An Aussie landlord has revealed they are losing their “sanity” after a cheeky act from their tenant that left them on the brink of a meltdown.
The anonymous homeowner took to a Facebook group for landlords to complain and seek advice about a tenant they believed was “having a laugh” at their expense.
“The property is a three bedder that my family used to reside in but that we’ve rented out for the last four years,” they wrote.
“I rent direct to him and there have not been any major issues in the past.”
However, just three months into a 12 month lease, the landlord revealed the tenant has started “deliberately” underpaying rent by 1 cent each week.
The rent for the home appears to be $1200 a week but instead the renter has reportedly been transferring $1199.99 into the landlord’s account.
The homeowner took to a landlord Facebook page to ask for advice. Picture: Landlords & Investors in Australia
The landlord revealed they knew it was a deliberate act and not just a misunderstanding as the renter used to pay the full amount each week.
“I let it slide for the first few times but my wife suggest (sic) I send him an email asking if he could correct it,” the landlord explained.
“Obviously I’m not renewing with him, but what can I do for the nine months that remain to maintain my sanity?”
In the same post, they shared the response they received from renter when they questioned them about the missing payments.
In the email, the tenant notes they checked their transaction history and can see that $1999.99 has been electronically transferred.
The renter referenced rules around rounding small change from the ACCC. Picture: Landlords & Investors in Australia/Facebook
They also requested a number of ‘repairs’. Picture: Landlords & Investors in Australia/Facebook
They claimed they “applied the rules” they had found on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) website regarding the rounding of transactions.
“[This] clearly states that the amount is rounded to the $1200 due and as such I consider the rent to be paid on time and in full,” they wrote.
However, it appears the renter as very much misconstrued the ACCC “rules” they linked to in the email.
The website very clearly states that the rules around rounding when dealing with small change only applies to cash transactions.
For example, 1 and 2 cents are rounded down to the nearest 10, 3 and 4 cents are rounded up to the nearest five, 6 and 7 cents are rounded down to the nearest five and 8 and 9 cents are rounded up to the nearest 10.
The advice the tenant linked to also goes on to state that payment through cheque, credit card or EFTPOS meant it was unnecessary to round the total value of the transaction.
This was the ACCC advice the renter referred to in the email. Picture: ACCC
Despite this, the renter went on to ask the landlord to “not contact me about this again”, before listing a number of “repairs” needed at the property.
These included the laundry cupboard door squeaking, the kitchen cold tap being “too high pressure” and the air conditioner in the second bedroom rattling during use.
The post was shared to multiple social media pages, including the Don’t Rent Me Facebook group.
Commenters appeared to be split in their reactions, with some mocking the landlord for whinging over 1 cent, while others believed the tenant was firmly in the wrong.
“They need to get a grip. Is 1c really gonna break the bank,” one person said.
“So there are 52 weeks in a year & they’re upset about a whole 52c? What an AH,” another said.
“How does one lose their mind over 50c,” another asked.
One person said while the amount was “laughable”, the renter is technically putting their own rental history at risk.
“If they want to get back at the LL they should salt the lawn or something less trackable,” they suggested instead.
One commenter claimed they were “100 per cent on the landlord’s side” after seeing the email response from the tenant.
Another commenter agreed, saying the “nasty pettiness” of the renter was “not cool”.
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“I would bet there are many people who wouldn’t be so petty that the landlord could rent the place out to,” they wrote.
One person also added that the “repairs” the tenant wanted done were “ridiculous” and things he could “sort himself”.