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Vermin and Your Plumbing

rat eating

Mice and rats do not chew things out of a malicious spirit. Rodents need to chew all the time to prevent their teeth from getting too long. They will chew wood, electrical cabling and pipes. The damage can be serious – from fires and floods and damaged possessions.

Prevention

  • Don’t provide free bed and breakfast: clean up spilled rubbish, store pet food in sealed containers, put rubbish bags in bins with lids, and sweep up bird seed underneath feeders or around bird tables.
  • Don’t make their nest for them: don’t store unwanted clothes or cuddly toys and cardboard boxes in your ceiling.
  • ‘If you want to look for mice in your home, we recommend you look around the hot water system, under the kitchen sink and stairs.
  • ‘If you can put a pencil in a gap, then a mouse can get through. Seal up holes, particularly those around pipe work: mice travel around your home by following pipes and wiring. Use steel wool, copper mesh or plaster to fill holes and seal up the gaps surrounding hot water pipes to prevent them from entering airing cupboards.
  • Make your home ‘Fort Knox’: fix cracked or broken doors and windows and make sure that drains and drain covers are in a good state of repair.
  • Remove hiding places for mice: De-clutter your garden by getting rid of leaves, wooden planks or boards, pipes, and scraps of wood. Cut back weeds and mow areas of tall grass.
  • Be neat and tidy: clean up spills immediately, never leave out dirty dishes and vacuum regularly.

Suspect that you have rats or mice?

You may not actually see any rats or mice, but you will almost certainly see the traces they leave.

Holes

Rat holes are about 80mm in diameter while mouse holes are usually about 20mm in diameter and usually found outside in compost heaps, under sheds or in hedges. Inside buildings the rat makes nest in wall cavities or under floor boards.

Runs and Smears

Rats and mice use regular routes when they travel to and from their nesting sites, and so create pathways or runs. Indoors on hard surfaces the runs are less clearly defined, but become marked in places by black greasy smears.

Droppings

The number of droppings, their position and age may help to identify where rats and mice are abundant, and where they are moving and feeding. Common rat droppings are between 10 – 20mm long & often found in runs. Mice droppings are like very small rat droppings about the size of a grain of rice.

Signs of Damage

Signs of damage include gnaw marks, half eaten food and damaged packing. The more rodents there are, the more damage you will see.

How to get rid of rats and mice?

Rats and mice are adaptable, highly mobile and breed rapidly which produce large infestations very quickly. We recommend you employ the services of a reputable pest control contractor to rid your home or office of vermin.

If you prefer to try to fix the problem yourself, there are 2 options:

Poisons and Traps

Poisons are available for purchase from your supermarket or hardware. Put the poison in a safe and secure place out of reach of children and pets and wash your hands after use. Rodenticide or poison can take between 4 – 12 days to take effect, and may result in a localized foul smell due to the presence of dead carcasses.

Back up traps are advisable and should be placed next to walls where rats tend to travel. The trap should be baited with chocolate, biscuit or cereal.

Hint:

Most rats are wary of new objects placed in their environment and will avoid them for a period of time. We recommend that you bait the trap first before loading the spring and wait till the bait has been taken, then load the spring the next time.

All baits and traps should be handled with care and always follow the instructions on the manufactures pack.

If after 2 weeks of self-treatment there is still evidence of rodent activity, we recommend that you employ the services of a reputable pest control contractor.

If rats have eaten or chewed on your water pipes, you will need to employ the services of a reputable maintenance plumber to repair the damage. Moyle Plumbing & Gasfitting Services has had many years of experience repairing vermin damaged water pipes. We also recommend that you also have your telephone & electrical cables checked by a licensed electrician for damage caused by vermin.

Insurance and Vermin

It is unlikely that your insurance company will cover vermin damage. Repairs caused by vermin can add up & become very costly. We recommend that you contact your insurance company and inquire if and what they cover.

Source: https://www.moyleplumbing.com.au/handy-hints-blog/vermin-and-your-plumbing

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Tenants and Property Managers: Cleaning Under the New Normal

cleaning with broom and dustpan

With nothing but time, plenty of them, on our hands during this pandemic-imposed lockdown, we’ve got time to contemplate a lot of things – from the most profound to the most mundane.

