Fury over landlord’s reason for wanting to evict mother and two young children

A Victorian landlord has been slammed for their reason for wanting to evict a mother and her two young kids.

A Victorian landlord has been slammed for wanting to evict a mother and her two young kids from their home because the husband plans to move out.

The landlord took to a Facebook group to ask for advice after finding out the married couple renting their four bedroom property for $640 per week were going through a divorce.

They assumed the mother would not be able to afford the rent on her own as the husband planned to move out of the house.

“My property manager mentioned that I can’t evict the mother and children, even though the new lease will only be in her name,” the landlord wrote.

“ … The property manager also told me that the mother will be receiving support from Centrelink, but I can’t request any financial proof according to my PM.

“The current rent is $640 per week, and I’m concerned she may struggle to pay rent soon. Since I can’t evict her, what options do I have?”

’I can’t evict the mother and children’ the landlord wrote, prompting fierce backlash.

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The Facebook group is described as “a support group for all those Landlord’s (sic) who have had problematic tenants and finds the justice system too much in favour of the tenant”.

But the post was reshared on Reddit to Australians horrified by the landlord’s desire to evict the mother and children before they had actually fallen behind on any payments.

“‘I’m concerned she might struggle’ so I thought homelessness may work instead,” one person wrote.

“How does she/he know she doesn’t have a reasonably well paying job, her Centrelink income and child support payments will not be enough to cover the rent?” another said.

“Single parents will often go without three meals a day, new clothing, haircuts, and their own healthcare to make sure their children have three meals a day, clothes, haircuts, school supplies and a roof over their heads.”

The landlord defended themselves against the criticism in an update.

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Tenants Victoria CEO Jennifer Beveridge told news.com.au the landlord could not give a notice to vacate in the situation described.

“It wouldn’t be appropriate to have a situation where landlords can evict people for ending their relationship,” she said.

Ms Beveridge added the landlord did not have the right to request new evidence from the tenant to prove they could continue making payments.

“Renters have the right to privacy, including during the end of a relationship,” she said.

“Renters pay their rent every month, and are used to including it in their budgets.”

The CEO has called for government action to make rents affordable.

“Everybody needs a home, and children especially. I think we all agree that children should never be made homeless,” Ms Beveridge said.

“Renters in Victoria have rights. We encourage renters and landlords alike to find solutions that uphold those rights.”

The landlord had defended themselves against criticism in an update on the Facebook group, writing, “it’s completely normal for an investor to assess changes in a situation”.

“Asking for financial proof as part of this assessment is entirely reasonable, and I see no issue with that,” they claimed.

The landlord added: “Are they going to cover my mortgage if something goes wrong before I complete my due diligence?”

They argued that those complaining “might have made the tenant situation worse” with unsatisfied landlords deciding to put their properties on the market instead.

A rental provider can legally give a tenant notice to vacate if they are selling the property.