They interacted primarily with a woman named Claire, who claimed she owned the property.
Claire told the three girls that they could stay in the property until November 2013, and that rent was to be paid monthly into her bank account. The rental agreement did not mention the rental amount and Claire had signed the contract as both the landlord and the witness.
One day, Yin and Zhen both received text messages from Claire telling them to move out of the apartment within a fortnight.
She claimed that because she was the owner she was entitled to evict them and she would call the police if they refused to leave. The girls felt very threatened.
The girls attended an appointment at RLC and were advised to seek information from Land and Property NSW about whether or not Claire was the real owner of the property. A title search revealed that she was not the registered owner.
Yin and Zhen were advised by RLC that their eviction notice was not valid as it was in a text message, not written and signed as required by the Residential Tenancies Act 2010. Yin, Zhen and Zi were all advised about their right to move out of the property if they wished to.
Bearing this advice in mind, two girls decided to leave the apartment after receiving the text message. Claire initially tried to deduct $100 from each of their bonds, though when Yin and Zhen showed her the certificate obtained from Land and Property NSW, Claire returned the full amount.
The experience of Yin, Zhen and Zi demonstrates the difficulties experienced by international students navigating the Australian rental market. Although the girls came into RLC distressed, their issues were able to be resolved and their full bonds were returned.