You probably started thinking about things that you never get to do while busy with your normal life pre-pandemic. While sitting at your kitchen table you suddenly come to the conclusion that the stove, the microwave and the oven won’t clean itself. They will need to be scrubbed for you to be able to cook food without grossing yourself out, or worst giving yourself food poisoning.

The world has come at a standstill, or so we thought. But the reality is life goes on, though under the so-called “new normal.”

There’s nothing like being stuck within the four walls of your home to make you come to the realisation that the cleaning tasks that you have been able to successfully put off before Covid-19 arrived can no longer be ignored – because there’s not a lot of things you can do.

Dust and Dirt Are Magnified During Lockdown

Pre-pandemic, we have various things to distract us from the dust, dirt and clutter that accumulate throughout our home. It’s so easy to delay taking action because we’re never in our home most of the day anyway. But in lockdown, you have nowhere else to go and you will start to notice the mess and grime around your house seem to be getting grosser and grosser.

Cleaning Remains your Maintenance Responsibility

Even amid a pandemic, cleaning continues to serve the purpose of maintaining your home and appliances.

If you live near the beach, wash the outside of your house regularly to lessen the corroding impact of salt air. Your dishwasher is probably seeing so much action than normal, cleaning it gets rid of the disgusting food residues, keep it looking shiny and avoid the potential blockage that can lead to an expensive plumbing job.

Your Property Manager is Watching You

You can’t use the pandemic or the lockdown to procrastinate on your cleaning tasks, thinking you’re the only one who will see or suffer your grubby surroundings.

Property managers continue to do their job of looking after the properties assigned to them.

During this pandemic, you may refuse physical entry for inspections and other non-essential reasons. However, you cannot decline virtual inspections, if physical inspection cannot be conducted.   

This means your property manager will continue to check your property to make sure you are abiding by your responsibilities with regards to the upkeep and maintenance of your rental property – and this includes keeping up with regular cleaning.

Cleaning is never ending

Life has returned to roughly what it was once before pandemic in almost all of Australia, but cleaning is still never-ending. You’ll find out that this health crisis has not stopped cobwebs, dust and mould.

You’re probably back to your hectic life, but take time to look around your house. You will probably discover that dust has again accumulated on your display cabinet, your kitchen counters are a little dimmer, or your oven window is no longer see-thru.

Pandemic or not, cleaning is non-stop. You have to keep up with it not only to keep your landlord and property manager happy come inspection time, but to also keep you and your family protected against any health issues that may arise from dirty living conditions.

The task of cleaning of your home seems different during lockdown with all the new rules and restrictions. But it is basically just the same – it remains a regular thing.

The lockdown may have necessitated an easing up on some tenant and landlord obligations, but landlords/property managers can send a notice to leave for approved reasons, except rent arrears caused by financial distress due to the impact of COVID-19. One of those approved reasons is neglect of the property.

Australia is fortunate that we have somewhat defeated the virus, without any full-blown cases of infection and deaths among the population.

However, COVID-19 remains a threat and will continue to be so until an effective vaccine is developed, which is not expected to happen anytime soon. This means, the public health and safety protocols for the public and businesses will remain in place.

While certain adjustments and limitations have been put in place in response to the pandemic, tenants, landlords and property managers are expected to continue fulfilling their respective responsibilities. These include, among other things, doing your part as a tenant to make sure your home is clean, especially during this time of health crisis. 

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Technology that helps renters turn a house into a home

interior design kitchen

As a renter, it can often feel as though you’re asking your landlord if you’re allowed to sneeze in your own home.

Rest assured, when you want to make modifications to your rental, you just need to ask!

However, if you still want to decorate and make your home comfortable without ruffling feathers, there’s some top technology on the market which will help you achieve your goals.

Hanging art

This is often a big one among renters. The landlord is most likely to give the go-ahead, you just need to ask.

However, if you’re concerned, there are ways around making holes in the wall. Using sticky hooks is one way and there has been a lot of advancement in the production of these throughout the years.

Command goes up to a 7.6kg holding weight, so those larger pieces of art can have a place in your household.

Just make sure that you clean the surface of the wall properly before sticking the strip onto it and that it won’t rip away any paint – plaster walls, for instance, aren’t good options.

Command hanging strips range up to $18.

Painting the walls

One of the best ways to brighten up a room is to give the walls a fresh lick of paint.

Renters can feel as though this is a big ask of their landlords, but there are ways to make your landlord feel more at ease about you bringing out the paint and brush.

