Latest news with #renter
Daily Telegraph
16-07-2025
- General
- Daily Telegraph
Horror conditions inside Sydney sharehouse exposed
A Sydney renter has shared her experience of the conditions she claims she lived through in a sharehouse via a video posted to TikTok. The renter claimed in the video that the property in the inner west suburb of Petersham had unaddressed bug infestation throughout the house and a window that could be opened from the outside. The home also allegedly featured a random shipping container in the backyard. MORE: Aus man forced to live in mould-infested hellhole The creator said she spent $240 a week on rent, the least out of the sharehouse's nine tenants. 'I paid the least as well, they would change the prices for each room, some people were paying 350!' she said. The video also showed an outdoor 'shared living room' that was essentially an alleyway, and a shower with pretty lacklustre water pressure. The creator also said that only two toilets were available for the nine tenants. MORE: Homeowner's insane $2m demand for driveway Commenters were appalled by the state of the home, with one user commenting 'Sydney is probably the worst place to live in Aus (sic)'. Another said: 'Saving this for whenever someone bothers me about living with my parents'. Others urged the user to seek out better options. 'You don't need to live in the city. Go outer like western suburbs you will find something more cleaner and descent,' one comment said. Many users urged the poster to take action, with one user commenting 'I would lodge a complaint with NSW Fair Trade for unliveable conditions'. Other users were not surprised by the conditions, with one commenting: 'That's exactly what $240 will get you in Sydney.' It is understood the poster no longer lives at the sharehouse and filmed the video before she left. 'I genuinely wanted to report the living conditions … but I had no idea where to start,' she commented. 'I've also moved out now so not sure there's much I can do now.' MORE: Wild sum Aussie renters are losing each year
News.com.au
16-07-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Horror conditions inside Sydney sharehouse exposed
A Sydney renter has shared her experience of the conditions she claims she lived through in a sharehouse via a video posted to TikTok. The renter claimed in the video that the property in the inner west suburb of Petersham was 'unsafe' and 'unliveable', with an unaddressed bug infestation throughout the house and a window that could be opened from the outside. The home also allegedly featured a random shipping container in the backyard. The creator said she spent $240 a week on rent, the least out of the sharehouse's nine tenants. 'I paid the least as well, they would change the prices for each room, some people were paying 350!' she said. The video also showed an outdoor 'shared living room' that was essentially an alleyway, and a shower with pretty lacklustre water pressure. The creator also said that only two toilets were available for the nine tenants. Commenters were appalled by the state of the home, with one user commenting 'Sydney is probably the worst place to live in Aus (sic)'. Another said: 'Saving this for whenever someone bothers me about living with my parents'. Other urged the user to seek out better options. 'You don't need to live in the city. Go outer like western suburbs you will find something more cleaner and descent,' one comment said. Some questions Many users urged the poster to take action, with one user commenting 'I would lodge a complaint with NSW Fair Trade for unliveable conditions'. Other users were not surprised by the conditions, with one commenting: 'That's exactly what $240 will get you in Sydney.' It is understood the poster no longer lives at the sharehouse and filmed the video before she left. 'I genuinely wanted to report the living conditions ... but I had no idea where to start,' she commented. 'I've also moved out now so not sure there's much I can do now.'
