Tenant Information Guide

Paying Your Rent

It’s important that paying your rent is just like paying any other type of bill. Many people do not realise that your rental history will support your credit rating. Therefore it’s important you are aware of the payment options and what is required. We will provide you with simple methods for the payment of rent.

Under the Residential Tenancies Act you are required to pay your rent by the date noted on the schedule in your Tenancy Agreement and it must always be paid in advance. Ray White Pelican Waters have zero tolerance for rental arrears, this is a strict policy on the payment and collection of rent.

Should you have any difficulties in paying your rent please notify us as soon as possible.

Routine Inspections

It is our policy to inspect every property managed three to four times per year and report to the landlord, on the manner in which the property is being maintained.

It should be noted that this inspection is completed for the sole purpose of the property’s suitability for rental, and to report visible maintenance /repair issues and is not a Building or Pest Inspection Report.

Routine Inspections are carried out on a regular basis. Entry Notices will be issued in accordance with the RTA requirement. Tenants are welcome to be home for these inspections but if you are unable to do so we will use our set of keys to gain access. Photos are taken of the property, to record the ongoing state of the property and record any maintenance reported.

Water & Utilities

A Tenant is responsible for the cost of all services connected to their property including electricity, gas, telephone, internet, pay TV and under the curtain circumstances water consumption as per the Lease Agreement. Under the RTA a landlord is allowed to pass on the full water consumption charges (including bulk water charges) provided all the minimum criteria has been met.

The minimum criteria for water charging is:

• A property must be individually metered for water
• A property must be water efficient
• The tenancy agreement must state that the tenant must pay for water consumption

A water efficient property has certain water efficient fixtures including water efficient taps, shower heads and toilets. A plumber will also provide a certificate confirming the property is water efficient.

If your property meets the criteria of being water efficient and individually metered you will receive an invoice from our office on a quarterly basis confirming your water used, the cost associated and will be provided 30 days for payment of the account. It should be noted that a tenant can not be charged for Fixed Access or Sewerage Usage Charges.

Excess water
If your property is individually metered but not water efficient, you may be charged excess water consumption – being usage over 40KL per quarter.

Ending a Tenancy

To end your tenancy you will need to give written notice to the agent. The notice period required will be different depending on the situation.

At the end of the fixed term
If you want to end your tenancy when the fixed term period of the agreement is due to run out, you will need to give at least 14 days notice.

After the fixed term
If you want to end your tenancy after the fixed term has ended (and you have not signed another agreement), you will need to give at least 21 days notice. This notice can be given at any time and does not have to line up with the rent payment cycle. You must pay the rent up to and including the day your notice ends and you vacate.

Breaking Your Lease

Should you request to terminate your lease agreement early you must notify our office in writing as soon as possible.  This will then be forwarded onto the owner.

In any break lease situation, there are certain fees and charges payable. Fees and charges include but are not limited to a fixed break fee as per the Residential Tenancies Act 2010, as well as the landlord’s out of pocket expenses including advertising fees. Please refer to your lease agreement or contact your property manager for further information.   

ALL KEYS (including any copies made) are to be returned to our office to finalise your vacate. Your Property Manager will keep in touch with you regarding the approval of a new tenant and the finalisation of your lease. A vacate inspection will be conducted upon the finalisation of your tenancy.

Providing the property has been left in satisfactory condition, all outstanding monies paid, your bond will then be refunded to you promptly, less any deductions discussed.

Ensuring a Hassle Free Vacate

Ask us how we can help you make your move Ray White Concierge knows that moving house is hard work. They specialise in connecting you with the right services to make your move hassle free, from tradies and cleaners to removalists, storage and pet transportation. See our Concierge Service here: raywhite.com/concierge

Moving Out
Remember you will be responsible for paying rent until the keys and any security remotes are returned. We recommend getting started early when you decide to move out of the property. Packing often takes longer than you anticipate and if you leave it to the last minute you may cause yourself undue stress and extra costs. We will contact you to make arrangements to start showing prospective tenants through the property ahead of your departure. We understand there will be some disarray while you’re packing, which is fine, but if you could please ensure that the property is in good condition for these inspections it would be much appreciated.

Here are a few other tasks it’s important to remember ahead of moving day:

• Fill out a mail redirection form with Australia Post. This will make sure any mail from people you haven’t notified of your new address yet will still reach you. We cannot guarantee mail redirection.
• Contact your utility providers (telephone, power, gas) and inform them of your moving date so that final readings can be carried out and they can arrange for these services to be connect in your new home.
• Make a booking with an approved carpet cleaner when you know when the property will be vacant.

Cleaning
As you would expect to enter a new property with a high cleaning standard, we too expect the property to be left with that same high standard, obviously taking into consideration the entry condition report.

If your Property Manager does not provide you with any specific guidelines around what is expected of your final clean – ask them as they may have an office policy you should adhere to. Finding out this information in advance will help you save time, stress and money.  Please download our “Tenant Information Guide” which has a vacate cleaning list of the minimum that is expected.

Often Tenants are required to return to the property after vacating to attend to outstanding cleaning items. This inconvenience wastes valuable time for all parties and unnecessarily delays for tenants receiving their bond refund. We strongly suggest employing professional cleaners who can complete the work, that would normally take days, in just hours.

At Ray White Pelican Waters we aim to make the process of renting as simple as possible for you. Click below to view our Tenant Information Guide, this is your go-to reference guide for renting your property through Ray White Pelican Waters from start to finish.