Get the Rental
There’s probably going to be a bunch of other people applying for the same property, so you need to make a good impression and get noticed. Here’s a few handy hints:
- Be organised. Have all your paperwork ready to go. The faster you get us the goods, the faster we can approve your application.
- Have a rental resume, a cover letter and tenancy references. The more people who can vouch for you being a good bloke or lass, the easier it makes it to approve you.
- Include some photos. We looooove a good cat photo, so don’t be shy to include some of those!
- Photocopy your pay slips, proof of income and ID in advance. We can have you up and running and approved within 48 hours, so the more info you get to us, the quicker we can act.
The Tenancy Agreement
This is the legally-binding agreement between you and your agent or landlord, so it’s pretty important to know what’s in it. It has the length of your contract, your weekly rent and all your responsibilities. You got to read that bad boy before you sign it, because once you sign it, you’re agreeing to everything in it. If you read it and there are things you’re not certain of, get some independent advice and put your mind at rest.
Your Rights
Being a tenant on a tenancy agreement gives you certain rights. Like this one: an agent or landlord can’t just arrive at the property without forewarning, because you have the right to privacy. There’s a whole bunch of other rights you should be familiar with. Have a read of the websites below for a full breakdown:
www.tenantsqld.org.au/info-for-tenants
Bond
Your rental bond is a chunk of cash (normally about 4 weeks rent) paid at the start of your tenancy. It basically is used to protect the landlord in the event that you breach your lease agreement in some way. So if you wreck the house at all, or vacate without paying your rent, the landlord gets your bond. It’s held by the Rental Tenancies Authority during your lease, and provided there are no issues, it’s given back at the end of the lease.
Paying Rent
The means by which you pay rent will be laid out in your lease agreement. We offer the option for direct credit transfers to our trust account, and we keep a ledger of your payments even after you have vacated the property. Every good agent or landlord should do this, and you can request a copy of it during your tenancy or even after you’ve left.
Look, it’s the way of the world that rent needs to be paid on time. If it’s late by more than 14 days, eviction proceedings may be commenced. No one wants to be in that situation.
Repairs and Maintenance
As a tenant, you need to keep your home clean and make sure you don’t damage it, while the landlord or agent needs to keep it in good nick for you to live in. You need to report all maintenance issues (including emergency repairs) to your agent, and we’ll ensure they’re taken care of.
Remember it’s your responsibility to get contents insurance to cover your personal belongings, a landlord’s policy won’t cover those. Contents insurance varies from policy to policy, but it should cover you in the event of fire, flooding, storms, malicious damage and theft.
What You Can and Can’t Do
Your lease agreement should have everything you cannot do without express permission from the home owners. Keeping pets, subletting a room, painting a wall, hanging up hooks – these are all things you should probably check with your agent if it’s ok first.
Neighbours are Important
“Everyboooody needs good neeeighbours….” You know the song! Community is important, so getting to know your neighbours can have a very positive effect on your life. It’s especially valuable when renting in a complex or block of units, because your neighbour will be more inclined to talk to you about issues they have (such as pets or noise complaints) rather than going to the authorities.
They can also help take care of things when you go on holiday, put your bins out when you forget, or collect the mail. Or just chat about the weather!
Vacating
If your lease ends and you are moving out rather than renewing, you’ll need to provide two weeks written notice before the end of the lease.
Sometimes life throws you a curveball, and you need to move out before the lease ends. In this case, you’re breaking the lease and you’ll probably have to pay compensation to the landlord for their loss of income (which includes re-letting fee, rent and advertising).
When you leave a property, it must be clean and well-maintained. If not, there’s a chance you won’t get your bond back. Go through your ‘Entry Condition Report’ to ensure the property is in a similar state to when you moved in.
To ensure a high service is provided to both tenants and landlords, our office has standard policies in place regarding the management of our rental properties. These include frequency of routine inspections, lease renewal and vacating procedures. If you would like more information pertaining to renting through Queensland Lifestyle Real Estate, please contact our office and chat to a friendly team member.
You can find more tips and info here: https://www.realestate.com.au/advice/renting/