The rule of thumb for renters is to leave the house as you found it, so if you do paint the walls (with your landlord’s permission), you can always paint them back to the original colour and Tint Paint can help.

The high-tech paint company has developed a colour reader called a Pico, which reads what colour you direct it on to. The company will send out that exact colour from their warehouse.

This means renters can read the colour of the wall prior to painting, so when they leave the rental, they can repaint the walls in the original colour.

Pico retails for $79, which is redeemable in products.

Air conditioning

A lack of air conditioning might not seem like a big deal during winter, but come summer, all you want is some cool air flowing through your stuffy house.

If your landlord isn’t prepared to install air-conditioning within the house, there are some high-tech portable options to choose from.

DeLonghi, which is usually known as a company that makes coffee machines, has a popular portable air conditioner on the market that will keep the whole room feeling cool.

The Pinguino Silent automatically adjusts temperature and humidity, and is very quiet. It also has an A+ energy-efficiency rating so you can feel okay about your bills each month.

The Pinguino Silent retails for $649.

Planting a veggie patch

A garden at a rental usually has to be maintained by the tenant – however, ripping it up and replanting your own veggie patch is likely to give your landlord the grumbles.

High-tech solutions, like the Vegepod, mean you can still have a veggie patch that won’t disturb the pre-existing garden.

The pods are all self-watering, have a protective cover, and produce their own microclimate.

Vegepods start at $169.

Source: https://www.realestate.com.au/news/technology-that-helps-renters-make-a-house-a-home/

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Three Misconceptions About the Queensland Smoke Alarm Legislation

smoke alarm

By now, most people should be aware of the new legislative requirements regarding smoke alarms in Queensland properties. However, three main misconceptions are surrounding these new laws.

The first misconception is the possible extension of the time frame. Now there’s no indication from the government that they are looking to grant a time extension so the deadline of 1 January 2022 is absolutely the date that people are to work towards.

The second misconception is that we have plenty of time. 1 January 2022 sounds far away but it’s not. Especially when you consider that there are around 566,000 rental properties in Queensland and a limited number of skilled electricians to conduct the work, the reality is that the deadline is just around the corner.

The issue of skilled electricians leads to the third misconception, which is that there are plenty of skilled electricians out there to undertake this work. But again, the reality is that we have a shortage of skilled electricians who understand the new legislative requirements.

Our concern is that people are waiting and that we won’t have enough time to meet the pending deadline if people don’t act today.

Not meeting the deadline does present some serious risks to property owners. If you are looking to rent your property, you will not be able to do so if it doesn’t have compliant smoke alarms by 1 January 2022. Similarly, if you are looking to sell your property it will negatively impact the sale process. Therefore, property owners must have compliant smoke alarms by the deadline.

The REIQ is very passionate about this legislation and that is because, at its core, this legislation is about saving lives. There is no Queenslander, there is no Australian who wants to see people losing their lives in house fires. Because of this, it is incredibly important [that] everybody supports these legislative reforms.

Source: https://www.smokealarmsolutions.com.au/three-misconceptions-about-the-queensland-smoke-alarm-legislation

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The Forgotten Soldier – A Property Manager’s Story

woman sitting infront of laptop with head bowed

By Karen Herbert & Eileen Herbert-Goodall

The panic is palpable, the barrage of phone calls exhausting, the need to facilitate negotiations dire – this is the new normal for property managers all around the country.

It’s hard to comprehend the sheer scale of the battle front that is the unfolding COVID-19 crisis; this battle extends beyond the obvious health calamity and has swiftly ballooned into an economic, social, psychological and emotional disaster for those struggling to pay their rent and/or mortgages. Here’s a snapshot of the cries of desperation swamping property managers daily.

‘I’ve lost my job and have no income to live on.’

‘This is not a game for me. If I don’t get support from you and the owner as the government is providing, then I’ll just stop paying rent.’

‘It’s your responsibility to go to the owner on my behalf and have this discussion to provide an outcome.

‘I’d like to know if my landlords would consider a reduction in my rent during this time?’

‘I’ll be on jobseeker for the next 3-6months and I’m so nervous about my financial situation during this time.’

‘We’re working with the application form in claiming through the RTA but, unfortunately, we aren’t included in the residential status section. We feel hopeless now as we still aren’t eligible for assistance.’

