An Australian renter has sparked outrage after revealing wildly excessive demands from their real estate agent following a routine inspection – with leaf litter becoming the centre of an unexpected showdown.
The NSW tenant shared screenshots of an inspection report on Reddit, showing the agency had flagged leaves in the entrance, front yard, and backyard as issues requiring urgent ‘rectification’, complete with photo evidence to avoid a follow-up inspection.
Under the heading Entrance/Hall, the email read: ‘As per the photo attached, please ensure to remove leaf litter. Please provide photo evidence of the rectifications to prevent a follow-up inspection.’
Nearly identical instructions were issued for the front yard and backyard, including a request to remove ‘overgrown greenery’.
But the renter said the situation was not only unreasonable – it was caused by the inspection itself.
‘I just need to share this because I’m honestly blown away with how insane it is,’ they wrote.
The tenant explained they live in a townhouse at the back of a complex, meaning wind funnels leaves straight to their front door.
‘We don’t sweep this every day because it’s usually not a lot unless it’s super windy,’ they said.
An Australian renter has sparked outrage after revealing wildly excessive demands from their real estate agent following a routine inspection
The NSW tenant shared screenshots of an inspection report on Reddit, showing the agency had flagged leaves in the entrance, front yard, and backyard as issues requiring urgent ‘rectification’
On the day of the inspection, the real estate agent arrived with the property’s two new owners and their children – five people walking through the front door.
‘And you guessed it – bringing in bits of leaves,’ the renter wrote.
‘It’s just insane to me to use this as a “gotcha” when that was freshly vacuumed and the five people entering the house caused the problem.’
The renter said the experience left them so frustrated that they could not take the agency seriously, adding that they are moving out next month and plan to ignore the request.
The post quickly struck a nerve, with hundreds of Australians sharing their own horror stories of what they see as nit-picky and petty rental inspections.
One commenter said inspections are being used incorrectly.
‘I’m almost certain that in most jurisdictions, the purpose of an inspection is to ensure the structural integrity of the property. It is not a “cleaning” inspection,’ they wrote.
Another recalled being pulled up for a single drop of water.
The tenant explained they live in a townhouse at the back of a complex, meaning wind funnels leaves straight to their front door
‘I was told I had “water marks” on the kitchen sink. It was literally a drop of water that fell out of the tap.’
Others shared even more extreme examples.
‘I once got told the bathroom needed cleaning again because when she inspected she couldn’t smell any bleach,’ one person said.
Another claimed they were forced to return to a property after moving out to remove ‘a singular piece of cat fur on the window screen’.
Several commenters warned the renter to be proactive when vacating.
‘If they are this bad now, please claim your bond as soon as you hand in the keys. Also video everything in case you get pinged for leaves,’ one advised.
In Australia, routine inspections are designed to check that a property is being reasonably maintained and that no damage has occurred – not to enforce showroom-level cleanliness.
Consumer advocates have long warned that issues like minor dust, leaves blown in by weather, or everyday signs of living are not valid reasons to penalise tenants.
But as rental markets tighten and competition increases, many renters say inspections are becoming more stressful and adversarial.
For this tenant, the experience was the final straw.
‘Thankfully we’ll be vacating next month, but this really got to me,’ they wrote.
And judging by the response online, they are far from alone.
