A quick guide to rental occupiers’ rights
When you rent a property there are laws that pertain to both the rental occupier and owner, and it’s the property manager’s responsibility to ensure these laws are adhered to throughout a rental agreement.
So, as a rental occupier what can you expect? What laws are there to protect you during the time you reside at a rental property?
Here’s a quick guide to your rights as a rental occupier.
Adequate notice
When you pay for the privilege of residing at a property, you can expect to enjoy that property without any unexpected interruptions from the property manager, property owner or anyone who needs to carry out work at the home.
That’s why there are laws relating to adequate notice. In other words, you’ll be notified in advance of someone needing to attend the property, whether that’s for a routine inspection or maintenance and repairs.
These notice timeframes vary depending on the reason for the visit and the state or territory that the property is located in.
For example, in Queensland and New South Wales, property managers are required to give at least seven days’ written notice of a routine inspection, while in WA, 14 days’ notice is required.
There are also laws about how often these routine inspections can occur and the minimum time frames between inspections.
Meanwhile, if an emergency repair is needed, a much shorter notice period is required. This ensures an urgent problem is remedied quickly.
Quiet enjoyment
Adequate notice is also part of a broader range of laws which are designed to protect your right to quiet enjoyment of the property.
In other words, if you’re renting a property, you should feel comfortable that this is your home and that you won’t have any unnecessary demands made of you when it comes to how you live your life.
Providing you’re not disturbing neighbours, conducting illegal activities or doing something that falls outside the guidelines of the rental agreement, you have the right to enjoy that property as you see fit.
But there are some caveats here. Depending on where the property is located there might be restrictions on whether you can have a pet without permission from the property owner, and whether you can make alterations to the home, such as putting in picture hooks.
Meanwhile, anyone who resides at the property will need to be included in the rental agreement, and your enjoyment of the property cannot negatively impact the neighbours due to noise or other activities.
Safe and secure
Throughout the rental agreement, you have the right to live in a property that is safe and secure.
That means that while you are responsible for keeping the home clean and tidy, the property manager and owner should ensure the property is in good condition and any necessary repairs and maintenance are tended to.
They should also ensure the property remains secure, with locks that are in working order and keys to each of those locks.
With rights come obligations
While the rental occupier has rights under the rental agreement, there are also obligations that include paying the rent on time, ensuring the property is damage-free and clean, and that any maintenance and repair issues are reported in a timely manner.
There are also notice periods required for exiting the property, and requirements to provide access to the home for routine inspections and repairs.
Basically, there are rights and responsibilities for all parties in a rental agreement, and a successful agreement sees all parties working towards the same aim of protecting and respecting the property, the people who reside within it and the owners of that investments.
How we can assist
Our experienced property managers pride themselves on establishing great relationships with both rental occupiers and owners.
We manage every property as if it were our own and you can learn more about our property management services here.
Alternatively, if you are looking to rent a property, you can view the properties we currently have available here.
