Tenant Info

maintenance

The following information is provided for your assistance when moving into your new home and for the ongoing relationship you will develop with our company, the managing agent.

Services:

It is your responsibility to arrange for the connection of all services to the property. TXU Electricity 133 466, Origin 132 463, Telstra 132 200.  The forms for North East Regional Water are available from our office.

Condition Report:

This document is as important as the Tenancy Agreement you signed as it establishes the condition of the property at the commencement of your tenancy and will be used as a comparison at the end of your tenancy as the basis on which your bond is refunded. Please check it and amend it as necessary.  You have three (3) working days after the commencement of your tenancy to complete and return it to this office.  If you neglect to return a signed copy of this report, you could forfeit your right to object if there is a disagreement at the end of your tenancy.

Renting - Your Rights and Responsibilities: This booklet is provided to you at the start of your tenancy.  It will assist you during your tenancy as it contains some very useful information.  Please refer to it as necessary during your tenancy.

Documents:

The Tenancy Agreement and Condition Report are legal documents and it is suggested you retain them in a safe place during your tenancy.  You may need to produce them at some time in the future to establish any claim you might have.

Payment of Rent:

Our office is open six (6) days a week for receiving rent.  If you decide to pay by cheque, please clearly write your name and address on the back.  In the event of a cheque being dishonored by the bank for any reason, all bank dishonor fees will be paid by the tenant.  Other methods of payment include direct debit and B-Pay.  Enquire at reception to obtain further details on paying your rent via these methods. Rent is payable in advance on the due date as per your Lease Agreement.  If you are experiencing any difficulties in meeting your commitments, please advise your property manager. Our rent arrears procedure is very simple.  After five (5) days a reminder is sent; after ten (10) days a final notice is sent; and after fifteen (15) days a Notice to Vacate is served and an Application made to the Residential Tenancies Tribunal for vacant possession of the property, together with all rent due plus costs. Please remember our landlords have financial commitments to meet and they rely on rent being paid on time.

Telephone:

Please advise your property manager of the telephone number at the property when you have it connected.  Also, if you change employment during your tenancy, please advise your property manager of the new business number. There are various reasons you may need to be contacted throughout your tenancy by your property manager, such as repairs and this information is vital. 

Insurance:

It is not your landlord's responsibility to insure your possessions.  The landlord's insurance policy covers only the building plus any fixtures and fittings.  With the ever-increasing incidence of burglary and theft, we strongly recommend you take out content's insurance cover.

Repairs and maintenance:

All requests for repairs or maintenance must be submitted to our office in writing.  Requests can e-mailed directly to your property manager, completed via our maintenance section on our website or phoned through to reception.  We Endeavour to complete all requests as quickly as possible, however it is first necessary to have the landlords approval prior to works being completed, thus a short time delay can occur.  We specifically ask that if appointments have been made with tenants to allow access to tradespersons to enter your property that these times be strictly adhered to.  If appointments are not kept the callout service fee of the tradespersons can be passed to the tenant. 

Keys:

It is your responsibility to return all keys to the property to this office at the end of your tenancy. If you change any locks during your tenancy, it is a provision of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 that you supply this office with a key. 

Ending the Tenancy:

The Residential Tenancy Act, 1997 is explicit about how a tenancy ends.  It can only occur when one of the parties to the tenancy Agreement gives notice to the other party. If you want to vacate the property at the end of the Agreement you must complete the required Vacate Notice twenty-eight (28) days beforehand.  (Ask at reception) If you want to vacate during the term of the Agreement, you will be breaking the contract you have entered into and therefore, responsible for reimbursing the landlord for any loss suffered, e.g. rent until the property is again tenanted plus the landlord's normal costs in re-letting.  These are usually:

• All advertising and marketing expenses incurred at $22.00 per ad
• The lease break fee is to be paid by the tenant
• Rent is to be paid until a suitable tenant is found.

Change of Tenants:

The landlord has approved the tenancy in your name.  If a new tenant wants to occupy the property, their application must be similarly approved. Any change in occupant could affect the bond refund process when you vacate.  As your property manager no longer controls this process, it is imperative that the procedures as set out in the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 are strictly adhered to. If the Agreement is in joint or multiple names, all parties to it are individually and jointly responsible.  In other words, if the Agreement is in multiple names and one party does not have the funds to meet their commitment, some or all of the other parties are responsible to meet that commitment.

Communication:

Most of the problems experienced by tenants, landlords and property managers can be overcome by prompt and honest communication.  It's the tenant's major responsibility to keep the property clean and to meet their financial obligations;  it's the landlord's major responsibility to see the property is maintained and to ensure the tenant has peaceful enjoyment; and it's the property manager's duty to oversee the process.  This can be done with effecting communications from all parties. Your property manager is here to assist you during your tenancy.  Please direct any problems you may have to your property manager.