My little sister and her housemates are having some problems in their rental property.
The property manager says that at some stage in the past (between 2007 and 2011) one or more tenants didn’t pay enough rent, and now there’s a sum of money outstanding. The current tenants have been asked to pay the outstanding sum.
When they asked the PM to clarify the date that the payment was missed, they were told the PMs aren’t sure when it happened. All the housemates checked their bank transaction history, and confirmed they’re up to date with their fortnightly payments since they moved in.
Two of the housemates moved in fairly recently, so it seems a bit much to ask them to pay for previous tenant’s unpaid rent. It’s not clear whether the landlord knows about the discrepancy, and the housemates don’t have his contact details. My guess is the PMs are trying to pressure the current tenants into paying so the landlord doesn’t find out about the error.
The housemates and my sister aren’t sure what to do. I suggested they ask Tenants ACT for advice, and I thought I’d see if any other riotact readers have been in a similar situation. Any advice or similar experiences to share? Can renters be made to pay money owed by previous tenants?