If you dream of buying a home, but you you are renting at the moment, do you know your rights? Renting takes away the pressure of having to maintain the property and the cost of a mortgage, but it also comes with some rules of its own. Make sure you know your rights before you sign a lease.
1) Can your rent increase without notice?
If you have signed a roll-on lease, then Choice confirms that your rent can increase every 6 - 12 months depending on the state. In ACT particularly your rent can only increase every 12 months, with a 60 day notice period. In NSW there is no limit to how many times your rent can go up and you are given a 60 day notification period. If your wanting to know the rules for where you live, check out your local government or council for detailed information.
2) Are you responsible for repairs and maintenance?
In most cases, the landlord or property manager is in charge of all repairs for the house you are renting. However, 47 per cent of tenants said their landlords only respond to repair requests sometimes. It is your legal right to ask for your landlord to repair something that was not your responsibility. Also, if it is an emergency repair, like burst water pipes or the dishwasher overflows, then the landlord should be notified immediately and should organise it to be fixed within an appropriate amount of time.
A more important statistic shows that 77 per cent of tenants are too afraid to notify their landlord about repairs incase they get stuck with the bill. However, if something is wrong with the house you are spending so much time in, the risk to your home life happiness should outweigh your fear of talking to the landlord. Avoiding the conversation may make things worse when it comes time for you to move out.
3) Getting that bond back.
This is one of the biggest things that renters worry about. "Will I get my bond back?" If you pay your bond and leave the house in the same condition you found it in, you should get your bond back. The issues that you may encounter are general wear and tear with the property and if you are responsible for it.
Make sure you know your renter's rights when signing a lease, it could make all the difference when you move out. Talk to the team at First National Real Estate to get advice if you decide to buy a home or rent for the time being, because we put you first.