Renter blacklisted after leaving gift for landlord

An Australian renter claims an act of kindness was repaid by their name being placed on a national blacklist. 

The tenant left a bookshelf in their furnished apartment “as a gift for a future tenant”. 

Most of the furniture that the landlord provided had been in poor working order, including a broken lamp, drawers filled with junk, and a microwave that “smoked when used for months”. 

Given that most of the furniture was broken, the renter believed the functional bookshelf they left in the property would be received positively. 

Instead, their name was added to the national blacklist run by TICA, a private company that collects renters’ data.

“I left a bookshelf behind for the new tenants, since it wouldn’t fit in the new place, and extra shelves are always a good thing,” the renter wrote on Reddit. 

“[The] owner didn’t like that I left a shelf behind as a gift for a future tenant, I ignored the request to remove the shelf, the agent flipped out and listed my details on TICA.” 

It was the culmination of a long and difficult relationship between the tenant and rental provider over the course of the five-month tenancy. 

The furnished apartment cost $650 per week, but despite the high price, the flat had many maintenance issues – from plumbing issues to a rusted stovetop that “started sparking uncontrollably”. 

The tenant stated the rental provider was reluctant to carry out repairs, and that their quiet enjoyment of the property was infringed by over 13 visits over five months. 

Eventually, the renter and landlord decided to terminate the lease by mutual agreement. 

“I paid $750 for a bond and carpet clean, and the place looked spotless – way cleaner than upon moving in,” the renter wrote. 

When the renter refused to remove the bookshelf from the property, the real estate agent notified the tenant that their name was listed on TICA, citing cleaning issues. 

The renter is contesting the decision in their state tribunal, they said on Reddit. 

Their name has already been removed from the blacklist, independent of the tribunal action, following an audit by TICA.