"Degrading" email to tenant outlines "invasive" list of inspection cleaning demands

An Aussie tenant has shared a “degrading” email from an agent that outlines long list of expectations for a routine inspection, including hosing down flyscreens, washing bins and not contacting the office beforehand.

The property manager also commands the tenant to clean door frames, wash the skirting boards, empty and wash garbage bins, scrub the toilet’s cistern, sugar soap the walls and ensure shower grout is free of “soap residue”, among many other demands.

The renter – whose social media profile appears to place them in Newcastle – posted three screenshots of the email to Reddit, with the caption: “Honestly have to just laugh at some of the things real estate agents say for a ROUTINE INSPECTION. Seriously, they need to chill.”

The post has attracted hundreds of comments, some branding the expectations and method of communication as invasive, patronising and unrealistic.

The agent – whose identity and business is not disclosed on the post – states they cannot confirm the exact time they will attend the home, instead providing a six-hour window due to the “unpredictable” nature of inspections.

It warns the tenant not to ring the office about this timeframe, as a “refusal” may offend them.

The email then goes on, in bullet point, to list the depth of cleaning expected.

According to the Tenants Union of New South Wales, the purpose of routine inspections is to assess the need for “non-urgent” repairs and maintenance, and check the property is meeting safety obligations.

A routine inspection in NSW can be conducted four times in a 12 month period, with seven days written notice each time.

Fair Trading NSW states that properties need not be in “perfect condition”, in relation to landlord maintenance and repairs, which should be in proportion to the property’s age and the “amount of rent” paid.

Tenants are responsible for keeping the home in a “reasonable state of cleanliness”, according to Fair Trading, “considering the condition of the property at the start of the tenancy”.

Tenants are in charge of replacing light bulbs, cleaning windows, dusting and removing cobwebs and caring for the garden, including watering, mowing and weeding, it says.

One of the responses to the Reddit post said: “What a load of degrading s***.”

Another remarked: “People just trying to have somewhere to live should not have to be degraded and mistreated just because they are not a home owner!

“I am only 23 years old and have had to quickly learn how to stand up for myself after being threatened and intimidated for money at the last place I rented. Not much help put there either and because of demand real estate agents and landlords can do as they please.”

One called for “serious tenancy law reforms” to limit the influence exerted by property managers and landlords.

“And I’m saying that as a householder and possible landlord in the near/medium future, depending on a few things,” the Redditor said.

A comment outlined how unreasonable it was to expect tenants to live in pristine conditions, when few homeowners would do the same.

“I’d love to inspect a property managers home every 3 months to see if all their window tracks, exhaust fans and skirting boards are dust free and immaculate as the day they were installed,” they said.

Another Redditor urged the tenant not to execute the demands on the list.

“The point of a rental inspection is to check for damage and maintenance issues. Dust on the skirting boards and dishes in the sink are non issues. Having a stranger come and inspect your home every three months is the most patronising, invasive b*****ever…”

Reddit has become a platform for tenants to share their stress, confusion and outrage, in a tight rental market where leases are increasingly more expensive and hard to secure.