‘Unfortunately, my follow-up with the RTA about the rent assistance up to $2000 didn’t get us any help – so no funding for us. The RTA’s advice was to ask the real estate/landlord to drop the rent value by a percentage for say…3 months, then increase the rent again for the following say…6 months.’ ‘At this point, it seems we do not fit into any box for government funding unfortunately. We’re hoping to be able to access our Super to help in the coming weeks.’

These are the pleas heard by Property Managers as the COVID-19 battle rages on, bringing our nation to a standstill.

The media continues to suggest tenants and landlords need to work together and negotiate rent reductions during these uncertain times; yet, the herculean task faced by Property Managers who must navigate (and help solve) such situations remains unacknowledged. It seems we are invisible in this ongoing battle to keep people afloat and sheltered as they struggle to cover their rent and other bills. Evidently, we wear many hats in the day-to-day management of rental properties; but, during these troubling times, we must now go above and beyond the call of duty.

As a business owner of a Property Management specialist firm, my current daily challenge is to prop up members of my brave team who take desperate phone calls from frightened tenants. My staff must talk to everyday Australian citizens who’ve not only lost their jobs, but also face the possibility of losing the roof over their heads. They patiently listen to these sad stories, offering options and sympathy where they can.

They are the forgotten soldiers, who bring stories of desperation to Landlords, many of whom have also lost their jobs and are now struggling to meet financial commitments.

They are the forgotten soldiers who turn up every day, who return to the trenches to fight another type of war, an unseen war, where the victims lay psychologically and emotionally maimed.

They are the forgotten soldiers who work tirelessly, yet only receive an income on rent collected. So, while rental revenue plummets they, too, are in danger of losing their jobs.

Who then shall then defend the meek?

Who then shall hear their cries of pain?

Who then shall negotiate their suffering?

I think it’s time we remembered these forgotten soldiers, who I dub the Knights of Property Management – the servicemen and women of the Real Estate industry.

I say that we give a huge shout out of thanks to all Property Managers who expose themselves daily to a different kind of risk, like our health workers, are also forced to endure long working hours, psychological distress, fatigue, occupational burnout, stigma, and psychological violence.

For without them, our tenants and landlords have no representation.

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Tenancy reforms: Landlord Insurance through AON includes pet cover

pet owner embracing her dogDear Property Manager,

You probably already know that rental regulations around Australia will be changing in 2020. The specifics and timings differ across the states and territories, but key changes being implemented include giving tenants more control over their environment such as fewer restrictions on keeping pets.

We wanted to reassure you and the landlords you look after that Aon’s Landlord Insurance includes damage by pets to building and contents, flood and clean-up costs associated with illegal drug production(*). Optional cover is available for(*):

  • Loss of rent
  • Damage or theft of contents by tenants
  • Liability cover

For more information about Aon’s Landlord Insurance, give us a call on 1800 105 590 or visit aon.com.au/agentsportal.

*Subject to full policy terms, conditions and exclusions.

Source: http://aonunited.com/

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COVID-19 Update from Lord Mayor of Brisbane Lord Adrian Schrinner

covid-19 updates spelled on black backgroundAdrian Schrinner, Lord Mayor of Brisbane, discusses what the Brisbane City Council is doing to make sure residents remain safe amid the #coronavirus outbreak.

Transportation and commuting

The Council has initiated new safety measures on Brisbane buses, ferries and CityCats, including payment by Go Card only as well as rear-door boarding on Brisbane buses to protect passengers and drivers from Coronavirus.

Nightly sanitisation of Council’s entire fleet is ongoing to allow residents to travel with confidence.

Residents who are moving around Brisbane on buses are urged to do so with caution by following social distancing rules.

Council is no longer allowing people to sit in the front passenger seat next to the driver.

For pedestrians, the Council has also programmed hundreds of inner-city traf-fic signals to run automatically 24/7, so people don’t have to press the button to get a green light.

Council Rates

If you, a loved one, or a local business are struggling to pay Council rates on time, please speak to the Council. There are several ways it might be able to assist you during this difficult time. The Council is here to help where it can those who are experiencing genuine hardship. There is no way of knowing how long or how far this crisis will extend.

Parking

The Council has asked parking inspectors to show leniency at this time and only issue warnings unless there is a serious safety issue.

Covid-19 Hotline Numbers for Brisbane Australia

Changes to Council facilities, events and services will continue to be reported to its website, (www.brisbane.qld.gov.au). You can also discuss Council assistance options by calling 3403-8888.