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Toronto renter left briefly in the dark as landlord didn't pay for power
A Toronto renter had his power cut off Wednesday afternoon because of a misunderstanding with his landlord about who should pay for the service. Alex Atkinson was surprised to find a hydro technician knocking on his door in North York last week to say his electricity bill was not getting paid and that he would return the following week to disconnect the power if the problem was not solved. Atkinson says he called his landlord, who said they would fix the issue, but on Wednesday afternoon, the technician showed up at Atkinson's house again and disconnected his power. "In our lease, utilities go through the landlord," Atkinson told CBC News. "And now we're finding out with the notices from Enbridge and Toronto Hydro that our utilities are disconnected." Atkinson says the problem started when his original landlord sold the property in February 2024, and the new landlord didn't transfer the utilities. Since then, he and the other tenants have been getting notices from utility vendors that payment has not been made. His rental agreement, obtained by CBC News, shows that the landlord is responsible for paying utility vendors, such as Toronto Hydro, Enbridge Gas, and garbage. It says Atkinson is responsible for covering 70 per cent of the utility costs, which are included in his monthly rent. The other 30 per cent is covered by the basement tenant. The landlord and property manager are responsible for making the actual payment, says the rental agreement. Atkinson says he shouldn't be the one to call the service providers to make sure the bills are getting paid. "I want to not be in a scenario where I have to call these vendors and say, 'Hey, did this landlord keep the account up to date?" He said. "I want to have confidence that my services are going to be available. I don't think that's a lot to ask." The property management called Atkinson, while he was speaking with CBC News, to tell him the issue had been handled, but moving forward, the tenants would be responsible for making utility payments. Atkinson told CBC News on Thursday that his power has been restored. In an email to CBC News, the landlord said he never "disputed" with the renter about who should pay the bills. "Each party thought someone else was doing it. We have no issues with our tenants. They are wonderful people and have been great, and always pay rent on time," said Dov Zwebner. Zwebner says he will be more "diligent" moving forward. "What happened with the hydro was a classic case of too many cooks in the kitchen and a change in internal property management staff managing this file, and it fell through the cracks, and unfortunately, it came to this point," he said. Paralegal Denise Ranger, who represents landlords and tenants in Ontario, says landlords are obligated to provide vital services to tenants, such as electricity, water, and gas. She says that if Atkinson wasn't able to resolve his issue as quickly as he did, he could have elevated the situation to the Landlord and Tenant Board. "The landlords could be facing fines, and it could put the tenant in a position of being able to file an application for a loss of services or a loss of vital services, and those are very serious," she told CBC News.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Renter Agrees to Store 'a Few Things' at Their Home for Aunt. Then She Showed Up with a Moving Truck
A renter is upset with their aunt after she showed up with a moving truck full of belongings to be stored The tenant had agreed to store "a few things" for their family member, who they feel took advantage of their kindness They put their foot down and didn't end up storing the itemsA renter is calling out their aunt after she showed up with a truckful of belongings, expecting to have them stored for her. The tenant took to Reddit to air their grievances with their family member. 'My aunt asked if she could 'store a few things' at my place,' the original poster (OP) writes. 'She showed up with a moving truck.' The OP claims their aunt reached out earlier in the week asking to store a 'few boxes' in their apartment — nothing out of the ordinary. ''Nothing big,' she said. Just a couple things while she figured stuff out,' the OP claims. 'I said, sure. I didn't think twice about it,' they wrote. 'Then a full moving truck pulled up in front of my building.' According to the OP, the aunt brought furniture, a bed, a dining room table and dozens of boxes. She walked around 'liked she owned the place' then 'started telling me where to put stuff.' Upset with her behavior, the OP allegedly confronted their aunt telling her, 'You asked to leave a few things, not move in.' In the moment, the renter recalls they could sense their aunt's judgement through. She claimed they were being difficult about 'extra space [they weren't] using anyway.' The OP then told the movers to stop unloading items. In the end, the tenant told their aunt they wouldn't be able to store any of her belongings. 'I said to her, 'I pay rent here. I'm not free storage and didn't sign up for a surprise roommate,'' the OP writes. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! The post garnered over five thousand upvotes and over 150 comments in just 8 hours. Reddit users were quick to share their thoughts on the familial spat. One user wrote: 'Honestly, these kind [of] people who do this know exactly what they're doing. It's not confusion, it's manipulation dressed up in Ikea boxes.' Some responded with humor: 'These days there are companies that actually rent storage lockers. Amazing she hadn't heard about them,' another user wrote. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Another commenter alleges they had a similar experience with their brother-in-law. He had brought over some of his 'crap' to store for a 'little while, until he got into another apartment.' A year later, the homeowner was cleaning parts of the house and realized the 'junk' was still there. 'I was furious so I dragged it all out to the driveway and called him to come and get it because we're not his damn storage unit,' the commenter claims. 'I also told him that if it got rained on (this was in Houston) then it's all going out with the trash.' Read the original article on People
