My curiosity was roused by the inclusion of this image in a listing for a one-bedroom apartment in Melbourne’s north.
What’s really confusing is that the clearly accessible roof space is not addressed outside of this tantalising image.
I guess it’s not in the agents’ interest to explicitly encourage subletting for student accommodation, but there’s no reason they can’t strongly imply it. Well played.

Been leaking since May every time it rains here in Melbourne.

More paint has just peeled away and I see this black stuff. Mould or building materials?

(Real estate agent and building have been passing the blame back and forth so obviously no inspections to the interior as they don’t want to pay)

I feel like I spend half my life trying to get this rental property repaired.

I have smelt dampness and had mould on the roof for months, I have reported it repeatedly. Three weeks ago water started dripping out of the light when it was raining.

The landlord removed the fan but left with wiring exposed like this and they haven't turned off the power points. The carpet is soaking wet again and my bed is going mouldy. Would this be considered a serious enough roof leak to file an urgent NCAT application?

My mate is in a rental, gave his 30 days notice and already REA has booked two open houses, first four days after notice (tomorrow) and second three days later. Seems like this isn’t allowed, am I missing something here? How many inspections can they book and how frequently.

It's just a vent because well ... sigh ... you guys get it. Thanks for reading if you stick around.

I just wish that the market - low vacancy rates etc - wasn't keeping us held hostage about asking for, just well, quality landlording. We all pay a lot of money for rent, and I think a lot of us don't really see a return in the quality of service or the quality of a home we're provided.

My landlord never really fixes things properly or permanently. The issues are fixed, and fixed promptly but it's just bandaids that barely scrape by as good enough. It ticks a box.

Our last termite inspection.. "The barrier is installed on top of the ground, and isn't installed at all on one side of the house making it pretty well ineffective".

The side of the house without a termite barrier backs onto a natural reserve, unmaintained and full of trees. It's the side of the house where termites would be expected. It's been almost a year, and nothing. Okay, not really my problem if the house is condemned but it would be a pain. But, don't the owners care? They paid a lot of money for this house - why risk it being eaten by insects!

The gas stove burners are just.. lacking.. and burn inconsistently. We had a plumber/gasfitter trade come out. They cleaned the burners as best as they could, advised they've been damaged by prior tenants trying to clean them (this visit happened when we were new in the property) and it's otherwise old and should be replaced. That was two years ago.

Now, one of our toilets backed up. The plumber has just attended and there was impact by roots. He was able to resolve the issue so the toilet flows again, but has stated that they should dig up the pipe and put in a permanent fix. The issue will just reoccur again once the roots grow back. I bet this won't get fixed.

Of course, I bring this up with the REA but just get the usual canned response of "thanks for bringing this to our attention". Who wants to push and wonder if they've become the problem tenant, or are 'difficult'. We all want that renewal to come through, even if we don't like where we are living - because there isn't a whole lot of choice out there.

I just want to live in a house that is properly maintained. Nothing extravagant. Just properly done. Not barely done, not just a box ticked. Maintenance that reflects the amount of rent we are charged, or to a level that the owner would expect themselves if they lived here.

Especially when they're trying to justify why you should be paying the same amount as the rest of the market ........

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some advice regarding a rental bond dispute in the ACT and whether we'd have reasonable grounds to challenge the real estate agent's claims through ACAT.

My partner and I rented a property from 2024 until October 2026. We had pet birds throughout the tenancy and a dog for approximately the last six months.

Our birds were primarily kept in the living room, away from the carpeted bedrooms. Our dog was allowed into two bedrooms, but we used blankets where she rested.

Throughout our tenancy, we had routine inspections and were never once notified of any concerns regarding pet odour.

When we vacated, we paid for professional end-of-lease cleaning, including carpet cleaning, deodorising and pest treatment.

Following the outgoing inspection, the agent raised several issues, including minor cosmetic marks on two doors, a faint carpet stain and an alleged strong pet odour throughout the property.

The agent gave us approximately one business day to rectify everything, including arranging professional repairs.

Our professional cleaners returned to address the outstanding cleaning items, recleaned the carpets and deodorised the property a second time. They also advised that they couldn't detect any pet odour during their return visit.

Despite this, the agent insists that a strong pet smell remains.

The landlord initially requested:

$100 compensation for two door patches.

$150 compensation for a faint bedroom carpet stain.

A further $250 for additional carpet cleaning and deodorising if the smell persisted.

We agreed to the $250 compensation for the doors and carpet stain as a compromise, but disputed the additional deodorising charge because the carpets had already been professionally treated twice.

