It pays the tennant to live carefully

Press, 16 August 1978, Page 16

It pays the tennant to live carefully

Most tenancy agree’ ments make provision for fair wear and tear and an owner expects that, within a period of years, money must be spent — as it would be in his own home for the same purpose — to bring the premises back to the original living conditions. Provision is made in the owner’s estimates of costs for such expenditure and often he will take advantage of a change of tenants to spend money on freshening up the place before new tenants move in.

But it becomes a shock when vandals take charge and completely wreck sometimes new premises.

This does not happen,very often, but from time to time we hear of damage running into thousands of dollars caused by ruthless or careless occupiers. When vandals or rival gangs start they really tear a place apart. One real estate agent said, after viewing the result of such an orgy, that a herd of elephants could hardly have done worse. In some cases interiors have been wrecked, walls torn and same of the utilities misused, damaged or stolen. Some units have been left in such a filthy condition as to suggest that the occupants were not human. Unfortunately it is difficult to catch up with

those responsible for this kind of damage because this sort of person leaves suddenly without paying rent, electric power or telephone bills. Something must be allowed for the mainten-

ance of rental accommodation for even the most careful leave signs of their occupation, if it is a lengthy one. Wallpaper fades, carpets fray after some years and attention must bp given to exterior painting.

People who are known by an agent as being good tenants are invariably given greater consideration. Many have been left undisturbed in their flats or houses for many years, while rent increases have been very small compared with what may be the average for the area and type of accommodation involved. We know that in some cases good tenants have remained undisturbed for 10 or 12 years without being asked to pay more rent because under® standing owners have realised that their properties are being well cared for. In other words it pays the tenant in the long run to treat his rental premises with care. Undependables, on the other hand, become known for a bad record which will eventually catch up with them. It is sometimes difficult enough in a time of housing shortage for good tenants coming to a new area to find suitable accommodation, but they will have a better chance if they have some evidence of satisfactory past association with former landlords.

LOOKING AT REAL ESTATE By the Real Estate Institute