Property investors try to evict elderly couple

Arthur*, aged in his 90’s, suffered a heart attack after receiving a rent increase notice. He and his partner had been living in the same rental property for 30 years, where the rent was increased by only small amounts every few years. After the property was sold, the new owner increased the rent to an amount more than the combined pensions of the couple. This came as a serious shock, and when he contacted the service, Arthur was anxious, overwhelmed and having difficulty retaining information due to the stress.

The intake workers at HAAG spent a long time on the phone going through the options step-by-step, and connected him with the tenancy team to support him negotiate a rent decrease. The team assisted him with gathering his paperwork, liaised with the real estate agent, connected him with a financial counsellor for budget planning, and put forward a counter offer to the landlord. The new owners indicated that they intended to evict the elderly couple so they could renovate and sell the property for a profit, explaining “this is what we do”. However, through strong advocacy from our tenancy team they changed their mind and agreed to a lower rent.

This outcome was a significant achievement. It prevented homelessness for a couple in their 90’s who strongly preferred to stay in the home where they had lived for three decades. The external care finder who we referred into are assisting the couple with a VHR application, in case there are problems in future. 

* Name changed to protect client confidentiality