When your housemate moves out
If there’s one thing that’s certain in life, it’s that change happens and sometimes when you least expect it.
If you share a rental property with a housemate, that change may see them need to leave the share house and exit the rental agreement for a variety of reasons.
So, what happens when one housemate wants to leave a property, but the other wants to stay?
The rental agreement
All rental occupiers who reside at a property should be listed on the rental agreement, so if one occupier wants to leave, they need to notify the property manager.
The property manager will then organise that the exiting rental occupier is removed from the rental agreement, and their portion of the bond is returned to them.
The bond
Each party on a rental agreement contributes to the bond, so when one member of a share house leaves, their portion of the bond will be refunded, providing the property is not damaged and rental payments are up to date.
The remaining rental occupier
The remaining rental occupier will have a few decisions to make of their own. They can become the sole occupant of the property and assume responsibility for all the rental payments, or perhaps they might like to seek a new housemate to share the outgoings.
If you decide to be a sole occupant, you will need to arrange to pay the remainder of the bond and have this lodged accordingly.
You will also need to assume responsibility for all of the weekly rent payments.
If, on the other hand, you decide to bring in an additional housemate, they will need to be vetted by your property manager, approved by the landlord and added to the rental agreement.
They will then also be required to pay their portion of the bond.
Some things to be mindful of
It’s important that both the remaining rental occupier and the exiting housemate follow the correct process and notify the property manager that there are changes to the situation at the rental property.
If not, both parties could find themselves liable for any potential problems that occur.
For example, if you are the housemate exiting the agreement and you do not let the property manager know, you might lose part of your bond if any damage occurs to the home after you leave.
You might also be liable if rental payments aren’t kept up to date after you exit.
The bottom line is, your property manager is there to ensure you meet all your obligations as a rental occupier and if the situation at the property changes, they can help guide you through the process and also liaise with the landlord.
How we can help
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.
