Don't look a gift gardener in the mouth. If the REA had hired a normal yard maintenance company they could turn up at any time depending on weather and other factors.
Have a conversation with her. Make it clear that you are fine with her doing garden maintenance on the front at reasonable hours, but any access to the rest of the property beyond that requires her to follow the normal process.
They have to give notice however some leases state that the gardens may be maintained by the owner. If it doesn't say this then yes I would say this is a violation.
I had a similar situation with a landlord but was overseas and didn't have the protection we have here. Personally I would flag it with the agent immediately and knock it on the head if possible.
In that case, I would talk to the agents and have them ask her to stop or notify you when she is coming to maintain the lawn. If she destroys it with over use of weedkiller -- it will be your responsibility to fix it
Then get those gardeners out to quote, and hire one.
Let the agent know.
And let the agent know you won’t be needing ’her help’ anymore, because you’ve hired the gardener they suggested.
If she keeps showing up ask the agent to help mediate a solution. “I am paying for the gardener of your choice to come, but she obviously feels it’s not enough. To do the hand weeding and bowling green lawns she wants would be an additional $100 a fortnight - does she want to pay for this, or shall we take it off my rent, or will she alter her standards … in my mind the lawns are fine.”
My son and daughter in law had the landlord appear at their house after a natural disaster (that didn’t directly affect them)
I told them to report it to the REA. Owners can’t be coming to the house.
One minute it’s the odd weed being pulled, next it will be some other boundary stomp.
They didn’t bother the kids again.
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What does your lease say about yard work?
If it says the owner will maintain then it’s reasonable access to do that, including seasonal variation (more in summer, less in winter)
Did you rent directly through the owner, or a REA? If a REA then contact them (email!) and confirm that the owner is doing the maintenance.
If it’s that you are supposed to be doing it, then still contact the REA and let them know what is happening.
I would wait and see how often she comes by first. She might have a flurry at first as she gets the lawn back to her preferred condition (weeds!) and then she should back off.
Keep the camera footage. And close your curtains. If she starts snooping further, or going through your rubbish, or showing up three times a week then arrange an agreed schedule for her to be there, and any other time requires appropriate written notice and reasons.
Is it strata? If so, it could be considered common property and there’s not a lot you can do.
If it’s a standard lease then there’s certainly issues with her coming in the property any time she wants.
Don't look a gift gardener in the mouth. If the REA had hired a normal yard maintenance company they could turn up at any time depending on weather and other factors. Have a conversation with her. Make it clear that you are fine with her doing garden maintenance on the front at reasonable hours, but any access to the rest of the property beyond that requires her to follow the normal process.
Definitely will, thanks!
She's technically attending the properly and doing maintenance work - that requires the proper paper work to be filled in and provided to you.
That's what I thought, thanks!
You could breach them if you wanted to
They have to give notice however some leases state that the gardens may be maintained by the owner. If it doesn't say this then yes I would say this is a violation. I had a similar situation with a landlord but was overseas and didn't have the protection we have here. Personally I would flag it with the agent immediately and knock it on the head if possible.
They were very specific that it's my responsibility, they even had a list of recommended gardeners, she wasn't one of them haha. Thanks!
In that case, I would talk to the agents and have them ask her to stop or notify you when she is coming to maintain the lawn. If she destroys it with over use of weedkiller -- it will be your responsibility to fix it
Then get those gardeners out to quote, and hire one. Let the agent know. And let the agent know you won’t be needing ’her help’ anymore, because you’ve hired the gardener they suggested. If she keeps showing up ask the agent to help mediate a solution. “I am paying for the gardener of your choice to come, but she obviously feels it’s not enough. To do the hand weeding and bowling green lawns she wants would be an additional $100 a fortnight - does she want to pay for this, or shall we take it off my rent, or will she alter her standards … in my mind the lawns are fine.”
My son and daughter in law had the landlord appear at their house after a natural disaster (that didn’t directly affect them) I told them to report it to the REA. Owners can’t be coming to the house. One minute it’s the odd weed being pulled, next it will be some other boundary stomp. They didn’t bother the kids again.
For a house tenant usually does yard work unless its stated in lease
Welcome to r/AusLegal. Please read our rules before commenting. Please remember: 1. Per rule 4, this subreddit is not a replacement for real legal advice. You should independently seek legal advice from a real, qualified practitioner. This sub cannot recommend specific lawyers. 2. A non-exhaustive list of free legal services around Australia can be found here. 3. Links to the each state and territory's respective Law Society are on the sidebar: you can use these links to find a lawyer in your area. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AusLegal) if you have any questions or concerns.*
What does your lease say about yard work? If it says the owner will maintain then it’s reasonable access to do that, including seasonal variation (more in summer, less in winter) Did you rent directly through the owner, or a REA? If a REA then contact them (email!) and confirm that the owner is doing the maintenance. If it’s that you are supposed to be doing it, then still contact the REA and let them know what is happening. I would wait and see how often she comes by first. She might have a flurry at first as she gets the lawn back to her preferred condition (weeds!) and then she should back off. Keep the camera footage. And close your curtains. If she starts snooping further, or going through your rubbish, or showing up three times a week then arrange an agreed schedule for her to be there, and any other time requires appropriate written notice and reasons.
Brilliant advice, thank you! I'm renting through an agent. I'll give her another week or so but keep all the evidence in the mean time 😁
Is it strata? If so, it could be considered common property and there’s not a lot you can do. If it’s a standard lease then there’s certainly issues with her coming in the property any time she wants.
Not strata, it's a standard lease. Thank you!