Interview with Kara

Interview questions for Kara

Background of case, proceedings, resolution

2012… other flatmates. Fullhouse management. Property management company. Rude tone. Karas tenancy was ending, bond refund form. Left a form on bench, nothing on there about extra cleaning or taking money off of her. Said “fill out the form”… she filled it out. Took a photo…. (informed about legal processes) Gave it to Fullhouse mgmt to sign. 

4 weeks later had half the bond back…. they had twinked out her figures.. it was a different form they had switched it. 

0800 helpline she phoned. Was helpful. Researched the internet. Contacted the property management company. Scalped her. 

Took months. Applied online. The form was laid out more for a landlord or a mgmt company… As the claimant you had to do everything. 

Had to get all the evidence together herself. 18 emails. Hearing, and a re hearing. Lot of time of work, stressfull, etc …. she didn’t win her case. No extra compensation, got some money back. Lost $600 dollars, had to prove every dollar of the money. Big, laborious process. 

Did you feel prepared going into the case?

Wasn’t prepared just from the website. “A friend who had been through it before”…. had to label shit and pushed it back further and further. 

0800 tenancy number was really helpful… a chat thing about the process with more specifics.

Would being more informed about steps you had to take at each point make it easier? 

Yes… someone to answer your questions. to talk to and help you understand. 

Example cases? this is how it goes… 

Top tips for tenancy tribunal. 

offence provision in the tenancy act…. 

no time, money, to fight big things like this. 

look down at you, for people like her going against a big company who is so prepared for this. She felt like when she was sitting there they were very pointed questions. Scary atmosphere. Good that you can have a support person. Disappointed with the lack of joint-up-ness of the departments. How the onus is soooo bloody on the tenant to defend themselves. 

Kara knew it existed before, knew there was a helpline…. in like a random place on the website? Evidence system is quite clunky.

— a data system that uploads things directly to the tribunal??  exists but it’s clunky. 

— less tech savvy people. 

— a drop in time to an adjudicator or who takes the minutes. a

— landlords have to go to the tribunal to get the bond back… 80% figure??? 

— discrimination against tenants when property managers ask for previous landlords and stuff. 

Trouble with the evidence. A refreshing database. 

A screen with evidence on it so everyone knows where they are. A comment system for evidence. Everyone knows beforehand .