A renter in Victoria has been booted out of their house for not sufficiently matching the “vibe” of the place. Just when you think you’ve seen it all in this housing market, you most definitely haven’t seen it all.
The Geelong tenant took to the Facebook group “Don’t Rent Me” to vent about the situation which resulted in them not having their six-month, fixed-term tenancy extended.
According to Consumer Affairs Victoria, asking someone to vacate at the end of their agreement without a reason is perfectly legal. However, you can see how the landlord’s reasoning and their use of the word “vibe” have rubbed a lot of renters the wrong way.
They also shared the eviction notice they were provided by the landlord.
“Speaking personally, you seem like a great person, however it is both the opinion of myself and of the other tenant(s) that you do not fit the desired and advertised housemate role,” the landlord’s explanation begins.
“I wanted housemates that I could form a friendship with, and due to your work schedule and personal demeanour, this seems like something that will never happen.”
“As well as this, smaller things have compounded over time. The lack of cleanliness of common spaces has been a major one, as well as the noise levels of a night time (not necessarily personal as this is due to your schedule), have just unfortunately created an unhealthy atmosphere within the property, as has created a divide between tenants.”
“As such, it is of my opinion that all parties involved will be happier following this notice to vacate.”
They conclude by offering to write a “glowing recommendation” since they’re on the same page about how “hard” the rental market is at this point in time.
But then, the kicker sentence.
“I just truly think you’d fit into a house that is chasing a more quiet and secluded “vibe” much better.”
Ooft. Not passing the vibe check is truly a brutal reason for not having your tenancy extended.
The comments section was filled with people backing the tenant, with one writing “You don’t have to be friends with your roommates. It just sounds like he wants someone to pay to be his friend,” per news.com.au.
2023 has truly been a horror year for those in the non-home-owning community.
There has been no shortage of cooked tales, including that of Sydney renter Chantelle Schmidt who had her rent put up by $350 a fortnight and took the case to the NSW tribunal.
The situation has become so dire, someone created a literal video game based on rental horror stories.
