During your Tenancy

Now that you’ve settled into your new home, there are a few things you should expect regarding your ongoing tenancy with Raine and Horne Pottsville/Cabarita Beach.

This section contains the facts about common issues that may arise during your tenancy, and how you can deal with them:

Paying Your Rent

Paying your rent Under the Residential Tenancies Act 2010, you are required to pay your rent on time. If you do not pay your rent when it is due, you are in rent arrears. Raine & Horne believes that the house you live in is the most important thing for you to maintain. If you do not pay your rent, you put your tenancy with Raine & Horne at risk.

At Raine & Horne you can pay your rent by:

Attending the office in person and paying by cash, cheque or money order or the preferred way by way of EFT.

Rent Arrears

You can expect the following from us, should your rent fall into arrears and you have not notified your Property Manager;

• 3 to 5 days in arrears SMS sent and /or emails reminders
• 5-8 days in arrears Phone call from your Property Manager
• 8-10 days in arrears Letter advising arrears amount
• 10-14 days in arrears Phone call advising non payment of rent will result in Termination Notice being issued
• 15  days in arrears Termination Notice issued giving 14 days to vacate

We would like to avoid the above process at all costs and therefore encourage Tenants who are having difficulty paying rent to have regular discussions with their Property Manager.

Routine Inspections

You will receive sufficient notice prior to the inspection taking place and you your Property Manager will contact you to confirm the appointment. The main purpose of the inspection is to provide a report to the owner to ensure the property is being well maintained and also to check for any repairs and/or make any recommendations to the owner.

Photos – Please note that all routine inspections will include taking photos of the property, both internal and external.

Routine Inspection Guide – What we look out for at inspections

Inside the Property

• Walls/ light switches/doorways and doors are clean and undamaged
• The carpets are clean and stain free
• The windows and screens are clean and undamaged
• The kitchen area is clean and oven/stove top is free of burnt on food and carbon staining
• Shower, bathroom and toilet are clean, shower screens are free of soap scum and all tiling is clean and undamaged

Outside the Property (if applicable)

• The lawns are freshly cut/edged and maintained
• Gardens tidy and presentable/weeds removed
• Rubbish/lawn clippings removed
• Oil Stains removed to carports, garages and driveway

Rent Reviews

Rent reviews usually occur prior to the expiry of your Tenancy Agreement and are adjusted in accordance with market conditions. If you are on a fixed term tenancy your rent cannot be increased during the lease term unless an increase has been written into a lease. 

Where a rental increase is to take place, your property manager must provide you with 60 days written notice. You will receive this notification via post and email.

Lease Renewals

Once your initial lease expires. The Landlord will be contacted to ask them if they would like to renew your Lease, this can be a lease renewal of 6 or 12 months. Provided that your rent has been paid on time, and the property has been kept clean and undamaged, and the Landlord is happy to continue your tenancy, and you as Tenants are happy to stay on, we will book a time for all parties to sign.

Breaking your Lease

A “Lease Break” situation occurs when the tenants during the fixed term tenancy wish to vacate the property prior to the lease expiry date. Should you find yourself in this position you should notify your Property Manager in writing immediately. Please refer to section 41.1 of your Lease Agreement, which will explain what fees you as the tenant will be liable to pay as a result.

Pets

Unless approved upon application, pets of any kind are not permitted in the rental property, including guest pets. If a pet is found at your property you may be found in breach of your Lease Agreement and you will be required to provide a receipt of an internal and external flea treatment by our preferred pest controller. Should you consider getting a pet, written permission must be given before obtaining the pet.

 Sub-Letting

Subletting is not permitted without written approval from us. This includes assigning the tenancy over to a third party, or allowing other occupants to move in without our express permission. Permission involves a formal application being completed and submitted by the prospective tenant/occupant.

Water Charges

If you are in a property that is water compliant you will liable to pay for all water usage used during the time of your tenancy.  This will be charged to you with a copy of the account from the water provider stating how much water you have used and the cost per kilolitre.  This can be paid to our office by direct deposit into our trust account stating the address of the property and that it is a payment for water, so this is not credited to your ledger as a rental payment or we can direct debit this invoice together with your rental payments.

Please refer to your Lease Agreement to determine if you will be liable to pay for water consumption.

Smoke Alarms

Do not under any circumstances remove smoke alarms or remove the batteries out of smoke alarms in your rental property.  If you think there is a problem with your smoke alarm, change the batteries. If this does not resolve the issue, please report this to your Property Manager immediately.  Smoke Alarms are put in place for the safety of the occupiers and the property, and must be working at all times.

Misplaced or Lost Keys

If you have misplaced your keys during business hours you may come to our office and borrow our office set, upon proof of identity. There is no guarantee the agent has a full set of keys for each property so we suggest you call the office first.

If you have misplaced your keys after hours, you may call a locksmith to assist you back into the property. This will be at the tenants cost.

Noise/Disruption

It is important to note that the utmost care must be taken to ensure that you do not disturb your neighbours with noise. Loud music, parties or otherwise can disrupt a neighbours right to peace and the quiet enjoyment of their residence. This also includes your obligation to ensure that your visitors are not disrupting neighbours when walking from your premises to their parked vehicles. A breach may be issued which can lead to eviction if formal complaints are made.