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An Australian woman lost her rental bond because her lawn was too patchy.<\/p>\n
An Australian woman has revealed how she lost her entire rental bond after being told her lawn hadn\u2019t grown well enough and would need to be replaced by a professional landscaper.<\/p>\n
Chelsea Solman said the agency managing her rental property kept her $2000 bond and was asking for $1000 more to pay for the lawn\u2019s replacement after giving her a month to grow it.<\/p>\n
She reached out for help on the Lawn Tips Australia Facebook group after receiving the ultimatum.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy real estate gave us a month to get this lawn to grow (in winter) or we would be liable for the cost when we move,\u201d she posted recently.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell we did but they still weren\u2019t happy, said it\u2019s only winter grass and would die in summer so they are hiring a landscaper to rip it all out and replace with turf, at our expense.<\/p>\n
\u201cAm I crazy or if it was winter grass it would have grown … when the sun finally arrive?<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are only ripping out the large bottom section which is pretty much filled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just so frustrated that we have lost our whole bond because of this and want to know if I should contact someone to escalate this further.\u201d<\/p>\n
MORE:\u2018Some idiot complained\u2019: Woman told to rip up fake lawn by council<\/a><\/p>\n The lawn could have been patchy due to soil quality or shade… for which Ms Solman was not responsible. Picture: Facebook<\/p>\n MORE:Aussie man\u2019s lawn so perfect people think it\u2019s AI<\/a><\/p>\n Commenters on Ms Solman\u2019s post were quick to urge her to seek legal advice on the matter and challenge the decision.<\/p>\n One commenter, Barb Arnott, said she was a former property manager of 20 years and said Ms Solman\u2019s bond could not legally be kept over the state of the lawn.<\/p>\n \u201cI would make an application to NCAT or alternatively, if you are vacating, as soon as you return the keys, make a claim on your bond immediately and they will need to apply to tribunal to stop you getting it,\u201d Ms Arnott said.<\/p>\n \u201cI have been at tribunal many, many times over the years where agents have tried to claim tenants bonds for lawns and have only seen one successful and that was malicious damage where the tenants had literally done burnouts on the front lawn.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Solman has since sought legal advice on the matter.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve already ripped all this out and put new lawn down and kept my 2k bond and asking for another 1k out of me. It\u2019s insane,\u201d Ms Solman said.<\/p>\n Ms Solman said the agency managing her rental property kept her $2000 bond and was asking for $1000 more to pay for the lawn\u2019s replacement after giving her a month to grow it. Picture: Facebook<\/p>\n Unfortunately, lawn crackdowns are not an unusual focus for rental properties or councils.<\/p>\n Just weeks ago, it was reported how thousands of dollars worth of artificial turf could be ripped up and never replaced, as councils across Australia move to ban synthetic lawns.<\/p>\n It came after concerns about plastic pollution, microplastics in waterways, and the environmental impact of artificial turf \u2013 which were shown to heat up to extreme temperatures as high as 56C in hot summer days when normal grass was around 30.<\/p>\n Among councils taking a hard line stance already are the City of Gold Coast. The council had already fined homeowners, warning that charges could be $834 if prosecuted<\/a>.<\/p>\n In NSW, the state government\u2019s housing and construction rules indicates a tenant could lose their bond over damage however \u201cfair wear and tear\u201d was acceptable. But there\u2019s a grey area.<\/p>\n Most of the rules in NSW relates to the actual structure of the home and the website provided no examples of lawns or gardens.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of a tenancy, the tenant is responsible for leaving the property as near as possible to the same condition as when they started living in it,\u201d the website states.<\/p>\n A Gold Coast homeowner has been told to rip this up by council.<\/p>\n \u201cThe tenant is responsible for negligent, irresponsible or intentional actions that cause damage to the property. They will need to organise and pay for repairs for damage they have caused or allowed (for example, by other occupants or guests).<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, the tenant is not responsible for \u2018fair wear and tear\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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