a Sydney The property manager takes the former tenant to court because she refused to pay the professional cleaners at the end of her lease.
Former tenant Sally Coleman insists she did everything right, spending days carefully cleaning the property after vacating it.
“We spent days cleaning the floors, cleaning every window downstairs and upstairs,” she explained in a video she posted to social media.
“We cleaned all the toilets, all the bathrooms, wiped down all the showers. We mowed the lawn, trimmed the front bushes.”
However, when the agent visited the apartment for an end-of-tenancy inspection, he noticed minor issues, such as dusty cupboards and small hairs on the floor.
As a result, the property manager called in a professional to clean the property again.
The cleaners demanded $1,100, which Ms. Coleman refused to pay.
“Obviously I don’t agree with this because we spent days cleaning this property, we did our best.”
Ms. Coleman says the photos the agent took during the inspection, which were intended to support the need for professional cleaning, actually show that her cleaning job was good enough.
Former Triple J presenter Sally Coleman (pictured) said she had cleaned the property thoroughly after moving out at the end of her tenancy, but her estate agent hired professional cleaners and ran up a $1,100 bill.
Mrs. Coleman and her housemates spent days cleaning their home for a final inspection, only to have the agent point out minor flaws in its cleanliness.
Ms. Coleman revealed that her and her housemates’ bail, totaling about $6,500, has now been withheld until the court concludes the case.
“He’s basically being held hostage until we can resolve this issue,” she said.
“So I know this is wrong, and I know they can’t do this.”
Many Australians sympathised with Ms Coleman’s plight.
“I’m a former property manager. They should have given you the opportunity to go back and clean what they said first. They shouldn’t have just sent in cleaners,” one explained.
Your bond is not held by the estate agent, it is held by the Rent Bond Authority for this very reason.
Ms. Coleman claims the real estate agent said the toilet was not clean.
She said the agent highlighted this spot of dirt as a reason to call in professional cleaners for the property.
“Take your photos and the case report with you to court. Mention that they didn’t give you a chance to fix any issues yourself first. Good luck.”
Another added: We went to court and won. Clients were betting that you would be threatened and back down, but don’t be afraid. Just stay calm and stick to the facts.
A third agreed, saying: “The courts often rule in favour of the tenant – they can see what is happening.”
A fourth said: “I have found that they will do this when you do not use the ‘recommended’ cleaner that they get a bribe for.
“This happened to me when I used a different professional cleaner, but not the one they wanted me to use.”
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This hair in the bathroom has been cited as a reason to call in professional cleaners.
