Info for Tenants

Just click on your area of interest for details:

Your agreement
You have just signed an agreement between yourself and the owner of the property. This is an important legal document that gives you certain rights but also certain obligations. These are laid out in the attached booklet supplied by the residential tenancies authority. Please take the time to read this booklet and make sure you understand what is required.

It is also important that you understand that this agreement is a form of contract and cannot be “broken” by either party without penalty. This means that you are obligated until the end of your fixed term (The end date on your agreement).

Sometimes situations arise that cause people to think that they can or should be able to break their tenancy. Life is never that simple, because it is a legally binding contract you may in fact be responsible for compensation to the owner if you do this. If you get into difficulties please do not hesitate to call us so we can assist you to sort things out.

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Condition report
You have just been given a completed condition report, which outlines the condition of your property at the start of your tenancy. It is imperative that you complete this immediately and return it to this office within three days.

We have kept a copy of this report and will use it during and at the end of the tenancy as a record if we don’t receive yours back in the office within this time frame. This is the best method you have of protecting your bond, please make sure you understand your obligations and protect your interests.

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Office hours
Our office hours are from 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday and 9:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday. Outside these hours feel free to leave a message on our machine or in the case of an emergency contact the relevant emergency tradesperson or local authority, Police etc.

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Emergency situations
There are a range of situations, which arise outside of normal office hours. If and when you have an issue arise, please take a few moments to assess it yourself.

If it is truly an emergency it usually means your health, safety or security are at risk. In this situation you should consult the tenancy agreement for the names of our preferred tradespeople.

If it is simply something important but not requiring an immediate after hours call-out, then please contact the office during business hours.

Note: please do not leave important messages on mobile phones owned by people in the office. Often the person you are calling is not the one who can fix the problem. All message communication should be directed to the office to ensure that your enquiry is answered as fast as possible by the appropriate staff member.

If you call out an after hours tradesperson and it is found to not be an emergency you may be charged the call out fee.

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Payment of rent
Your payment method for rent would have been discussed with you already. For security and insurance reasons we don’t accept cash payments in the office. However we have gone to great expense to ensure paying rent is easy and hassle free for you.

We use BPAY as our primary rent payment method; this is a very easy system and can work in with your lifestyle choices. You will have been given a copy of your BPAY customer reference no as well as our biller code. Please be sure to follow the instructions when making payments.

If you are in a group house situation with more than one person paying rent all parties use the same numbers. It is important that you keep a note of who has paid what as we are unable to tell which person is making the payments.

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Rental arrears
You have a clear obligation to pay your rent in advance NOT IN ARREARS. This means that rent should be paid on or before the due date at all times. If you are experiencing difficulty paying your rent, please contact us so we can assist you in managing the situation.

Please note we have a strong policy in relation to arrears management, and will follow the system outlined below:

4-7 days a reminder notice is forwarded or a phone call made to identify why rent is late

7 days a notice to remedy breach is sent to you under the residential tenancies act. This requires immediate action to remedy the situation. Please note: the owner will be advised at this point that rent payment is late.

14 days if the arrears situation is not remedied, an RTA Form 12 Notice to leave will be issued. This is the first part of the eviction process and should be taken seriously.

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Approved pets
If you have been given approval to have pets at the property then it is important that you keep the pets outside. Pets are only allowed at the discretion of the lessor.

Please do not attempt to conceal an animal on the premises, it could lead to the termination of your tenancy.

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Care of the property
You have a very clear obligation under the act and your agreement to take good care of the property so as to ensure that at the end of the tenancy you can leave it in the same condition as it was at the start.

This includes internal and external cleanliness, and care of the gardens, driveways and entrances. It is recommended that you have the carpets shampooed on a regular basis, say every six months.

You should also ensure that you water the gardens and lawns to maintain them (in accordance with local government restrictions). This means regular mowing, removal of garden rubbish and edging of garden areas.

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Property maintenance
Please advise as soon as you are aware of any maintenance issues which require attention. We will endeavour to act quickly though we do ask for your patience in cases where we are awaiting owner’s instructions or tradespeople are unable to respond immediately.

