying for these? As I have been told that only people who inspect the property have a chance of being considered.

Thank you :)

Hi all, I’m about to break my lease due to a serious structural noise issue that has not been addressed or properly looked into since it was raised over two months ago.

Would like some advice:

- Is there a chance to have the break fee waived (either completely or partially) in this case? The break fee is $3000 so it is a lot.

- Can I claim my bond in full after retuning the keys then wait for the agent to dispute? In that case would it be up to them to apply to the tribunal (NCAT)?

I’ve checked various sources incl. my lease agreement and terms, Tenancies Act and information on official websites and it all suggests to me it is a grey area so I’m not so confident in getting my money back through the tribunal process. Thus I don’t want to waste the tribunal fees.

I’ve collected all the email correspondence from the past two months indicating very little action taken to resolve the issue. However, I don’t have written evidence showing the landlord’s reluctance to take further actions. The property manager implied that acoustic testing would be costly in a face to face conversation but it wasn’t put in writing.

Would appreciate some advice as to where do I go from here. Many thanks.

same as title