Estate Agents and their lies.....

There are some bad 'uns out there, just cover your ar*e! If something isnt perfect then mark it down on the inspection report, you''ve got nowt to lose! lenore got bit, so did I, as someone once said to me, don't trust anyone, they''ll lying so and sos!!

Sorry Lenore but it sounds like you allowed your agents to take you for a ride, as a tenant there is a responsibility on yourself as well as an agent to act within the Residential Tenancy Act. I am in no way saying that agents are sweet and innocent and just misunderstood but I in no way believe that they are all out to scam money from people and have no morals. (I am sure there are a percentage of them like that, just as there are in the UK)

Forewarned is forearmed as they say, I would suggest that if you are entering into any agreement or contract that you would have found and read the relevant acts/laws/etc and ensure that everything was within those guidelines and refuse to sign anything you don't think is right. By signing a form which says everything was in good condition, a court would be unable to find in your favour, any adjustments that you made to the form, that we're not signed off by the agents, would be disregarded (no telling when you added them)

If an agent gave a tradie the key to let them selves into my house without my permission I would have been into that agent office ASAP and telling them you would be making official complaints and reports, the fact that it went on 'weekly for several months' is, I am sorry but, madness! If someone let themselves into my house when I was in bed, or anytime, I would have called the police and reported an intruder.

There is Tenancy Agreement Act in Australia and Agents must practice within this, but it goes for the tenant as well.

I feel very sorry for people who have a nightmare with real estate agents and end up fighting for what is right, even when they do everything right, it obviously does happen, maybe more here? Who knows?

I NEVER signed an Initial Inspection Report without my comments on the property condition, please read my posts more carefully. I always write my comments on the report, I keep the copies of the report both on paper and on the hard disk. Still, after I make those comments and sign, the agents don't come back to verify, I don't even know if/how they sign off those changes. I assume from the legal point they agree with my comments then... Still. one agent came for the final inspection with HIS clean/good report, not the one signed by me... The inspection passed. But if it had failed and I wouldn't have had MY signed copy of the report I could have been in trouble, because apparently the agent was hoping to use HIS copy instead.

Also, I know the Residential Tenancy Act , during the final inspection (by the rude agent) I was asking several times, showing my copy of the Initial Inspection Report and the agent refused to use it at all! I complained to her agency about it (quoting Residential Tenancy Act) , but her boss didn't see anything wrong about it either! I called the Tribunal as well and they wouldn't even answer my one and only question - whether the agent is obliged to use the Initial Inspection Report during the final inspection. They only kept repeating one sentence that if you don't agree with something you can bring it to Tribunal...

In case of the Initial Inspection Sheet and the agents putting everything good/clean - it is a legal document and should never have false or misleading information. Fines should apply, because it is obviously frequently misused to get money from the tenants after the lease. By that I'm NOT saying I don't want to verify the report - every document to be signed needs verification. Also, I didn't say ALL Australian agents I'be met are evil - I even gave an example.

I'm sorry - I don't want to spam this topic with paraphrasing or explaining my previous posts. I told the facts from my experience and possible reason for such a situation, that's it.

Lenore any initial inspection report that is not signed by the agent and the tennant is not worth the paper it is writen on and would not stand up in court. An inspection form should have an area for both the agent and the tennent to initial for each thing in the house, the same sheet is then used to carry out a final inspection. There is a format set out by the SA government and all inspection sheets should follow this format. If an inspection report is given to a tennant, already filled in, the said tennant obviously needs to check the condition (either with or without the agent present) they are then able to make ammendments which the agent needs to sign each of or retype the report with the changes then, and only then, should the tennant sign the report. These are the forms https://www.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/9836/Inspection_sheet.pdf

The Tenancies Tribunal would never enter into giving telephone advice to anyone, in order to have them look at a case you would have to bring the case, that is the same for any tribunal body.

Claire-n-tel

The fact there are regulations about the inspections and inspection reports doesn't mean the agents follow them. The fact I knew my rights didn't improve the agents behaviours. I can't force the agents to do their job correctly, I gave you examples. I can only try to cover my a... and support any changes in better control of the agencies. They do what they want because they are not afraid, there isn't enough control simply. Also, I didn't ask tribunal info about any advice. I asked about my right, I assumed they should know Residential Tenancy Act and confirm.

Please talk to me questions on priv if you want to carry on, because I really don't want to dominate this topic with my (similar) posts.