‘I failed my rental inspection because my toddler’s toys were messy’

“Is this a joke? Are they even allowed to say that?” the shocked mum asks.

Mum-of-one Samantha Smith thought she was ready for the quarterly rental inspection of the Newcastle home she shares with her partner and one-year-old son.

But nothing could prepare the mum for the real estate agent’s bizarre feedback.

Samantha shared the story on TikTok, giving viewers a tour of her home.

“I have a one-year-old and the real estate came for an inspection,” she said, showing a typical lounge room with a sofa, TV and cube shelving storing toddler toys.

“My partner sleeps there because we have a one-year-old and he gets up at 4:30am and I don’t want him to wake us up," she said, indicating the single mattress pushed up against the sofa.

Samantha revealed that the family failed their rental inspection, but it wasn’t because of the mattress on the floor. It was the toys.

“I failed because I need to tidy up. I need to tidy up the toys,” the incredulous mum shared.

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The toy storage situation looks pretty well under control. Photo: TikTok

Mum shocked after failed rental inspection

Samantha was in shock.

“Sorry? I need to tidy up the toys? I’ve got a one-year-old. I just packed them all up and he’s already got his little vacuum out.”

Samantha panned to her young son wandering around the lounge room, using his little vacuum toy to tidy up the room. Ironic.  

“Are they allowed to say that? To tidy up my son’s toys?”

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Samantha said she had a long list of items to be repaired, but the agent didn't seem interested. Photo: TikTok

The mum said the mattress was also an issue.

“I’ve got a mattress in the living room so [the agent] can’t access the room to assess it.”

Samantha couldn’t process the request to tidy the toys. It was especially frustrating because the family pays for a cleaner to come weekly to clean the bathrooms, sweep and mop the floors and clean the kitchen.  

On top of the allegedly untidy toys, Samantha said she was also instructed to tidy up the linen closet and clean the ceiling fans.

“This is the only cupboard where I can store our linen press stuff and our food because the whole house has no cupboards.

“Is that a joke? Like how is what’s in my cupboard any of her business?”

The irritated mum added that she had a long list of things that needed repairing, so she felt especially offended at the judgement from the agent.

“I’m pretty pissed off, like the fact that, you know, there’s stuff that needs to be fixed that is severe, like we could fall through the deck, the corner could fall off and split our head open, like our blinds are actually yellow on the other side so they’re all brittle, she wants me to fix them. Like I didn’t do the damage, the sun did,” she said.

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Samantha argued that the second she tied his toys, her one-year-old immediately took them out to play. Photo: TikTok

TikTok shocked at real estate agent request

The comments were flooded with people advising Samantha on her rights as a tenant.

“She can’t say that,” one person said. “She is only there to check for damage and any repairs needed to be done.”

“As far as I’m aware, they aren’t allowed to open cupboard doors/drawers,” said another.

“Rental inspections used to be to check for any damage, structural damage and to ensure the house is being kept in a hygienic manner,” said a third person.

“These days they expect the house to be presented better than when you moved in. Toys, belongings in cupboards etc. should not be penalised.”

“I sent her the statement of the cleaning I get done,” Samantha responded.

One person offered advice from personal experience.

“My inspection told me to tidy up once. I told them no. They didn’t do anything about it,” she said.

Originally published as ‘I failed my rental inspection because my toddler’s toys were messy’