A Sydney landlord has faced strong criticism for demanding a tenant to cover a $1,000 repair cost for what they described as an 'almost invisible' scratch on a floorboard.
A photo of the scratch was shared on Reddit, where the tenant expressed their disbelief, stating,'Just want to ask if it sounds ridiculous to you that my landlord wants to charge $1,000 for a minimal scratch on a panel of a timber floor?' she wrote.
'Her plan is to remove and redo the whole flooring because I’ve unintentionally made a scratch on a panel, I repeat, a minimal almost invisible scratch on one of the panel.'
Following a week of negotiations between the tenant, their partner, the real estate agent, and the landlord, an agreement was reached. The landlord argued that the damage was significant enough to warrant replacing the entire floor, but they eventually agreed to pay $500.
The tenant feeling upset about not pursuing the matter further noted that it didn't seem worth the time and effort, saying, 'We decided to close the case with the agents and paid $500.' They also mentioned they could have taken the issue to the NSW Civil & Administrative Tribunal but chose not to do so. The tenant received support and advice from the online community regarding their situation.
Some believe that homeowners making such claims must provide evidence of the repairs they made.
Others argue that the only way to safeguard the bond is by meticulously photographing each surface.
One person said: This is all fair wear and tear. It should not be an issue for the tenant. Landlords get tax relief for depreciation and ( replacement if is an OH& S issue).
A second commented: Most landlords are greedy. When a renter becomes a landlord she/he becomes greedy too. Money and power are always corrupt.
A third wrote: People need to know their rights, fair wear and tear is allowed for and Tennant does not have to replace or repair where it is normal wear and tear. It's why the landlord gets depreciation.
Someone else wrote: General wear and tear. I've had an experience like this. Yet our last landlord was absolutely lovely and very helpful.
Another said: They won't even fix this if being rented again the new tenant has to. make sure to take a video of everything diary thing happened years ago re scratches on the floor took money out of bond to fix friend went and inspected to rent they didn't fix it before rending again.