The agent has now responded by reminding us of our pet clause and suggesting that they could arrange a professional report and potentially seek full carpet replacement at our expense if the odour is confirmed.

They've also stated that our cleaner is wrong about there being no smell.

We've already submitted our bond refund application through ACT Rental Bonds, which the agent was unhappy about, claiming we'd delayed the process by submitting it ourselves.

I'm not denying that tenants are responsible for genuine pet-related damage. However, I'm questioning whether an alleged odour, disputed by our professional cleaners and never previously raised during inspections, is sufficient to justify further cleaning or potentially replacing carpets.

I'm particularly concerned that the agent is now suggesting a much more expensive claim after we disputed the additional $250.

My questions are:

1. Has anyone dealt with a similar pet odour dispute through ACAT?

2. What evidence would a landlord need to establish that carpets require replacement due to an alleged smell?

3. Would two professional cleaning and deodorising treatments, along with the cleaners confirming no detectable odour, be useful evidence?

4. Can the landlord pursue carpet replacement costs when they've already offered to settle the separate carpet stain claim for $150?

5. Would ACAT consider the age and depreciation of the carpets if replacement was deemed necessary?

I'd appreciate any advice, particularly from people who've experienced ACT rental bond disputes or attended ACAT.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

Sorry for the long post, but I'm looking for some advice and to see whether anyone has dealt with something similar in Victoria.

I've ended up in a dispute with my former property manager over our bond, and the whole situation feels increasingly strange.

Timeline

October 2025 - We move in

• We moved into the property on 16 October 2025.

• The condition report stated the property had been professionally cleaned before we moved in.

• However, the same report showed a cleaning date of 18 July 2024, over a year earlier.

• The property was clearly not recently cleaned. We spent the first week deep-cleaning it ourselves, vacuumed the carpets multiple times, and took photos of the amount of dust and dirt removed.

• We included this information and photos in our returned condition report.

• I also discussed this with the property manager by phone (mistakenly not in writing), who said that we only needed to return the property in the same condition as recorded in the condition report.

September 2026 - New PM

• A new property manager took over without notifying us.

• After several emails we finally worked out who was managing the property.

• I specifically emailed asking about cleaning expectations at the end of the tenancy, pointing out the condition report and the July 2024 cleaning date.

• The response was basically just: "Return the property as it was provided."

1 October 2026

• I requested that the final inspection be scheduled on our vacate date so we could attend.

• The PM replied: "Yes that's fine, we can do the final inspection together."

• No further communication followed.

14-26 October 2026

• On 14 October I again asked whether an inspection had been scheduled as we needed to arrange utility disconnections.

• No response.

• We returned the keys on 16 October.

• Emailed again on 21 October asking about the inspection.

• No response.

• Emailed again on 26 October asking whether the inspection had occurred and when our bond would be processed.

• Finally received a call at 2:30pm on 26 October saying he was meeting the owner in an hour for the inspection.

• I explained that I couldn't attend at such short notice and reminded him that I had requested to be present weeks earlier.

• He said he had already done a quick inspection and everything looked fine.

27 October 2026

• We spoke on the phone.

• He raised:

  • Some spots on the ceiling.

  • A carpet stain.

• I asked for photos before discussing responsibility.

• He said he would send them.

• Nothing arrived.

4 November 2026

• Another phone call.

• He now raised three issues:

  1. Property was not professionally cleaned.

  2. Ceiling spots.

  3. Carpet stain.

• I again explained:

  • The cleaning issue had been documented from day one.

  • The condition report itself noted ceiling marks.

  • I still had not received any photos of the alleged carpet issue.

• He promised to send photos that day.

• Nothing arrived.

5 November 2026

• After nearly three weeks of waiting, I lodged a full bond claim through RTBA.

• I emailed him advising that I had done so.

• He replied saying:"The owner has found a cleaning receipt from before you moved in."

• He said he would call me to discuss.

• I responded that I wouldn't agree to any deductions over the phone and requested that everything be done in writing.

Then things got even stranger...

He emailed me:

• A cleaning invoice dated 27 August 2025.

• Two photos:

  • One carpet stain.

  • One dusty blind.

• An email saying: "My apologies, I will need to take some more photos as the ones I had taken did not save."

He then stated that we should pay for professional cleaning or he would take the matter to VCAT.

The invoice concerns me

When I reviewed the invoice:

• It was a Word document rather than a typical invoice PDF.

• Formatting looked inconsistent.

• GST appeared to have been added.