For the most up to date health advice, visit health.gov.au or call the Common-wealth Government Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 020 080.

Source:https://www.linkedin.com/posts/brisbane-city-council_brisbane-activity-6648462020289024000-vx3g

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Update from Arrive on the impact of COVID-19

Covid-19 Arrive ResponseKaren Herbert has an important message for our residents around the impact of COVID-19

In this turbulent times, we want to reach out to our residents to let you know that we are here. It is currently still business as usual here at Arrive.

We are uncertain about what the future looks like. We put measures in place to be able to manage your property effectively whether it be here or remotely.

To minimise the risks, we have cancelled all routine inspections until further notice. But we urge you to still let us know of any maintenance issues preferably via the tenant app.

We will continue to lease properties until such time when we are told we simply cannot. And of course, we’ve got sanitising methods in place to protect all parties concerned.

We understand that the pandemic brings with it a range of impacts on all of us, and we recognise that some of you may be financially impacted. If you are experiencing any difficulty in paying rent, we ask you to contact us to discuss support options that we have in place.

If you are, however, unfortunately affected and have lost your job, we ask you to go directly to the Australian government website where there are lots of information on how you can get financial assistance.

Of course, we are aware of the toilet paper situation, or the lack of it, and we do ask you to be very mindful and not flush anything down the toilet aside from toilet paper as this will have blockage issues.

And finally during this unprecedented time, we ask you to remember your neighbours, call your family members, and remember to be compassionate, and make sure everybody is okay. This will pass and we will prosper, and in the meantime, stay safe, everyone!

Source: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=200992177828849

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Effective Removal of Pigeons from Solar Panels

House with solar panelsPigeons and other birds will shelter and nest under solar panels. They are attracted to sheltered places to get protection from the sun whilst having a high place to perch and then will use the space under the panels to build a nest.

Regular visits from birds create a mess on top of the panels, reducing their efficiency. However a more serious issue is the accumulation of nesting material and droppings underneath the panels.

Their droppings are corrosive. There is also a serious risk of increased electrolysis between different metals: the aluminium solar panels, stainless steel bolts and the metal of the roof sheeting. This occurs because the debris retains moisture and also forms a bridge that can bypass the insulators and fittings that are installed to prevent electrolysis.

On both metal and tiled roofs, the accumulated nest debris and droppings will also attract insects such as beetles and cockroaches to breed on your roof (and then enter the house). Eventually gutters and drains will be blocked and corroded, allowing water to leak and overflow from the gutters.

If birds on solar panels are allowed to successfully rear their young, even more birds will come back to the same building in the following breeding season.

Possum Proofing Solar Panels

Possums view solar panels as excellent areas to shelter and will often nest underneath. They are attracted to the panels as they provide a safe, sheltered location and will happily live and nest in such places on top of the roof. Unfortunately they are guaranteed to make a mess under the panels and can often chew the wires leading to safety hazards for your family and expensive repair bills.

A pest control specialist will use a reliable, quality proofing method of excluding the possums from under the panels. This proofing product is stainless steel black UV coated wire mesh with UV stable nylon retainer hooks and washers. It clips onto the panels so you can remove a section for servicing if required, and it does not screw into the panels so does not void your panel warranty. This product also allows excellent water and airflow under the panels to avoid heat build-up.

Possum nests will be removed before the mesh is fitted and if there is significant mess created by possums or birds. Pest controllers will usually provide a quote to pressure wash the roof before the solar panel proofing is installed.

How Pest Control Specialists Can Help

Overall it is better to be pro-active: exclude the birds and possums from getting under the panels and reduce the tendency for them to stay on your roof. Hire a team of people experienced in proofing solar panels to get rid of pigeons and possums using their proven proofing product. In the longer run it is much cheaper to exclude the unwanted visitors as that reduces future maintenance costs and ensures that the efficiency of power conversion from the sun is not reduced.

Experienced, registered pest controllers will be able to combine this solar panel proofing with legal chemical treatments to get rid of pigeons and reduce the bird numbers, if needed.

***If you are a tenant, you need the owner’s permission to conduct any proofing work at the property, as it is structural work on the house. Make sure the owner is aware of the issue and they request the inspection from the pest controller directly.

Source: https://www.possumman.com.au/

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