Property management can be tough, but there are some things that are said by tenants that make you shake your head, and laugh!
We ran a Facebook competition where we asked our audience for the best late rent excuse they have heard.
Here are the results!
Kaching!
One tenant said she was in another town looking after her seriously ill mum and couldn’t leave the house to go to the bank – and the next minute the pokie machine she was playing won free games and started to sing. BUSTED!
~Sarah McDonald
Blings and rings!
Back when tenants came in and paid cash at the office: “My car won’t start and I can’t get in to pay.” I could hear pokie machines in the background so I said “Ok, what pub are you in I will come to you and collect it!” and I did!
~Debbie Copley
The good book!
“I was reading a good book and forgot!”
~Stevie Pee
Queensland does have internet!
Tenant: “Oh sorry I’m on holidays in Queensland” – Agent: “You do know that the internet works in Queensland?”
~Katya Slipetsky
It’s Christmas!
“It’s Christmas. My kids need presents and food.”
“Really? You had 12 months to organise yourself and Christmas falls at the same time every year!”
~Leza Anderson
I earn too much interest!
“My rent money is in my high-interest bank account and I’m not pulling it out to pay the rent because it will reduce the amount of interest I get this month.”
~Jacque Titan
Unlucky wallet!
I had a tenant that had her ‘wallet stolen’ 8 times in a row!
~Jade Louise
Grandma dead 15 times!
Had a tenant’s grandmother die – 15 or so times!
~Kristen Klaus
In cold blood?
Strangest and probably the creepiest I’ve heard is: “You know that murder that happened a couple of suburbs away well that was my dad. I just have so much to pay at the moment with funeral costs and other expenses.” Funny thing was that the old guy was said to have been murdered by the son – so I didn’t know what was being implied or even what to believe for that matter.
~Helen Prince
A Saudi Arabian Prince?
“I was in an accident on the weekend and while I was in hospital someone from Saudi Arabia hacked my account and now I can’t pay.”
~Grace McAulley
False teeth story
My false teeth broke (the tenant doesn’t have false teeth).
~Teresa Little
The ‘Old Jeans in the Vinnies Bin’ trick!
“I was just about to come in and pay when I realised I couldn’t find my wallet. When I went to look for it I remembered I had my old jeans on and I put the wallet in the back pocket of these jeans. I threw the jeans out last night and they have already been dropped into a Vinnies bin”.
~Tania Ellis Winthers
My bank account was hacked…by my partner!
“My bank account has been hacked. Random amounts keep being withdrawn but it only happens when my partner is working in WA!”
~Tamara Weight
But the owner said not to pay!
“I’ve spoken to the owner and he said it was okay not to pay” – for 2 months? – Sure!!
~Ruth Malcolm
PM blamed as tenant has to pay insurance excess!
“When you called me chasing my rent, I was driving and had a car accident. Now I have to pay my excess so can’t afford to sort out the rent.”
~Eliza Dunn
Didn’t know I was pregnant!
The mother of the tenant phoned and said “Sorry she is late, she is in the hospital because she just had a baby but she did not know she was pregnant until she started having it! Just thought the kicking was bad gas! Almost came out in the toilet!”
~Penelope Moore
On holidays from my rent!
Can’t afford to pay rent AND go on holidays ~ so holidays won!
~Merrilyn McIver
Sorry – was having an affair!
“I found out my wife was using our money to pay for motel rooms with a guy she was having an affair with” Or, “My son needed open heart surgery.”
~Chantel Phillis
Blackmail pictures!
My favourite is; “My ex-boyfriend recorded us have sex and took nude pictures, now he is threatening me with them and said I had to pay him money or he would put it on the Internet, I paid him but the police said I’ll get my money back.” I asked to see the police report but it never came through. In the meantime, she constantly goes to the servo and buys smokes and drinks etc.
~Sam Harmer
Ocean voyager!
“I’m in the middle of the ocean on a boat so I can’t pay my rent.” – but he could ring and tell me that!… Pay your rent prior to going away!!!
~Lindsay Harrison
Honeymoon comes first!
One of our former tenants who was always in arrears received a phone call from our office asking her to pay her late rent. Her reply was, “Sorry that is not going to happen. We are on our honeymoon and have had to use all of our money for the trip.” – WOW!!
~Shirley Morgan
Grandma dies 3 times!
His grandmother had died (again) and he had to go to her funeral. That same grandma passed away 3 times in 6 months. When I called him on it as the first time she ‘died’ he said it was the only one he had left. I was curious where the other 2 came from. I was called a cynical bitch with no compassion. I drove past the house on the day he was ‘in Sydney attending funeral number 3’ and he’s having beers on the front lawn showing his mate under the bonnet of his car!
~Kylie Hutchinson
Foxtel and soccer!
“I’m not paying rent because I had to pay Foxtel this week. The soccer is on and it’s my turn to have it at my house instead of my mates’ house.”
~Jasmin Labrin
Aliens stole my purse!
Had a tenant ring up saying that aliens had landed in her backyard and went inside the house and stole her purse. I have also had other tenants saying they can’t pay rent for the next few weeks because they need to buy their kids Christmas presents. My responses are, you better buy them a tent as this is where they will be living when you get evicted.
~Frank Morelli
I’m sick…at the pub!
“I can’t come in because I’m sick.” – but not too sick to sit at the pub – outside in public view and have a smoke/drink!!
~Mellissa Helbig
Wet money will do!
I had a tenant tell me that her car flooded and her wallet with the rent money was in the car so she couldn’t pay!! I’ll accept wet money it doesn’t matter to me!
~Rachael Griffin
Kiwi’s got my money!
“I’m going to NZ for a couple weeks to see my family and won’t be able to pay rent but will pay a bit extra when I get back!”
~Vicky~lee Jones
My expensive 5-year-old daughter!
“My daughter came to visit this week, she is only 5 but we had to entertain her.”
~Kim Beck
Touchy footy!
“I had to register the kids for touch football, otherwise they’ll miss out” – Gee never minds the fact you broke your tribunal orders and will now be terminated. Priorities!
~Julie Anne Gauci
Missing limb!
“My mother had to have her leg amputated!”
~Sherrie Vigar