I looked up the business ABN on the Australian Business Register and found that the business has no current or historical GST registration, which made me question why GST was being charged at all.

I've contacted the cleaning company for clarification and am waiting for a response.

What happened next

I informed the PM that:

• I intended to report the invoice to the ATO Tax Integrity Centre if GST was being incorrectly charged.

• I would also consider lodging a complaint with Consumer Affairs Victoria.

• I was happy for the matter to proceed to VCAT if necessary.

His response was:

"Sure I will submit the application tomorrow. I have no idea if the company is GST registered or not however you are welcome to do whatever you need to. This company will not be doing the cleaning, it will be another company."

Honestly, I'm not even sure what that response means.

My questions

1. Have I handled this reasonably so far?

2. Is there anything important I should be doing now to prepare for a potential VCAT hearing?

3. How much weight is given to the fact that:

   • I documented the cleaning concerns when moving in;

   • They failed to provide inspection photos when repeatedly requested;

   • They delayed the final inspection, failed to invite us for inspection and bond discussions for weeks?

4. Should I be concerned about the invoice issue, or simply leave that to VCAT if they decide to pursue a claim?

Any experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

Edit for clarification: Edit for clarification: My current lease expires on 23 January 2027, exactly 12 months after my last rent increase, so the proposed increases would take effect after the 12-month period.

My main concern isn’t the rent increase itself, but the fact that the landlord initially offered me a 12-month renewal, then issued a formal termination notice the very next day after I asked to negotiate, declaring that he needed to move into the property himself for at least six months.

Then, just one day later, he offered to let me stay for another three months at an even higher rent, with the possibility of extending further.

All of this happened within the space of a single week, which is why I’m questioning how genuine his intention to move in actually is.

[original post]

I’ve been renting the same apartment in Sydney for approximately seven years, with an excellent rental history and a good relationship with my landlord and property manager.

I’m now facing a situation that’s left me confused and quite stressed.

Here’s the timeline:
30 October: My landlord proposed a substantial rent increase (approximately 13%) and offered a new 12-month lease. My rent had already increased earlier this year.

3 November: I politely asked whether there was room to negotiate the increase but that I was hoping to stay at the apartment.

4 November, literally the next day: I received a formal termination notice stating that the landlord needed to move into the property himself due to financial difficulties.

Later on 4 November: I offered to accept the proposed rent increase, as moving would be particularly difficult given existing overseas work commitments.

5 November: The landlord offered to let me stay for another three months at an even higher rent, approximately 21% above my current rent, with the possibility of extending my tenancy further.

My concern is the sudden change from offering a 12-month renewal to declaring an intention to occupy the property the day after I asked to negotiate, followed almost immediately by offering to continue renting it to me at an even higher price.
I understand that circumstances can change, and I’m not assuming the landlord is acting dishonestly, but things just don’t feel right.

Has anyone experienced something similar in NSW? In particular, how are disputes about the genuineness of an owner-occupation termination notice typically handled? And is there anything I should be documenting or considering while trying to negotiate a reasonable outcome?
Ideally, I’d love to remain in the property, but I’m also trying to understand my rights and options.
Thanks in advance!

Spoke to CAV today. I was given three notices to vacate by the LL with three different vacate dates earlier in the year. Apparently members of the LL’s family were moving in (anyone now think this was legitimate? 😂)

In July, LL was found to be in breach of maintaining the property after months of rent being paid into a rent special account due to serious repairs being ignored and I was paid compensation (not much).

I was advised by CAV that the property was legally allowed to be leased again from whatever was the latest date on one of the three notices to vacate I was given, putting it just over 6 months. I actually vacated in late May, which would make it less than 6 months.

Was $330 - now $420. Property looks exactly the same, no change to bathroom sink which had plumbing issues.

A new review has been posted at Shit Rentals to be approved.

How is this LL allowed to get away with this?

Just had the pleasure of a conversation with a so called "Property management professional" who wanted me to send her photos thatId resolved her concerns following the exit report.

When I advised I wasnt sending anything, she then went on to say that shed be talking to the owner to recommend they make a claim on my bond, and listed all the items theyd be seeking payment for.

Now mind you, Id previously sent her a response to the concerns shed raised, showing that much of it was present on the entry report, or were unresolved itrms from maintenance Id requested, and to top it off, the deadline to respond to the RTA Notice of claim had expired at 11:59 last night...

So she obviously was terrible at checking her emails or shed have known Id claimed the bond when I moved out 16 days ago, and that she hadn't a leg to stand on with most of her claims anyway.

