Landlord roasted over question about charging tenants hundreds for missing a single key

An Aussie landlord has been roasted after posting a question to a Facebook group about his recently departed tenants.

A landlord has been roasted after asking a question about getting his tenants to pay for lock replacements.

An Aussie landlord has been roasted after posting a question to a Facebook group about his recently departed tenants.

“First property now being vacated by tenants,” the man wrote in the landlord-dedicated group.

“Our agent has informed us that they have misplaced one of the front door keys. If they are unable to find it, we have been told they will simply be charged for the replacement.

“Upon asking if they (the tenants) would be liable for the cost of cutting the locks, we were told by our agent that ‘no, the best we can do is get a replacement cut’.

“In this case, can we pursue them for the cost of replacing the locks?”

The post attracted dozens of comments from fellow homeowners who questioned their approach, reminding them that for many people, changing locks between tenancies is a standard (and tax-deductible) cost for landlords to cover.

“Get the $5 key cut and move on,” one replied.

“If the worst they did was lose a key, consider yourself lucky, how much does a key cut cost?” another said.

“Part of this issue goes back to the idea that locks don’t need to be changed between tenancies, so therefore a tenant can’t be held liable to change one, unless they take actions that directly make it necessary,” another wrote.

One person said a complete lock change on their property set them back a whopping $550 after their tenants moved out.

An Aussie landlord has been roasted after posting a question to a Facebook group about his recently departed tenants. Picture: iStock

National Shelter chief executive Emma Greenhalgh said more households were feeling the pinch as income growth failed to keep up with rising rental costs, which have risen 7.6 per cent in the past 12 months according to ABS figures.

“Rental affordability in Australia is going from bad to worse,” she said.

“In the past year, renters have been smashed with enormous rent hikes well beyond income growth.

The growing challenge of securing a rental property has coincided with a rise in Australia’s population by 563,200 people – including 454,400 new migrants.

As the cost of living continues to hurt the hip pockets of millions of Australians, sentiments towards landlords capitalising on gargantuan rent increases have grown bitter to say the list.

Sydneysiders are the worst off, with affordability dropping 13 per cent, followed by Melbourne and Perth, which experienced a 10 per cent decline. Picture: iStock

Over the same period, new dwelling approvals tumbled by 17.3 per cent according to ABS figures.

Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather said for many, the cost of rent made it “impossible” to save for a deposit.

“Banks won’t give you a mortgage without a deposit, even though as this data shows, renters are already paying almost a housing deposit worth of rent every five years,” he said.

“In effect, renters end up paying off someone else’s mortgage while often copping massive rent increases that make it impossible to save for a house themselves.”

Housing Minister Julie Collins said that the Commonwealth Government would continue to work with states and territories to “ensure more Australians have a safe and affordable place to call home.

“At a federal level, our focus is on improving housing supply, because this is the best way to improve housing affordability for renters and buyers,” she said.

“That’s why we’ve made significant announcements around boosting supply right across the country, from improving taxation arrangements for investments in build-to-rent accommodation to directly funding social rental homes.”