PHOTO: Property manager and business owner Skye Taylor
A property manager has issued a strong warning to renters after discovering a tenant secretly keeping a cat in a rental property. Skye Taylor, from Taylored Property Management in Adelaide, made the discovery during a routine inspection, immediately noticing the strong smell of cat urine.
Upon confronting the tenant, Taylor asked if a cat was being kept in the home. The tenant denied it, claiming a friend had brought a cat over. However, Taylor wasn’t convinced, responding bluntly: “Babes, I can smell it.”
Taylor pointed out that keeping a pet without approval violates the lease, especially given South Australia’s new pet-friendly legislation. “Tenants are entitled to apply for permission to keep pets,” Taylor emphasized. “But having an unapproved pet is grounds for a breach notice.”
Property manager and business owner Skye Taylor (pictured) detailed her encounter with a sneaky tenant who was hiding a cat during a routine inspection
The incident sparked a broader discussion about pet-friendly rental laws. While some tenants hide pets due to fears of eviction, Taylor’s experience highlights the importance of transparency and abiding by rental agreements. In South Australia, landlords cannot refuse pets if cleanliness standards are maintained, but tenants must still seek approval.
@skye.tayloredproperty I took this property on from another agent and its so disappointing on top of the other challenges i have to fix as a result of this agent not doing her job properly But I have solutions for all the problems, it will just take time to resolve. As for the tenants, they know they did the wrong thing but it was just so blatantly obvious that I can only assume they thought I was as rubbish as the old agent and wouldn’t notice or call them out on it. Hopefully we can get this one back on track but we will see if they want to do the right thing moving forward with honesty and looking after the property better #tayloredproperty #realestateagent #investmentproperty #rentalproperty #propertymanagement
Taylor’s message is clear: “Tenants, don’t assume your property manager won’t notice or call you out on it.”
Many Aussies believed the tenant would have been scared at losing her home and the estate agent should have been more compassionate (pictured file photo of a cat and litter box)
@skye.tayloredproperty One of my clients missed out on a property for $9000 today. The purchase price was $740,000, so 9K was was not going to have a huge impact on the capital growth and cash flow of the property long-term. I am sure my client will purchase a property soon because we only make this mistake once but it’s a hard lesson to learn. The beauty of working with buyers agents, is that you have someone negotiating with the sales agent on your behalf, and this can be significantly more successful than you attempting to do it alone. In conjunction with the property manager viewing the property from the rental perspective this will ensure that you have an A-Team looking after your significant purchase #propertymanagement
SOURCE: THE DAILY MAIL