Renter ‘refused bond return’ after mix-up over new dishwasher

A renter in New South Wales was allegedly refused the return of her bond after her landlord mistook the protective film on a new dishwasher for grime.

The incredible mix-up took place in a $550 a week rental property in Newcastle.

Fiona Morris, from Clean Biz Coach, was called out to the property to complete an end of lease clean. Key among the concerns was a white sticky residue on the dishwasher door.

When Morris examined the offending mark, she made a startling discovery.

“Fun fact, this dishwasher has never been used,” Morris said in a video to TikTok,

That wasn’t all.

“We got called back today for this sticky residue on the front. Are you ready?” she said, before grabbing hold of the edge of the protective film on the appliance and peeling it off.

“She’s never used the dishwasher… this is why real estates and landlords lose good tenants.”

Morris explained she and a team member had spent the weekend at the property adding finishing touches to the near perfectly cleaned home before being called back in.

“You might feel like I’m ranting and raving here, but imagine you’re this tenant and you live this clean,” she said.

“And then you’re so paranoid as a tenant of the power of the agent and the landlord holds over your home that you would get called back for that when you’ve never used this appliance.”

She revealed she chatted with the tenant about the dishwasher, namely why she never used it during her time living at the home.

“She said, ‘I was too scared to, because of the way they carry on’,” Morris shared.

Morris shared the video with her more than 50,000 followers, many sharing her outrage.

“I feel this rage in my bones,” one person wrote.

“As a cleaner I’d be charging through the nose to go back and peel off plastic from a dishwasher!!! Especially on a weekend,” a second person wrote.

Others shared their own similar experiences.

“As a renter I’m too scared to use the oven so we’ve been using an air fryer the 3 years we’ve been here,” one person shared.

“We got called back for flies being in the window tracks. It was a week later and we lived next to a dairy farm,” another person wrote.