Real estate agent’s ‘disgusting’ letter to tenant over late rent

This is the shocking letter a real estate agent sent to a tenant who was allegedly just a few days late in their rent.

A "disgusting" letter was sent from a real estate agent to a tenant. Picture: Facebook

A “disgusting” letter sent from a real estate agent to a tenant who was allegedly a few days late in paying their rent has been condemned online.

Screenshots of the email, which was sent to a tenant in South Australia, were shared to the “Don’t Rent Me” group on Facebook.

The email had the subject line: “Do you need to call the removalist?”

It then read: “Wow, it’s not looking good at all,” 7 News reported.

“So you are now five days in arrears! Let’s hope the landlord renews your lease!”

There was information about voluntary consent orders, or an agreed payment plan, in the email.

The tenant, who was anonymous, said they had already contacted their real estate agent to organise a late payment. So they were shocked to receive the email.

“It’s just not right to send an email like this. (I’m a) bit gobsmacked, I organised to pay for this week.

“Talk about a slap in the face.”

They are now ahead on their payments.

The tenant received a strongly worded email about being in arrears. Picture: Don’t Rent Me/Facebook

The email was slammed by many members of the Facebook group.

One commenter wrote: “Regardless of if it’s automated, that’s absolutely disgusting”.

And another wrote: “Let’s just play with people’s lives and emotions like it’s a game. God forbid they are ever in a similar position.”

A third commenter shared that they had received an email with the same wording.

“My real estate sent this exact email when I was a couple days behind rent”.

Rent Right (SYC) tenancy services manager Carie Dawes said it’s understandable that a tenant who received an email like this would be concerned.

“It’s definitely inappropriate language,” she said.

Ms Dawes said tenants are in a vulnerable position due to the power imbalance in the situation.

“They’re too frightened to speak out for fear of not having their lease renewed, and not being able to find alternative housing,” she said.

“We’re in such a crisis at the moment. People are putting up with all sorts of things.”

The tenant said they had organised with their real estate agent to pay a few days late, but still received an automated email about being in arrears. Picture: Facebook

The Real Estate Institute of South Australia noted that it’s common for arrears emails to be automated, however it said the email was not “typical”.

“We certainly think that it could have been done more professional,” the organisation told 7 News. “We certainly wouldn’t say that is typical … This is to the extreme.

“It probably could have been worded a bit nicer. Given tenants are struggling with the (housing) crisis, some balance is needed.”

It comes after Australian renters lashed a “gutless” and widespread tactic used by landlords and agents to force out tenants and score even more rent.

In April, a resident of Zetland in inner Sydney ignited a fierce debate after taking to a local Facebook group to claim real estate agents were “bullying tenants in the area and using whatever law they can to kick people out”.

The social media user shared a notice they had received from their agent to vacate the property – for one disturbing reason.

“I was given 90 days’ notice to move [as] the owners are supposedly moving back in – also overseas owners,” the tenant posted.

“I wasn’t given any rent increase, just a ‘you have to move’. In the search for moving to a new property I also met about 10 others who were given the same 90 days’ notice, also this same postcode.

“It felt unlikely that all of a sudden all of these overseas owners are now moving back in.

“And now I’ve just seen my old place I’ve just moved out of now on the app to rent – but $300 more.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this article included an unrelated video which featured Daniel Lee of Plum Property in Queensland. We are pleased to clarify that Mr Lee was not the real estate agent involved in this tenancy dispute in South Australia.