Where are my 2 weeks rent in advance?
At the start of your tenancy, you are required to pay your first 2 weeks rent plus your bond. A common misconception is thinking that you will remain 2 weeks in advance. Unless you start paying your rent again on the same day you move in, each day after you move in and don’t pay takes away from those first 2 weeks.
When is my rent due and how do I pay?
Your rent is due on the same day each week. This means if you move in on a Wednesday, your rent must be cleared by Wednesday each week. It is important to remember to allow time for the money to clear between banks if you are making the payment electronically.
How can I view my current paid to date?
If you would like to know where you rent is paid to at any stage please contact your Property Manager for a copy of your tenant ledger.
What do I do if I cannot pay my rent on time?
Please contact your Property Manager immediately in writing should you have any difficulties with your rental payments.
Do I have to pay for Water at the property?
Yes. If the property is Water Compliant you will be issued with a copy of the compliance certificate and each quarter will be issued an invoice from SPACE Property for all water usage at the property.
What if the property is not water compliant?
If the property is not water compliant you will only need to pay for an excessive water usage. Excessive use is any water over 50kl per quarter. If you use over the 50kl you will be issued an invoice for each kl of excess usage.
Should I get insurance?
Contents insurance is recommended. The property owner is responsible for insuring the house only, this does not cover any of your personal belongings. For example, if the property was broken into and your belongings stolen you would need to have contents insurance to cover the loss. The same applies for natural disasters, replacement of locks, flood damage etc.
How do I report urgent maintenance?
If the matter is urgent you can call the office to report it right away. This needs to be followed up in writing afterwards. If the matter is not an urgent item (please see your tenancy agreement for examples) the issue must be reported in writing. You can do this via email or by popping into the office to complete a maintenance request form.
What is an urgent maintenance item?
The RTA advise that that following are considered urgent maintenance items:
- a burst water service or a serious water service leak
- a blocked or broken lavatory service
- a serious roof leak
- a gas leak
- a dangerous electrical fault
- flooding or serious flood damage
- serious storm, fire or impact damage
- a failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply to the property
- a failure or breakdown of an essential service or appliance on premises for hot water, cooking or heating.
- a fault or damage that makes the property unsafe or insecure
- a fault or damage likely to injure a person, damage property or unduly inconvenience a resident of the property
- a serious fault in a staircase, lift or other common area or premises that unduly inconveniences a resident in gaining access to, or using, the property
How do I handle urgent maintenance out of office hours?
If the matter is urgent you can contact the tradespeople listed on your lease agreement to attend. To ensure we are made aware of the repair, immediately advise in writing to your Property Manager the requirement for repair.
What do I do if there has been accidental damage caused to the property?
If you have accidentally damaged the property, it must be reported in writing to the office as soon as possible. Please ensure it is reported in writing with accompanying photographs of the damage. We will contact the owner for their instructions however, it will likely be your responsibility to repair.
Can I have someone move in with me?
You must seek owner approval first. The new person moving in must complete a tenancy application and be approved prior to moving in.
What happens to the bond if someone moves in?
If someone additional moves into the property and wishes to be placed onto the bond a Form 6 Change of Shared bond will need to be completed by all bond holders both current and new.
What happens if someone moves in without the Landlords approval?
You can receive a Notice to Remedy Breach – Form 11 if there are unapproved occupants living at the property. This will only affect your tenancy history, not theirs, so it is very important to follow the required steps.
What happens if one person on the lease needs to move out?
If someone on the lease needs to vacate prior to the end of the lease they will need to complete a Form 13 Notice of Intention to Leave and supply this to your Property Manager. All additional occupants of the property will need to agree to this person vacating the lease prior to the lease end date.
What happens if there is damage from the person moving out?
As the Lease is still in place any damages created by the person moving out will need to be repaired prior to them vacating. Should damages not be repaired, it will be the responsibility of the remaining tenants at the end of the lease and possibly a deduction from your bond for repairs.
How do I break my lease?
We understand, unforeseen circumstances can sometimes mean you need to vacate before your lease ends. We are more than happy to help in such circumstances and will assist in finding replacement tenants for you as soon as possible. There is some paperwork to complete and some fees and charges you are responsible for. Once the paperwork is signed, we will commence our advertising campaign with a view to re-let the property as quickly as possible. You are also required to continue to maintain the property in accordance with the General Tenancy Agreement – Form 18a until your lease ends or until another tenant moves in. Rent also remains payable on time throughout this period.
How do I apply for a pet?
Applying for a pet must be done in writing to your Property Manager. You can contact our office on 3510 7666 or send an email and request a pet application form. The application will be put forward to the owner and/or Body Corporate to approve or deny at their discretion.
Can I make changes to the property?
