A real estate agent was shocked to discover that one of the homes he manages was occupied by six people he had never met before.
Amir Jahan, 25, owner of A-Class Estate Agents, went to inspect the two-bedroom, two-bathroom rental property in Merrylands, west of Sydney, after the landlord was unable to contact the tenant.
When Mr. Jahan arrived to inspect the house and check on the welfare of the tenants, they were nowhere to be seen, but the house had not been abandoned.
Instead, six people were living there after reaching a “rental agreement” with who they believed to be the landlord.
It turned out the tenant was posing as the landlord and subletting the property for a tidy profit, something Jahan says happens all the time.
“I tried to do a health check on the tenant and when I got to the property, there were six other people living there,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
Mr. Jahan asked one of the occupants where the main tenant was.
“People told me, ‘We drove by him, he’s the owner,'” he said.
Amir Jahan, 25, (pictured), wants tenants to be on the lookout for illegal properties and has urged them to be vigilant.
“I had to tell them: ‘No, he is the tenant.’”
The real estate agent said his first reaction was to feel sorry for the six people living in the house who had been tricked and overcharged.
Now he wants to warn potential tenants about pirate subtenants who “rent” homes for hundreds of dollars more per week than they pay the landlord.
“The rent was $450 a week. The tenant had put it on Facebook Marketplace for a weekly rent of $750,” Jahan said.
‘The question now is what will happen to the six people (who live there) because they did not have a contract and were living there illegally.
“It’s not their fault. I’m worried that they’re being kicked out, that they’re having the stress of moving and now they have to find a place to live.”
Mr Jahan said the dubious practice was becoming more prevalent as people became increasingly “desperate” to find somewhere to live.
“When they don’t get approval from real estate agencies, they will try to find other services to get rentals,” he said.
‘And the main one that’s emerging right now is Facebook Marketplace, which is free for the landlord and free for the tenant.’
‘Some people rent the property and then sublet it directly for more money.’
The agent said his team had been working hard to find alternative accommodation for the six people, who are all students, but so far only three have new tenancy.
Mr Jahan (pictured) said he has no problem with private rentals but urged prospective tenants to always get a contract and ensure they are dealing with the landlord and not a sub-tenant.
“Since there was no contract and they were not the primary tenants, it is considered trespassing, so we do not have to give them notice to leave,” he said.
But Mr Jahan said the landlord was “a nice guy” and had allowed them to stay.
Despite this, the landlord wants to comply with the law and the correct procedure, which includes sending a notice of termination to the original tenant, who cannot be located.
“If we do not hear from you after 14 days, your lease will be terminated immediately,” he said.
Mr Jahan said the tenants, who had been in the property for at least six months, could take the subtenant to court, but without a contract, it would be difficult to win.
“They had no paperwork, no bond, no deposit and no contract,” he said.
Mr. Jahan wants tenants to know how important it is to have a lease.
“I know it’s hard to get approval the right way sometimes, but do it the right way,” she said.
‘Make sure you rent through the owner (if it is a private arrangement) or have a contract with the owner.
“Don’t be blind because you need a place to live.”
The agent said there was a growing trend of people subletting or listing on Airbnb.
“Some people are just doing it as a full-time Airbnb and have never lived there, and in other cases, renters want to make more money,” he said.
‘They might be paying $600 a week in rent in Parramatta’s CBD, but if they put it on sale for the weekend, they’ll get $600 a night.’
Mr. Jahan stressed that tenants must obtain permission from their landlord to sublet.
“I’ve seen a lot of this over the years, but it’s becoming more frequent now,” he said.
‘Even when I was a leasing agent, a woman rented an apartment and used it as a brothel with several people working there.’
(tags to translate)dailymail
