What you can do to help Save Tenant Services (click here) and why you should try! This story sent from a TAAS worker.

A disabled woman on crutches just came into our office.  She’s turned up a few times before, and no matter that we always remin…d her, the idea of making an appointment doesn’t seem to stick.  Since she’s travelled over half an hour on public transport and then walked (on her crutches) from the train station to our service, we don’t turn her away.

She’s a marginal renter.  In the past she’s come in about the rented caravans she lived in but this time she has a small unit in the outskirts of the city.  When the owner changed the real estate agent, she’d already paid rent ahead.  When they paid it back to her it wasn’t in full.  She’s lost just under $50. She couldn’t deal with the agent herself.

If the money was paid as rent and the agent has taken out monies for other things, they’ve broken the law.  The tenant is a lovely woman, and because English is her second language she’s not all that literate (in English).  Our tenant says it’s not the money, it’s the principle.  But we think it’s probably a bit of both.  She’s on a pension, and what she’s trying to retrieve is a lot of money for her.  We’ve written a letter to try to sort it out and sent her on her way.  Hope it doesn’t happen again after June 30.