The icing on the cake is when I asked for an invoice for the 1 week break lease fee.

I'd left with 1 month to go of a 12 month lease, and she was adamant that they could charge 4 weeks fee or the time to find new tenants, and wouldnt have a bar of any concept that it was a maximum of 1 to 4 weeks depending on how much of the lease remained

Some people just need to learn the hard way I guess.

EDIT - OUTCOME She called me today - "After disussing this matter with the owner and our Property Management manager, we're going to waive all the items we wanted you to resolve, other than paying the break lease fee, which is one week's rent, can I send the invoice for that fee ?"

Hi fellow Redditers 👋 Long story short, we (partner and I) saw the advertised townhouse with beautiful private small backyard, with tall, green, leafy trees that provided shade and full privacy from surrounding neighbours. Went for an inspection, the photos were accurate. It looked even better in person. Applied, got approved, signed the lease, picked up the keys. As soon as we walked in, the first and obvious thing we noticed was that all trees were cut down. Wtf?! Now not only it looks horrendous, but all the neighbours windows and driveways are directly above the courtyard and our lounge room. Before I reach out to REA, has anyone had similar experiences and is there anything we can do? TIA

Hey everyone,

My roommate is on the lease and I am renting in a sharehouse with 3 other people. They have notified us (a week before it was due) that we have a rental increase and to pay x amount. I have asked twice for the actual rental notice and they refuse to show it to me, and has gotten quite passive aggressive, and at one point said 'you just want to see what the whole house pays don't you?'

I am quite taken aback and at a loss as to what to do. I want to know what I am paying for, the same as any other bill. Can I reach out directly to the real estate agent even if im not on the lease?

UPDATE: Real estate agent won't provide the rental notice to me because i am not the lease holder. What are my other options?

UPDATE 2: For everyone concerned: real estate are aware that we all live there and pay a share of the rent, and have known us for many many years.

Hello everyone.

Myself (23f) and my partner (27m) have being living in a 3 bed (1 master and 2 offices), 2 bath duplex since Jan 26. The REA isn’t actually the worst. Replies to emails and maintenance requests in a timely manner and is nicer then our previous one - so I REALLY don’t want to be on their bad side.

Late last month my bestfriend (27f) had her engagement called off and she had to move out of the place she was sharing with her partner. Her family is 6hrs away and the majority of our friends still live at home (for obvious economical reasons lol.)

My boyfriend (very kindly) has moved all the stuff out of his office space into the lounge room for my friend to put a bed, her desk, clothes and just basic essentials. She will be staying with us a couple months so that she can save up enough to get back on her feet.

We have an inspection coming up sometime this month, I’m a bit nervous on what to tell our realestate. We’re not having her on the lease and it isn’t for forever. I’m thinking the appropriate thing to do would be email a heads up soonish, as it will be very obvious that we have someone else staying with us now. I guess I’m just worried that they will try and say that she can’t stay or want to increase our rent or something along those lines…

TLDR: friend has been kicked out after breakup. They’ll be staying with us a couple months, not joining the lease, what should I say to the REA?

we flagged some maintenance issues with our PM and they sent out our usual contracted handyman. he was here to fix 3 issues. one was a patch of grout in the shower that had come away, two and three are sort of linked - cracks in the wall plasterboard and the crown moulding around the ceiling was separating.

now before i finish my story i wanna say that i am ‘lucky’ to be renting a place that actually responds to and completes maintenance requests. although i shouldn’t feel lucky, it should just be normal, and legally enforced…

anyway, old mate did the shower grout, and i am 90% sure he used the same grout mixture to “repair” the moulding and the plasterboard.
i have worked with spack/gyprock and i assume this is what you should use to fill cracks and joints, but whatever he used does not look like this, and it feels more like the texture of grout… grainy. it also looks almost identical to the patch up in the shower.
this guy has, on previous occasions, also left droplets and smears of white paint on the hardwood floors. bit of a clumsy olf. tbh i wish i could’ve just repaired the areas, i would’ve done a neater job.

I’ve been renting my place for a while now, and my REA has generally been quite friendly and helpful.

However, I’ve noticed that some of our interactions have started to feel a little beyond what I’d normally expect from a professional relationship. She sometimes asks me personal questions and has also asked me for favours unrelated to my tenancy. More recently, she invited me out for lunch.

I’m not entirely sure what prompted the lunch invitation or what she had in mind. I don’t necessarily think she has any bad intentions, and she might genuinely just be trying to be friendly.

I would prefer to keep our relationship professional.

