A local man has detailed his despair after receiving notice his Karratha rental would be going up by $12,000 a year.
Michael Trundle of Nickol said he was at risk of going homeless after his agent told him the news.
The 32 year old provided The Bugle with a video of their conversation, recorded during a recent meeting at the estate agent’s CBD office.
“Look mate, that’s just how it goes,” the agent said.
“I don’t make the rules — it’s the invisible hand of the market making me bump you up to $67,000 a year to rent a run-down four-by-two barely-maintained-since-it-was-built-in-1992 shack.
“I’d love to charge ya less, I really would, but the market and all that — and the mandated commission I get for every signing.
“And honestly you’re probably not going to get a contract unless you offer us 10% above what’s advertised – but you didn’t hear that through me.”
Mr Trundle told The Bugle he thought it was insane anybody could argue it was justifiable to charge more than half the median annual wage for a barely serviced, 35 year old home.
“It’s got to be more than ‘The market’, unless we accept ‘the market’ is just a fancy way of saying greedy cunts sitting on land that cost them less to buy than they’re asking for in rent in six months,” he said.
The Bugle contacted the agent, who told us 67,000-fucking-dollars for a shitty rental had been a fair price “according to the market”, and informed us the Cook Government’s failed housing policy meant the house’s new asking price was now $70,000 a year.
“But that’s the *from* price,” he said.
The agent then proceeded to answer none of Mr Trundles calls, texts or emails regarding the failing utilities at the residence, only resurfacing to issue bi-monthly rent increase notices.
“Hey mate we’ve just reviewed the property rental price and realised we got it so very wrong and I apologise,” the agent said.
“We noticed a few bean trees on the property and applied the relevant tax legislation for renting a property with potential for commercial agriculture, that will be an extra $400 a week thanks!’
“Also, and this is not arbitrary, but we will also be increasing rents based on how many vowels are in your suburb name.”
Mr Trundles final warning email regarding dangerous levels of rising damp in the garage was met with the following response from his agent.
“Hey mate, those walls look fine to me. The owners are motivated to find other tenants if you would like to break lease?”