CNET
23-05-2025
- CNET
Air Leaks Allow Costly Energy to Escape. This Device Helped Me Find Them Ahead of Summer
My two-bedroom townhome struggles to maintain comfortable temperatures upstairs in extreme weather. Over the years, I've tried everything to manage the summer heat. Relocating my bed from the scorching master bedroom (now my home office) to a smaller bedroom helped me sleep better. My DIY ventilation system brings in cool air at night, while a portable air conditioner supplements the central AC system in the hottest weather. I even schedule smart blinds to block direct sunlight as much as possible. Plus fans, lots of fans. Although these strategies have made a difference, I've reached the limits of major changes I can make as a renter -- at least if I want lower energy bills. Now, I have a new tool to find efficiency opportunities: a thermal camera. I recently got my hands on a sample of the HSFTOOLS Finder S2 thermal camera so I conducted a DIY home energy audit to look for air leaks that might affect how I cool my home. A rundown of the HSFTOOLS Finder S2 The Finder S2 thermal camera's USB-C connection means it doesn't need a bulky battery pack, instead relying on your phone for power. John Carlsen/CNET I'll hold off on an in-depth review of the HSFTOOLS Finder S2 as I have limited experience with thermal cameras but I'll mention a few features that helped with my energy audit. First, this thermal imager connects to the USB-C port on Android smartphones but doesn't support iPhones. (Apple users should consider checking out the Topdon TC002C instead.) I love the option to launch the app automatically when plugging in the camera. Unfortunately, the Finder S2 requires a lot of power -- draining my phone's battery by about 4% after 10 minutes. While this won't affect short inspections of smaller homes, you'll need to recharge your phone after extended use. (For better battery life, I suggest getting a standalone handheld model if you use a thermal camera often.) I played around with the Finder S2 to get comfortable with its features, mostly taking pictures of my cat. John Carlsen/CNET Even if you turn on the Finder S2's Super Resolution mode, the overall resolution maxes out at 512 x 384, which is lower than standard 480p quality. It's more than enough to see temperature differences around windows during an energy audit but you may need to play around with the settings if you plan to use it for creative work. Enabling the Digital Camera setting shows a view from your phone's camera on the screen with the option to save images -- but not videos -- from both cameras simultaneously. As for videos, I couldn't get the Finder S2 to work unless I rotated the image 90° in the app. You can adjust the Finder S2's colors, measurement tools and sensitivity in the HSFTOOLS app. John Carlsen/CNET I appreciate the wide selection of color palettes in the HSFTOOLS app. My favorite color setting is "white hot" because of the high contrast image compared to other modes. The app's outstanding measurement tools tell you the temperature of the hottest and coldest objects on the screen or of a specific point you select. I love taking the guesswork out of home improvement. You can get the Finder S2 for about $250 -- although it's often available for $170 -- which is typical among smartphone thermal camera accessories like the FLIR One Gen 3 and Seek Thermal Compact. While the price is good for a mid-range infrared camera, remember that you might only use it a handful of times -- it's often better to pay for a professional home energy audit. (Don't forget to check if your area has a free energy audit program.) Still, the HSFTOOLS Finder S2 was more than adequate for my DIY home energy audit. How I used a thermal camera in my home energy audit My energy audit uncovered an uninsulated ceiling corner that might explain why my home gets so hot in the summer -- time to tell the landlord. John Carlsen/CNET After familiarizing myself with the thermal imager, I took a structured approach to finding problem areas. I followed this thermal imaging inspection guide from the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI). Read more: Stop Installing Your Thermostat Here. It's Costing You Money I started by turning off my HVAC system before shutting my windows and front door. InterNACHI's guide recommends testing on a day where the outdoor temperature difference is 15°F to 20°F warmer (or cooler) than inside so I chose a rainy spring day for my audit. I was happy to see my window seals were in good condition. However, I discovered a small, drafty gap under my front door that I filled with foam backer rod from the hardware store. Fixing the air leak under my front door probably won't save much on my energy bills but it was an effortless DIY project. John Carlsen/CNET The actionable part of my home energy audit ends at doors and windows for now but there's plenty more for homeowners to look at. The Department of Energy suggests checking wherever you suspect air leaks or poor insulation, particularly fixtures, along the edges of rooms and between different building materials. While recaulking seals and replacing weatherstripping around windows are simple DIY projects, you'll need more money and time to upgrade insulation inside walls. Fortunately, you can check out Energy Star's Home Improvement Savings tool to see incentives, rebates and tax credits in your area. If you're a renter, consider telling your landlord about these resources.
