Aussie landlord slams tenants 'with no life experience' in emotional rant
A desperate Aussie landlord has taken to social media to rant about her tenants, with her controversial opinions causing tension online.
Liz Hammond posted a video on TikTok to self-admittedly "whinge" about her tenants, who she claims have stopped making payments on the "little tiny matchbox-size of land in Sydney" that she rents out.
The landlord alleges the payments stopped over a month ago and tenants have not responded to the real estate agent who has tried to communicate with them on Ms Hammond's behalf.
"Thank you for causing us this stress," the landlord sarcastically chided in her video.
'Pressure' caused by missed payments
Ms Hammond delved into personal matters in the now viral video, explaining the missed payments have exacerbated current financial pressures in her life.
She said she lost her mother four months ago and shortly afterward her father was diagnosed with leukaemia. Coupled with the impact of inflation and rising interest rates, it has been a difficult period for the small-time landlord.
Between caring for her parents while being a mum herself, Ms Hammond has stretched her paid leave as far as possible and revealed her family are "really struggling".
"F**k you for causing us extra pressure in my life when I didn't need it," she ranted.
Controversial comments cause conflict online
While the landlord was well within her right to be frustrated, it was her next comments that landed her in hot water.
"You twenty-something year olds with no life experience and no pressures wouldn't give a sh*t that we are struggling right now," she ranted, before performing a one-fingered hand gesture to the camera.
The video was swarmed with angry comments which have now been removed by Ms Hammond. She also switched off the comment section, silencing those who disagreed with the sweeping assertion that adults in their 20s do not experience life pressures due to their age.
Real estate agency slammed for 'audacious' letter to landlords
'Illegal' request to struggling student amid daunting rental crisis
Aussie landlord 'poses as handyman to secretly check on rental tenants'
The video was also shared widely on other social media platforms, with many on Facebook declaring they were "on the landlord's side" if the tenants had stopped paying rent.
With a rental crisis gripping Australia's major cities, tenants have been battling rising rents as the sometimes acrimonious divide between renters and landlords come to the fore.
Ms Hammond's rights as a landlord
It is unknown whether a written tenancy agreement is in place between Ms Hammond and her tenants, however if there is she has grounds as a landlord to legally ask them to leave.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, the President of the Property Owners Association of NSW explained the tenant could be asked to vacate the premises if what she claims is true.
"If tenants have not paid up the rent in full or entered into a repayment plan to pay back the rent arrears then the landlord has the right to seek orders from NCAT (the tribunal)," John Gilmovich told Yahoo News.
Unpaid rent payments are treated as a debt in Australia and a landlord has the right to recover the debt through legal means or a debt collection agency, providing the landlord has the written order from the tribunal.
Yahoo News Australia reached out to Liz Hammond for further comment.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
