An angry Melbourne renter after being billed $500 by Real Estate for a minor scratch

A tenant was outraged after claiming he was charged $500 for a small scratch on his dishwasher door.

The Melbourne renter says money was taken from his security deposit after the tiny scratch on the paintwork.

“The material of the door is a bit like dry plaster, and the paint is smooth,” they said in a Reddit post, along with a picture of the scratch.

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Amazingly, the renter said the agent originally told him the repair would cost three times the amount deducted.

“The real estate agent said it was difficult to fix and the repair team charged $1500 to have the entire door replaced.”

In the picture, the tenant showed the scratch, which was only a few millimeters long, with his finger.

The frustrated tenant took to social media to ask others if they thought the fee was reasonable.

The post was met with outrage online as over a hundred people commented on the post and shared their advice.

“Yeah, that’s just typical wear and tear – nothing that should come out of your bond,” said one person.

“Call for your bail immediately if you haven’t already,” added another.

“Don’t accept their prices and if they already have a claim then challenge them, $500 for this chip is a joke,” added a third.

The renter thanked everyone for their advice and added that they had put a refund on the security deposit.

They intend to take the matter to court if no agreement is reached with the landlord.

According to Fair Trading NSW, when it comes to property damage and repairs, landlords are “responsible for repairing and maintaining the property so that it is in a reasonable condition, taking into account the age of the property, the rent paid and the expected period of use of the property”.

However, this does not mean that the rental property has to be in perfect condition.

Fair Trading NSW has also advised that if a tenant believes that a rent increase is excessive or that a charge is unfair, they can turn to the NSW Civil and Administrative Court.

Meanwhile, renters across the country continue to report steep rent increases as the housing crisis continues.

A December 2022 Domain Rentals report found that the home and apartment rental categories saw their largest annual increases. The largest median rent increases were recorded in Sydney and Melbourne.

Data shows that the average house rent in Sydney in December 2022 is $650 and $575 for units, followed by Melbourne at $480 for houses and $450 for rental units.