Tenant Information

Trades people below for urgent repairs* outside agency hours

ELECTRICIAN Multisparx Electrical  PHONE 0438 207 870

PLUMBER Jim Morrison Plumbing PHONE 0488 979 248

PLUMBER D'arcy Plumbing 0412 634 335 PHONE 0488 979 248

LOCKSMITH Barrenjoey Locksmiths  PHONE 9938 6600

It is also essential that you leave a message on our voicemail on 9913 3358 and all maintenance requests must be received via our ONLINE MAINTENANCE REQUEST SYSTEM located on our website under the RENTAL tab or simply type the URL https://www.1form.com.au/mlanguage.php?tagid=650 into your web browser.

 

*An URGENT repair is any work needed to fix:

  • A burst water service
  • A blocked or broken lavatory system
  • A serious roof leak
  • A gas leak
  • A dangerous electrical fault
  • Flooding or serious flood damage `
  • Serious storm or fire damage
  • A failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply to the premises
  • A failure or breakdown of any essential service on the premises for hot water, cooking, heating or laundering
  • Any fault or damage that causes the premises to be unsafe or not secure

* PLEASE NOTE If the repair does not fall into an URGENT category you may be liable for payment of any charges incurred.

 

How to arrange an inspection of a property

Our weekly rental list of weekend open for inspection times is available on www.ownersonline.com.au as well as from our office on [02] 9913 3358. Please contact the individual Property Manager should you wish to find out more about a property, receive application forms via email or want to arrange an inspection.

 

Tenancy application and agreement

To ensure you're application is processed quickly, it helps to be aware of the various information and documentation which will be required from you:

  • Drivers licence or passport details [photo ID]
  • Current address details & name of Landlord or Agent
  • Previous address details & name of Landlord or Agent
  • Occupation + current employer & contact details
  • Previous employer, period of employment & contact details
  • Current payslip or bank statement
  • Current electricity, gas or mobile phone bill
  • Copy of a credit card or medicare card
  • Tenancy details – number of adults, children, pets
  • Six referees' – 2 Personal + 2 Professional + 2 Rental [or equivilant if no rental history]

Once your application has been received, it will be processed and reference checked to confirm the information you have supplied. Your Application, together with any others that may have been received for the same property will be referred to the Owner/Landlord for their instruction. Every applicant will be contacted by the agency and advised of the outcome.

The Residential Tenancies Act 1989 requires that there must be a written tenancy agreement between all Landlords/Agents and Tenants. While the standard terms of an agreement cannot be altered, additional terms may be added should both parties agree to it. This agreement also involves the signing of an Entry Condition Report, which sets out the state of the premises at the beginning of the tenancy. This should be a true and accurate account of the condition of the premises and will become the most important piece of evidence if a dispute arises over the condition of the premises at the end of the tenancy. The landlord/agent is no longer permitted to ask the tenant to pay half the cost towards the preparation of the tenancy agreement - formerly $15.

 

Reservation fee

A tenant may be asked to pay a reservation fee [no more than one week's rent] in order to reserve the premises while an application for tenancy is being considered. A reservation fee is a sign of good faith, but does not guarantee that the tenancy will go ahead – only the signing of a lease confirms a tenancy agreement. If the Landlord/Agent decides not to go ahead with the tenancy, on the agreed terms, or makes no decision within one week of the fee being paid, the full amount must be refunded. Should the tenancy go ahead, the reservation fee is applied to the first week's rent. If the applicant withdraws, the Landlord may retain rent for the days the premises were reserved, provided the premises were not let or occupied during this period.

 

Advance Rent and Bonds

A tenant must begin paying rent in advance from the first day of the tenancy. The tenant can be required to pay:

  • 2 weeks rent in advance, if the weekly rent is $300 or less, or
  • 1 month rent in advance, if the weekly rent is more than $300

While we prefer all rent to be paid monthly on the first or fifteenth of the month a tenant may pay the rent on a weekly or fortnightly basis if the weekly rent is $300 or less.

Bonds are held as security against any property damage or undue wear and tear and are lodged with the NSW Office of Fair Trading. Bonds will be refunded promptly after you vacate, provided the property is left, in as close as possible to the same condition as when the Tenancy Agreement commenced and there are no monies owing.

All rent and the bond must be paid by electronic funds transfer or by deposit into our rental trust account and identified in the comments/description by your unique tenant code.