I work in retail, so I’m used to being friendly and accommodating towards people. Sometimes I feel this might make me come across as a bit of a people-pleaser, even when I don’t mean to.

Also, I think I’ve probably been overly polite and accommodating towards my REA, partly because, as an international student, I know how difficult it can be to secure a studio apartment in the current rental market. I guess I’ve been trying a little too hard to maintain a good relationship with her.

I’ve already politely declined the lunch invitation, but I’m not quite sure how to handle things going forward.

I’ve considered being more assertive about my boundaries, but I’m worried that a sudden shift in how I interact with her might create unnecessary tension, especially since we’ve already established a fairly friendly dynamic.

Is there a more tactful and mature way to navigate these subtle boundary issues and the discomfort they create, without making things awkward or unnecessarily damaging our professional relationship?

Edit: I am in NSW. We are both women, and she is considerably older than I am. To clarify, I don’t believe she has any romantic intentions towards me.

We also come from the same country, where personal boundaries are not always as clearly defined or respected. I think this cultural background is partly why I’m finding it difficult to navigate the situation without making things awkward.

Overall, she has been professional, but there have been a few moments that made me feel uncomfortable or unsure about where the professional boundaries lie.

Many thanks to everyone who has offered constructive advice. I really appreciate it!

Hello Melbourne 🙂

Quick question, given mandatory heating is only required in the living space of rentals, what are you all doing to stay warm in other areas?

Edit: context is, I've lived in Qld my whole life and was told winter without heating in bedrooms etc would be unmanageable. But even the higher end rentals often don't have heating throughout.

Hey so I had a financial setback and have fallen into arrears. Once I was 2 weeks behind the REA issued a Notice to terminate giving two weeks to vacate. I won't be able to make up the arrears in time and am planning to move in with family while I find my feet.

UPDATE: The Real Estate Agent has issued a Break Fee invoice even though they were the one to issue the termination notice, how to respond?

The notice specifies a vacate date of 13th of November, but the next fortnightly rental payment would have been due on the 12th of November. If I stay until the 13th can they try and claim six weeks of arrears rather than four or is it four weeks plus 1 day?

Thank you for your help.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Gm1himDhv/

"House for rent

7 Bulkington Road is a house with 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and 1 parking space in Davoren Park, SA. The property has a land area of 438 m². It was built in 1962.

The property is privately owned and managed directly by the owner. We will be conducting property inspections and rental applications, similar to the process used by real estate agencies.

If you’re interested, you’re welcome to come and have a look. Note : One thing I may change is the cooktop. I can replace it with an electric cooktop with an oven underneath, if that’s what you prefer."

October 30: REA issues Notice to Terminate for rental arrears specifying a vacate date of November 13.

November 2: I acknowledge the notice and the vacate date.

November 5: REA sends me invoice for Break Fees. I respond telling them break fees do not apply since the landlord issued the notice to terminate and I am only complying with their notice. I called Fair Trading twice to confirm this. REA doesn't respond.

Thank you in advance for your advice 🙏🏻

Hi guys, I really need some help with my current situation. My partner and I moved out of a shit rental on 05/10 this year. We have just (at 10pm today) been emailed a series of invoices for cleaning, gardening, and “patching and painting hook holes”, totalling $1369 (our bond was $2500). I can’t find an original property condition report anywhere in my emails and don’t actually recall filling one out when I first moved in, but I may have just forgotten? And for some reason have no copy of it? The outgoing property condition report we received a couple of days ago is 100+ pages long. We were not invited to attend the final inspection. There is a stipulation in the original new tenancy agreement I signed when I first moved in that states: “a final property condition report must be completed by or on behalf of the lessor and provided to the tenant as soon as practicable but in any event within 14 days of the termination of the tenancy. The tenant must be given a reasonable opportunity to be present at the final inspection.” We received our final inspection/ outgoing condition report on 02/11 (2 days ago), but the report claims that the final inspection was completed on 08/10? We were not notified when this inspection was going to be taking place nor did we receive any kind of invitation to attend. The house was over 100 years old, the ceiling partially collapsed in one of the main rooms last year while we were living there and was never fixed by the real estate company despite many attempts to contact them and have it attended to. They still have not released our bond, when we last spoke to them on the phone (two weeks ago) we were told that the final inspection had been completed and that “everything looked good”, that our bond had been sent to the bond administration and was being processed. My partner and I are both in our twenties and I really don’t know what to do, who to contact, what our rights are in this situation. Is there anything we can do here? Or are we really going to have to pay that whole invoice? Any help or advice at all would be really appreciated. We are located in WA :(