Any changes you wish to make, temporary or permanent, must be approved by the landlord first. You would need to submit all requests in writing in as much detail as possible. Altering the property without permission can result in you being issued a Notice to Remedy Breach – Form 11 and having it removed and any damage repaired.
Can I hang pictures on the walls?
In more cases than not, the landlord will approve picture hooks. However, it is their decision as to whether they will allow this or not and so it is important to ask first. You will need to apply in writing by advising of how many hooks, where they will be installed and what style hook will be used so the owner can make an informed decision.
Do I need to maintain the garden at the property?
Yes. As per your lease you will need to water, weed and maintain the garden and lawns.
What if Garden Maintenance is included with my property?
If Garden maintenance is included in your tenancy you are still required to water the gardens and lawns and ensure no damage is caused throughout your tenancy.
Do I have to be home for an inspection?
No, you don’t have to be home for an inspection. Your Property Manager will bring a set of keys for the property and leave a note on your bench to let you know we have been through. If you have any concerns you would like to discuss, you can make an appointment to see your Property Manager at another time. However, you are more than welcome to be present for the inspection to show them through. If you won’t be home, it is important that all pets are secured or restrained for the inspection to be completed. Access is required to all rooms and spaces, please ensure no rooms are locked if you are not home for the inspection.
Do I have to be home to let in tradespeople for repairs and maintenance?
No, you don’t have to be home for tradespeople. If you are not available to let a tradesperson in you can give them permission to collect our agency keys to enter the property at an agreed time. Should a tradesperson not be able to make contact you may be issued with a Form 9 entry Notice which will advise who is entering the property and when, they will collect agency keys to gain entry at this time. Should you have any concerns with this entry you can contact the tradesperson direct or your Property Manager.
Are smoke alarms important?
YES – Smoke alarms are extremely important and should not be removed or damaged in any way. If you notice any issues with your smoke alarm (beeping constantly, not sounding when you think it should etc) please contact your Property Manager as soon as possible to report the fault.
Can I have a portable pool?
Anything that can hold a depth of 300mm or deeper must be fenced and compliant with state pool fencing laws. Unfortunately, most blow up pools and spas will fall under this category and as a safety precaution are not permitted. Should you wish to install a pool, you would need to seek approval from the property owner in writing prior to commencing any installation. Failing to abide by these rules will see a Notice to Remedy Breach – Form 11 issued.
What happens if my property is placed on the market for sale during my tenancy?
If the Landlord of your property needs to place the property on the market for sale you will be issued with a Form 10 Notice of Intention to sell which will inform you of the Selling Agents details and any marketing plan for the property. Open Homes will be booked with you to ensure the least amount of inconvenience as possible during this period. Should you have any questions or concerns you can contact your Property Manager on 3510 7666.
What happens if my property is sold during my tenancy?
If your property is sold during your tenancy there is no change to your lease or tenancy requirements. The property is sold with your lease in place.
What are my notice periods?
Notice periods can differ depending on the circumstance. Some of the most common notice periods are for ending a fixed term tenancy, ending a periodic tenancy and ending a tenancy when a property sells. You can check out all notice periods on the RTA website here: https://www.rta.qld.gov.au/Renting/Ending-a-tenancy/Notice-periods-for-ending-a-tenancy.
When do I need to return my keys?
All of your keys must be returned no later than 9am the day after your Notice to Leave or Notice of Intention to Leave expires. For your convenience we have provided an afterhours drop box outside our front office doors that you can place your keys into (please ensure they are secure in a labelled envelope).
When will my vacate inspection be completed?
Once your keys are returned, your Property Manager will complete your vacating inspection within 3 business days (in more cases than not, completed the next day after keys are returned).
When will I get my bond back?
Our office works as quickly as possible to return your bond to you. If you are receiving a full bond refund, all we need are your bank details and we can organise with the RTA for it to be transferred through to your account electronically within 2-5 business days.
What can delay my bond refund?
To receive a full bond refund, at your vacate inspection everything should be left in the condition it was given to you (apart from fair wear and tear), all your rent paid up to date and any outstanding bills (water, pool chemicals, electricity etc) finalise and all keys returned.
If there are deductions from your bond, all bond holders will be required to sign a Form 4 Refund of Bond form.
What happens if there is a dispute over the bond refund?
Should there be a claim on the bond and a dispute over this amount/claim then a Form 16 Dispute Resolution Request will need to be lodged with the RTA who will complete Mediation between yourselves and your Property Manager to hopefully reach an agreement.
What happens if we cannot reach an agreement through RTA mediation?
If both parties are not able to agree on the bond refund then a Notice of Unresolved Dispute will be issued and an application will need to be lodged to QCAT to have the matter resolved.
What day is rubbish collection?
Please refer to https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/environment-waste/rubbish-tips-bins/rubbish-collections/bin-collection-calendar