When you are contacting us with a maintenance issue it is best to use our website. www.wisechoicerealty.com.au. Other options are fax or dropped into the office. This ensures that your request does not get lost or forgotten. Please also include any make and model numbers for broken appliances.

Hot Water – although this is a more common problem in winter it is worth noting anytime. If you have a saxon style hot water system then it needs to be ‘topped up’ every three to four months.

To do this you release the valve on the side of the system and you will hear the sound of running water. This is the heating system inside the tank filling up. If it is not kept full your supply of hot water will not be maintained. Once full water will flow out the overflow pipe which is usually situated beside the valve.

It is wise to check the position of this pipe before you begin especially if the system is located inside the house. You may end up with some spillage so be prepared. In the case of emergencies see above information.

Please note: Emergencies are outlined in the RTAs information booklet and generally are those issues, which will impact on your health, safety or security.

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Property inspections
An internal inspection of your property will be carried out every three months. You will be advised in writing (RTA Form 9 – Notice of entry) of these approximately seven days before the inspection. Inspection times are pre allocated.

While we are able to allocate morning or afternoon, the volume of inspections carried out in a row does not allow us to make special times or change dates. You are not required to be present for the inspection although we do welcome your involvement if you prefer to be home.

We do have a set of keys for your property and in the event that you are not able to be home we will use these keys to gain entry. We will leave a note in a prominent place to let you know that we have been through for the inspection.

To assist us with the inspections please leave a note with any issues which you would like to bring to our attention.

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Alterations or repairs to the property
Whist we appreciate that the property may not be completely to your tastes or requirements, it is not permissible to carry out alterations to your property without written permission from the owner or us as their agent. In the event that you are given approval (eg to fence a property) it is imperative that you carry out your obligations at the end of the tenancy and return the property to its condition at the start, unless you have been given written permission to do otherwise.

Please do not insert any screws, nails, hooks or hanging devices into the property without permission. We also ask that you refrain from using blu-tak or other adhesives of any form to attach items to the walls of the property. If you do use these substances you could be responsible for the repair / repainting at your expense at the end of the tenancy.

If there is any damage to the property either accidental or otherwise by anyone, whilst you are in occupation, you can be held liable for its repair. Should you attempt to carry out the repairs and they are not done to a satisfactory standard you could be responsible for an additional expense at the end of the tenancy. If any repairs are necessary please contact our office and we will recommend the approved tradesperson to avoid any additional expense to you.

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Tenancy renewals
Approximately 6-8 weeks before the end of your fixed term tenancy, you may be offered an extension of your tenancy for a further fixed term. This obversely depends on the lessor’s instructions at the time.

We would appreciate your attention to this and a quick response so we can ensure that the interests of both parties are catered for. Many lessors are not in favour of tenants staying in properties on a periodic basis for insurance reasons, so please take this into consideration when making your plans.

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End of tenancy
Please note there are required time periods for ending a tenancy whether at the end of a fixed term (lease) or on a periodic (ongoing) tenancy. The RTA information booklet outlines these time periods. Please note you are always required to put your intention to vacate in writing. This is best done on the approved RTA form 13 (notice of intention to leave), however even a letter will be satisfactory. On this notice you are required to state the date you will be leaving the property. Upon receipt of this you will be notified by the office of your specific obligations when you leave. Please make sure you check these before you make any arrangements for cleaning, pest control or maintenance to the property.

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Keeping in touch
Now that your tenancy has started, and you will not be coming to the office to pay your rent we do not want to lose touch with you. We will be sending out information or newsletters from time to time. Please make sure that you read them as the contents are for your benefit. We also want you to know that we welcome your contact and wish to assist you in making your rental property a safe and comfortable home. If there is anything we can do in this regard please do not hesitate to keep us informed.

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Message from the Property Manager
We want you to know that we really appreciate your business. We trust that you have taken the time to read the above information about our business and that you will carry out your obligations as required, respecting our position as the managing agents.

We will certainly respect your position as tenants and will do our utmost to ensure that your time in the property is enjoyable.

Most of all our whole team welcome you to your new home and want you to know that we will be of assistance to you whenever we can.

Pauline O'Brien-Wise