Update after controversial Christmas email sent to struggling renters

A Melbourne real estate agency has defended a “rude and patronising” email sent to renters ahead of Christmas, saying it was a “necessary reminder” for tenants.

A Melbourne real estate agency has threatened to sue a popular TikToker who posted their “rude and patronising” email to renters online.

The message warned renters they will have the “unfortunate job” of evicting them if they miss payments during what they dubbled the Christmas “eviction season”.

The email, which was sent by Professionals Taylors Lakes and re-shared on social media, advised tenants to “pay your rent on time, every time!”

“Christmas time is also known in property management circles as ‘eviction season’ as so many people choose to use their rental payments for Christmas spending instead of ensuring that their family accommodation remains [their] top priority over this period,” the email read.

“We then have a difficult time with the unfortunate job of having to remove and evict these tenants from their homes.”

“We find this action very unpleasant for everyone concerned and we all enjoy our Christmas much less because of it,” it added.

Professionals Taylors Lakes sent the email to renters, advising hem to pay their rent on time.

The agency said evicting tenants was “very unpleasant for everyone concerned”.

The email was quick to receive backlash online, particularly after many people found their rental prices skyrocketing this year - with some struggling to make ends meet.

“Do these property managers read these emails back to themselves before they send them out? Truly disgusting,” one person wrote on social media.

“Yeah cool, my kids are getting no presents this year because I just can’t afford them, but go rub it in with an email like this, thanks property managers!” said another.

However, others thought the underlying message within the email was “reasonable”.

“I don’t see an issue with that. It’s putting it bluntly cause some people don’t prioritise money effectively,” one person replied.

“Rent, electricity and food should always come first. Unless there are medical needs obviously. Then presents if you have the money to do so. But I find this quite patronising and rude,” another wrote.

The agency, as well as Professionals’ CEO, later apologised to the recipients of the email.

However, Professionals Taylors Lakes has attempted to defend the “necessary” email, in a newly leaked message exchange.

In a video posted on X, TikToker Jordie van den Berg revealed the agency messaged him on Instagram after he re-shared a screenshot of their email online.

“The message was sent before the apology and it felt really inconsistent with the apology,” Mr van den Berg told news.com.au.

In the message, the agency told Mr van den Berg the letter was sent to tenants “who have recently and consistently fallen behind on rent.”

“This letter was a necessary reminder to specific tenants who are consistently late in paying their rent,” they wrote.

The agency messaged Mr van den Berg after he shared the email online. Picture: X@purplepingers

They claimed the email was a “necessary reminder to specific tenants”. Picture: X@purplepingers

However, Mr van den Berg rejected the claim, describing it as a “straight up lie”.

“I’ve spoken to a number of tenants who received the email who’ve never been late in rent, let alone consistently late in rent,” he told news.com.au.

The agency also directed him to remove the screenshots of the email, warning they could take the matter further as a “serious case of injurious falsehood” if he did not.

“That’s not what injurious falsehood is – that is lying about something. Reposting an email is not injurious falsehood unless they themselves lied in the email,” Mr van den Berg, who is admitted as a lawyer, said in the video.

“It’s quite obvious that the person who sent that message is not a lawyer.”

He later responded with a meme which read ‘no’, before the agency blocked him on social media.

When asked about the recipients of the email, Professionals said they are unable to comment further.

In a statement previously provided to news.com.au, the company said the content of the email “was not endorsed by the CEO or the Board of Professionals and does not represent our company’s expectations of communication with our property renters.”

“On behalf of the Professionals, I wish to apologise to the recipients of the email.”