IF PAYING MONTHLY AVOID CONFUSION BY ESTABLISHING HOW CALENDAR MONTHLY RENT IS CALCULATED

Many assume a monthly amount is calculated by multiplying the weekly rent by 4 and to determine an annual figure you would simply multiply by the result by 12 however this results in 12 x 4 weeks in a year [i.e. only 48 weeks]. To assist you with understanding the calculation keep in mind there are actually 52.14, not 52, weeks in a calendar year. [i.e. Based on 365 days in a year, 7 days in a week: 365 divided by 7 = 52.14]

To calculate monthly rent you simply determine the daily rate, then multiply it by 365 [366 for leap a year] then divide it by 12. 

An example below based on how a weekly rent of $700 equates to $3,041.67 as the calendar monthly amount

Weekly rent payments of $700.00
Divide weekly rent amount by 7 to arrive at the daily rate [e.g. $700pw ÷ 7 = $100 per day]

Calendar Monthly Rent Payments
Multiply daily rate by 365 and then divide by 12 to arrive at the monthly rate [e.g. $100 x 365  ÷  12 = $3,041.66 Calendar Monthly Rent]

 

Additional Costs

When you take out a lease, be sure to factor in additional costs you'll be likely to pay on top of your rent, such as:

  • Electricity
  • Gas
  • Phone
  • Water usage - this applies only to leases where the 'water usage' component of a property is clearly identified – check with your Landlord/Agent.

If you're moving into a share house, feel free to ask for a monthly estimate of any sundry costs which you'll be expected to contribute towards such as:

  • Cable TV
  • Cleaners
  • Gardeners

 

Illegal charges and requests

There are certain charges which tenants are not required to pay and requests which do not need to be met:

  • Council rates
  • Water rates - except in cases where individual meters can identify a ‘water usage' component. Under no circumstances can water connection fees be passed on to the tenant
  • Maintenance and repair charges for general upkeep and fair wear and tear
  • Penalty clauses for late payment of rent
  • Post-dated cheques, sometimes asked for by landlords/agents on the pretext they can be cashed at regular intervals

 

Periodic Inspections

During the course of your tenancy, the property will be inspected periodically by our agency after the required seven days written notice has been given. Our agency will contact you in advance to make arrangements for access and up to four inspections in a twelve month period may occur.

 

Keys

For maintenance issues and emergency access, our agency retains a duplicate key to properties. Under special circumstances, and on producing identification, the keys can be borrowed, during office hours, but must be returned as soon as possible - this service cannot be guaranteed out of office hours or on public holidays. Locks may only be changed or keys duplicated, after first obtaining written permission from Landlord/Agent, and then on the strict understanding that you a spare set of keys is supplied to the agency in the case of new locks.

 

Repairs and Maintenance

All repairs are to be put in writing and faxed to 02 9913 3363 or via the Repair Request Form on our website https://www.1form.com.au/mlanguage.php?tagid=650 

Only emergency repairs will be accepted verbally. All repairs are attended to as promptly as possible, however, it is often necessary to obtain the Landlord's approval and/or quotes before any work can commence, so unfortunately a delay is sometimes unavoidable. Please check your lease or renting guide as to what constitutes an emergency repair. Should you organise a repair that is not an emergency, you may be liable for its cost or any associated service call.

If firm arrangements regarding access for any tradespeople are not upheld by the tenant, the service charge for calling the tradesperson will be automatically passed on to you for payment. Where applicable, the upkeep of the gardens and grounds are your responsibility. Please do not store unnecessary paper, rubbish, bottles, flammables and cans, etc. on or around the premises.

 

Termination of a Residential Tenancy Agreement

Your Residential Tenancy Agreement is a legal and binding contract, providing protection for both you and the Landlord.

NOTICE PERIODS In the last 14 days of a fixed term period of the agreement, either party can give 14 days notice to end the tenancy. This notice can be served up to and including the last day of the fixed term. One the fixed term period has ended, a tenant is required to give aqt least 21 days written notice and the Landlord/Agent must five at least 60 days written notice. Please note if the notice is sent by post at least 4 working days [not including the day the notice was sent] should be added to the amount of notice, to allow time for the notice to be delivered. Working days exclude weekends, public holidays and bank holidays.

 

BREAKING AN AGREEMENT

If a tenant wants to end their tenancy agreement early they should give as much notice in writing as possible, giving the date they intend to leave and ask the Landlord/Agent to help find a new tenant. BREAKING A LEASE CAN BE COSTLY and a Landlord can claim compensation for any loss they suffer as a result of a tenant ending the agreement early. Some of the costs a tenant could be liable for include

  • Rent until new tenants move in or the existing agreement runs out [which ever happens first]
  • A re-letting fee of up to two weeks rent when the agency charges the Landlord a fee for finding new tenants
  • Advertising costs
  • Lease preparation fee

 

 

PLUMBER D'Arcy Plumbing PHONE 0412 634 335