Many people choose to rent a house over purchasing a property because it allows them to save a lot of money! However, being a tenant can be a little stressful. On the one hand, you need to deal with the tantrums of the landlord, constant interference, stress of rent increase, irregular receipts and complains.While on the other hand, you need to cautious about making any changes in the property and make efforts to keep it clean. Thus many hire experts who carry out end of lease cleaning in Adelaide.
All these things can be very stressful! That is why you should know the rights of a tenant so that you can enjoy your stay in a rental property and handle the landlord in a better way. Here is detailed information on your rights as a tenant in Adelaide. Let’s have a look!
Starting a Tenancy
When you are
starting a tenancy period, you should have a proper discussion with the landlord so that you can understand the basic demands of the property owner. It is important to live the rental property in a stress-free manner. Being a tenant, you enjoy certain right at the starting of the tenancy, and you should know about it.
Right to Vacant Possession
As a tenant, you have the right to enjoy vacant possession of the rental property from the day you move in. It means that apart from the tenant, no one, including the property owner, can occupy the rented premises.
If the property owner intends to also any parts of the property, it should be mentioned in the tenancy agreement. It should be clearly mentioned which parts of the property are exclusively for the tenant and which portions are for collective use.
Right to Quiet Enjoyment
The tenant also has the right to enjoy the stay in the rented premises without any disturbance by the property owner. It means that the property owner is under an obligation not to do anything or to permit anything to happen that can interrupt the comfort, reasonable peace or privacy of the tenant throughout the tenancy period.
The landlord must provide written or verbal instructions
The tenant also has the right to get written or verbal instructions from the property owner for any domestic appliances in the rental property, which require instruction. These types of appliances include cooktops, dishwasher, ovens, air conditioner, etc. The landlord cannot blame the tenant if the owner fails to provide any instruction, and the tenant used any appliance wrongly and damaged it.
Discrimination
The property owner is free to choose the tenant for the rental property. However, the tenant enjoys some rights. Unless the owner lives in the property, the tenants cannot be refused to have kids in a rental property. If the owner refuses to consider you for a property and you believe that the owner has discriminated, they can get in touch with the Equal Opportunity Commission.
To get neat and clean property
The tenant has the right to get a neat and clean property with minimum damages. You always have the choice to clean it thoroughly, but the property should be already free from dirt and dust. But you also have to make sure that you return in the same condition. For that, you can take help from professionals who offer
reliable end of lease cleaning in Adelaide.
Lease agreements
If you are a tenant, it is always advisable to read the lease agreement properly. It is because the landlord is free to include any clause, and these clauses can prove vital for you in your tenancy period. The owners often deduct money from the security deposit with the help of these clauses. However, a tenant has certain rights when it comes to a lease agreement.
Fixed-term agreements
Such agreements are for a specific term and include a specific date of the tenancy end. A landlord cannot change it without the consent of the tenant. And if the landlord wants to end the lease agreement, a written notice of at least 28 days must be given.
Whatever the situation is, the tenant needs to
clean the property before moving out. Thus, you should always hire specialists who perform quality end of lease cleaning in Adelaide.
Periodic agreements
In this agreement, the tenancy period continues until the landlord, or the tenant gives written notice to end the tenancy. If the landlord has any specific reason, a 60-day notice is a must. Otherwise, the notice period would be 90 days.
Changing the conditions of an agreement
The property owner cannot change the conditions of a lease agreement unless the tenant agrees to the new conditions, the changes are clearly mentioned on the original agreement, and changes are signed by both the parties.
Security Deposit
The security deposit is the amount that tenant gives to the landlord at the start of a lease agreement. However, the owner cannot charge whatever amount they want! The maximum bond that owners can ask tenants depends on the weekly rent.
If the weekly rent is $250 or less than that, the landlord can ask up to four weeks rent. If the amount is more than $250, the owner can ask up to six weeks rent. Also, a tenant must receive a receipt from the landlord within 48 hours of paying the bond.
The Lease Period
While staying in a rental property, the tenants come across a lot of situation that can lead to conflict with the property owner. Thus, it is important to know about the right of the tenant so that you can enjoy your stay without and stress.
Rent Receipts and Records
Being a tenant, you must receive a receipt from the property owner for any rent paid within 48 hours. The rent receipts and records must have the details like the amount paid, the date of payment, name of the tenant, period of the lease and address of the rental property. If you pay the amount directly into a bank account of the landlord, no receipt is required.
Increasing the Rent
The landlord cannot increase rent before 12 months from the date of the time, last rent increased. Also, to increase the rent, the tenant must receive a written notice of at least 60 days. The tenants usually agree to pay the increased rent when the property improved.
The New Rental Rules Due To COVID-19
The government of South Australia has introduced some new rules to help the tenants whose incomes have been affected due to coronavirus pandemic. These rules aim to stop the eviction of tenants for non-payment of rent due to COVID-19. It also prevents landlords from increasing the rent of the property.
Bond Refunds
At the end of the lease period, the security deposit should be returned to the tenant if the owner does not claim any amount for the substandard cleaning, damaged property, pending rent or any other costs.
Thus, as a tenant to need to make sure that you pay the rent every month and clean the property before you move. To ensure flawless cleaning, you can hire experts who carry out end of lease cleaning in Adelaide.
The Bottom Line
If you are living in Adelaide as a tenant, it is essential that you are aware of the tenant rights. This awareness will help you to live in a rental property in a stress-free manner. The knowledge of rights will also help you to get the bond back without any disputes. If you are moving to a rental property, consider the basic right mentioned above.
