Luxury seller’s rental nightmare

After selling their home of 10 years, this family was confronted by the truth of renting a high-end property for the first time.

Brisbane mum-of-four Liz Amaya has shared her rental experience

Mother-of-four Liz Amaya was shocked by the condition of the Brisbane rental property she secured after selling their family home.

Having never rented before, Liz and her husband, both experienced property buyers, assumed their first foray into the rental market would be straightforward.

Instead, she says they were left reeling by the filthy condition and long list of flaws at the $1,350-a-week luxury house in Stretton in the city’s south.

The Amayas had recently sold their six-bedroom house of 10 years in Forestdale for $1.68m and decided to rent in a new area before purchasing again.

The house looked immaculate in the listing photos

It was a premium property at a premium price

“We paid full bond, rent in advance, and agreed to start the tenancy earlier than we needed to. We thought we were paying a premium for a premium property — or at the least one that works and isn’t a safety hazard for our four children,” Ms Amaya said.

“The house is beautiful, but it simply shouldn’t be rented in this state. I just wonder if the landlord is even aware of what’s happening under his roof.

“Or is this what people have to put up with?”

Ms Amaya shared a list of 14 items found at the entry inspection.

They included a broken front door lock, forcing the family to enter via the garage.

The dishwasher door was snapped off its hinge, and the ducted A/C was leaking water down the wall.

But the home was not in good working order, Ms Amaya says

The pool was green and covered in algae, and essential items like toilet seats, bathroom fittings, lights and fences were broken, she says.

“I then had to spend $1,000 on a full bond clean to make the property presentable so we could start moving our furniture and possessions,” Ms Amaya said.

She said they initially inspected the property with eight other groups during a short open home viewing, and assumed the house would be properly cleaned and any maintenance issues addressed prior to a new lease being signed.

The property manager has since made efforts to address the issues, and had never even been to the property before their visit after Ms Amaya raised her concerns, she said.

One of the photos Ms Amaya took during the entry inspection

She made a list of issues to be remedied by the property manager

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As a stylist and real estate professional herself, Ms Amaya said the experience has given her another insight into Brisbane’s tight rental market, where vacancy hovers around 1 per cent, giving landlords the upper hand in areas where few properties are available.

PropTrack data shows the median rental price of $850 a week in Stretton rose 6.3 per cent over the past 12 months.

In the past month, 13 houses were listed to rent in the suburb, with 325 renters interested in each property.

Originally published as Luxury seller’s rental nightmare