Could this single mum face eviction for inviting a homeless grandma into her home?
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The Australian rental market is challenging, with soaring prices and limited availability.
Amid this crisis, a single mother faces eviction for what she believed was an act of kindness. She opened her home to her homeless mother, only to be accused of 'illegal subletting' by her landlord.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, moved into her rental property in Melbourne six months ago. At the time, she informed her property manager at Ray White Frankston that her mother would temporarily stay with her until she found a place.
'Being a good tenant, I wrote an email to the agency and told them my mum would be temporarily staying with me until she found a property of her own,' she shared.
However, the national rental crisis has made it difficult for her 67-year-old mother, a cancer patient living off a pension, to find a property.
Despite months of searching, the elderly woman has been unable to secure a home. Now, the landlord has ordered the woman, her mother, and her daughter to vacate the property.
The presence of pets further complicates the situation. The grandmother brought along a cat and some birds, which the landlord initially agreed to, given the temporary nature of the arrangement.
The woman's daughter also received three rabbits for her birthday, and they’ve been living at the property since August.
The landlord's patience, it seems, has worn thin. 'The rental provider was told the renter's mother would only be in the property in between properties and that was well over six months ago now. He is concerned about pet damage and above normal wear to the property given another adult is now residing [there],' a Ray White spokesperson explained.
The agency defines subletting as 'any person(s) that is not considered a dependent, living in the property on a permanent basis who have not received the formal consent of the rental provider to live in the property'.
Aside from that, Ray White also alleged that the tenant declined to add the grandmother to the lease and is behind on her rent.
The woman, however, disputed these claims. She said she was willing to negotiate with the agency and even offered to pay an extra $25 weekly.
‘I was willing to work with the agent and landlord to come to an agreement,’ she said.
The tenant also alleged that the property had serious maintenance issues, including a faulty oven, that have not been addressed since August.
The family's move to the property was a significant financial strain. They had to leave behind ‘70 per cent’ of their belongings, including their beds, because they couldn't afford to move everything.
'My daughter and I still sleep with our mattresses on the floor because we couldn't move our beds,' the woman revealed. ‘A month [after moving], I saw a skip outside our old place with all my artwork and left behind furniture, I cried.’
It was understood that Ray White had informed the landlord that ‘proving [the grandma is subletting] in this situation is going to be a stretch’. However, the landlord has instructed the agency to issue an eviction notice anyway.
The landlord stated the eviction was because of worries regarding the numerous animals and the extra person in the compact, carpeted residence, which lacked formal approval.
The agency claimed that it maintains its operation amid the national rental crisis and always informs its rental providers of 'the options available to them under the Residential Tenancies Act if they are not happy with how a tenancy is performing'.
What’s your take on this story, members? Have you faced similar challenges in the rental market? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below.
Amid this crisis, a single mother faces eviction for what she believed was an act of kindness. She opened her home to her homeless mother, only to be accused of 'illegal subletting' by her landlord.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, moved into her rental property in Melbourne six months ago. At the time, she informed her property manager at Ray White Frankston that her mother would temporarily stay with her until she found a place.
'Being a good tenant, I wrote an email to the agency and told them my mum would be temporarily staying with me until she found a property of her own,' she shared.
A woman was handed an eviction notice due to ‘illegal subletting’ allegations. Credit: Tierra Mallorca/Unsplash
However, the national rental crisis has made it difficult for her 67-year-old mother, a cancer patient living off a pension, to find a property.
Despite months of searching, the elderly woman has been unable to secure a home. Now, the landlord has ordered the woman, her mother, and her daughter to vacate the property.
The presence of pets further complicates the situation. The grandmother brought along a cat and some birds, which the landlord initially agreed to, given the temporary nature of the arrangement.
The woman's daughter also received three rabbits for her birthday, and they’ve been living at the property since August.
The landlord's patience, it seems, has worn thin. 'The rental provider was told the renter's mother would only be in the property in between properties and that was well over six months ago now. He is concerned about pet damage and above normal wear to the property given another adult is now residing [there],' a Ray White spokesperson explained.
The agency defines subletting as 'any person(s) that is not considered a dependent, living in the property on a permanent basis who have not received the formal consent of the rental provider to live in the property'.
Aside from that, Ray White also alleged that the tenant declined to add the grandmother to the lease and is behind on her rent.
The woman, however, disputed these claims. She said she was willing to negotiate with the agency and even offered to pay an extra $25 weekly.
‘I was willing to work with the agent and landlord to come to an agreement,’ she said.
The tenant also alleged that the property had serious maintenance issues, including a faulty oven, that have not been addressed since August.
The family's move to the property was a significant financial strain. They had to leave behind ‘70 per cent’ of their belongings, including their beds, because they couldn't afford to move everything.
'My daughter and I still sleep with our mattresses on the floor because we couldn't move our beds,' the woman revealed. ‘A month [after moving], I saw a skip outside our old place with all my artwork and left behind furniture, I cried.’
It was understood that Ray White had informed the landlord that ‘proving [the grandma is subletting] in this situation is going to be a stretch’. However, the landlord has instructed the agency to issue an eviction notice anyway.
The landlord stated the eviction was because of worries regarding the numerous animals and the extra person in the compact, carpeted residence, which lacked formal approval.
The agency claimed that it maintains its operation amid the national rental crisis and always informs its rental providers of 'the options available to them under the Residential Tenancies Act if they are not happy with how a tenancy is performing'.
What’s your take on this story, members? Have you faced similar challenges in the rental market? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below.
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