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4 months ago
17
A Sydney property manager is taking a former tenant to a tribunal because she refused to pay for professional cleaners at the end of her lease.
The former tenant, Sally Coleman, insists she did everything right, spending days meticulously cleaning the property after vacating.
'We spent days mopping the floors, we cleaned every single window downstairs, upstairs,' she explained in a video posted to social media.
'We scrubbed every toilet, every bathroom, wiped every shower. We mowed the lawns, clipped the front hedges.'
However, when the agent visited for the end-of-lease inspection, they noticed minor issues, such as dusty cupboards and tiny hairs on the floor.
As a result, the property manager called in a professional to clean the property again.
The cleaners charged $1,100, which Ms Coleman refused to pay.
'I obviously disagree with this because we spent days cleaning this property, we went all out.'
Ms Coleman argues that the photos taken by the agent during the inspection, which were meant to support the need for professional cleaning, actually show that her cleaning job was good enough.
Former Triple J host Sally Coleman (pictured) stated that she meticulously cleaned the property after vacating at the end of her lease. Despite this, her real estate agent brought in professional cleaners and billed her $1,100
Ms Coleman and her housemates spent days cleaning their home for the final inspection, only for the agent to point out minor flaws with her clean
Ms Coleman revealed that her and her housemates' bond, totalling about $6,500, is now being withheld until the tribunal finalises the matter.
'It's essentially being held to ransom until we sort this out,' she said.
'So I know this is wrong, I know that they can't do this.'
Many Aussies sympathised with Ms Coleman's plight.
'I'm an ex-property manager. They should have given you an opportunity to go back and clean what they pointed out first. They should have not just sent cleaners in,' one explained.
'Your bond is not held by the real estate agent, it is held by the Rental Bond Authority for this exact reason.
Ms Coleman claims the real estate agent said the toilet was not clean
She said the agent highlighted this speck of dirt as a reason for requiring professional cleaners for the property
'Take your photos and condition report with you to the Tribunal. Mention that they did not give you an opportunity to fix any problems yourself first. Good luck.'
A second added: We went to tribunal and won. The agents bet on you being threatened and backing out, but don't be. Just keep your cool and stick to the facts.
A third agreed and said: 'Tribunals more often than not rule in favour of the tenant —they can see what's going on.'
A forth said: 'I've found they'll do this when you don't use the 'recommended' cleaner they're getting a kick back from.
'I've had it happen when I used a different professional cleaner, just not the one they wanted me to use.'
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This hair in the bathroom was pointed out as a reason why professional cleaners were deemed necessary
English (US)