Big Issues

‘Tis The Season To Be Evicted

by Ky Stewart  14 December 2023
eviction season real estate agent email victoria for lease sign australia

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I doubt we need any more proof that real estate agents don’t have the best reputation for being compassionate, understanding people but things are reaching a whole new level. 

[Update]: Professionals Taylor Lakes have since apologised for the Christmas eviction email. They also threatened legal action against people who shared the email.

Take this email sent to renters in Victoria recently, where a real estate agent refers to the Christmas period as “eviction season”. Why? Because “people choose to use their rental payments for Christmas spending”. I wish I could say I’m shocked but we’ve seen this out-of-touch behaviour before. 

The email from Professionals Property Management Department was sent to Victorian Greens Aiv Pugielli from one of his constituents. Aiv’s since shared a copy of the email on X. The email read, “We see so many tenants fall behind in their rent and then get into the position where they are not able to catch up, as this is their biggest financial obligation.” It continued, “We then have a difficult time with the unfortunate job of having to remove and evict these tenants from their homes.” Aw, poor things. 

If you thought it couldn’t get anymore ghoulish, the real estate agents complain that evicting people means they don’t get to enjoy their own Christmas. Maybe they haven’t heard of Labor’s discounted Christmas ham.

If you’re wondering about the legality of real estate agents threatening evictions, according to Legal Aid Victoria, it’s legit: your residential rental provider or agent can give you a written 14 days’ notice to vacate the property if your rent is overdue by 14 days or more. Victorian Greens renters’ rights spokesperson Gabrielle de Vietri told Junkee that with the cost of living “through the roof and rents at record highs, many renters across the state will be worried about making it through the Christmas season”. 

“For too long landlords and real estate agents have been allowed to jack up the rent and dangle the threat of homelessness in front of struggling tenants,” Gabrielle says. 

Under his tweet, Aiv added that the email may have been in circulation for a few years and part of a data breach. However, Junkee understands that the same real estate agency sent out another email 20 minutes later about their shutdown period and emergency contact details. It seems unlikely that there would be a breach if another completely normal email was sent shortly afterwards. You’d think there’d be more strange emails. But then again, I’m no tech expert. The wording in the original email is incredibly similar to a different email one sent out to renters in New Zealand in 2020 also warning them against spending too much money during Christmas.

It’s not great to insinuate that renters who choose to spend money on Christmas things, as thousands of people do, are somehow not thinking about their families because they can’t pay rent. People are trying their best, especially around the holiday season, to provide for themselves and their families. They’re stressed enough about paying bills without having to receive ominous eviction-warning emails from real estate agents.

“Housing is a human right and everyone should feel secure in their home,” Gabrielle says, “That’s why unlimited rent increases should be illegal.”

I’m choosing to believe that the email was meant to be sent out on April Fool’s Day — and that the original draft advocated for a rent freeze and called out price-gouging by massive corporations. They sent the wrong one out everyone, don’t stress! I’m sure real estate agents have our best interests at heart. Of course they know how hard it is to pay for things while trying to keep a roof over our heads.

Ky is a proud Kamilaroi and Dharug person and writer at Junkee. Follow them on Instagram or on X.

Image credit: Getty