In today’s market, with rents skyrocketing and rental properties in high demand, understanding your rights as a tenant has never been more crucial.
Remember, a high-demand market doesn’t diminish your rights as a tenant. Staying informed is key to ensuring your tenancy is protected and your rental experience remains enjoyable.
Residential Tenancy Agreement: Setting the Ground Rules
When you signed the lease on your property, you would have signed a Residential Tenancy Agreement, which sets out specific details about rental inspections. As a tenant, you are entitled to your right to quiet enjoyment of your home and this agreement specifies various notice periods that landlords and property managers must observe before gaining access to the property, including for routine inspections. This ensures your home remains your haven.
Routine Inspections
Routine inspections, conducted by the managing agent or the landlord, can take place no more than four times in any 12-month period and you must be given at least 7 days’ written notice.
The primary purpose of this inspection is to confirm the property is well-maintained. This involves checking for any damage beyond normal wear and tear, cleanliness issues, or potential lease agreement violations. Additionally, these inspections give the property manager a chance to identify any necessary repairs or potential property enhancements. This means it’s an excellent opportunity to bring up any issues or requests you may have.
What to Expect from an Inspection
Your first rental inspection may seem intimidating, but it’s simply standard practice. At Prudential Real Estate, here’s what you can expect from a routine rental inspection:
First Inspection: About 6-8 weeks after you’ve moved into your new home, we’ll stop by for our first inspection. Think of it as our way of checking in to see how you’re settling in.
Subsequent Inspections: If we’re happy with the state of the property after the first inspection, we’ll make it a date every six months. Of course, this could go up to four times a year if the landlord prefers a bit more frequency.
Duration of Inspection: We respect your time, so we’ll make sure each inspection won’t take more than 15 minutes, provided everything is as it should be.
Notice of Inspection: We’ll drop you an email to give you notice at least 7 days before the inspection. And don’t worry about missing that email, because we’ll also send you a text to let you know to check your inbox.
Tenant Presence: We don’t want to interrupt your schedule, so there’s no need for you to be at home during the inspection. If you’re out and about, we’ll use our office set of keys to pop in and out without any inconvenience to you.
We believe that understanding your rights as a tenant is crucial to maintaining a positive and cooperative landlord-tenant relationship. We’re fully committed to maintaining these rights and we always ensure we’re operating within the official guidelines outlined in the Residential Tenancies Act 2010. Should you have any further questions about rental inspections, do not hesitate to reach out to our team at Prudential Real Estate.
Prudential Real Estate Campbelltown | (02) 4628 0033 | campbelltown@prudential.com.au
Prudential Real Estate Liverpool | (02) 9822 5999 | liverpool@prudential.com.au
Prudential Real Estate Macquarie Fields | (02) 9605 5333 | macquariefields@prudential.com.au
Prudential Real Estate Narellan | (02) 4624 4400 | narellan@prudential.com.au
