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Once your rental
application is approved, there are several things to take care of before
moving in, such as:
Prior to moving in to
your new rental accommodation you must sign a tenancy agreement, or
lease. This document will detail the rights and responsibilities of both
you and your landlord, as well as:
- The rental
property address,
- The amount of
money to be paid as a security deposit,
- How much is to be
paid in rent and the frequency of payments,
- The commencement
and duration of the agreement/lease, and
- The name and
address of the landlord.
It is a good idea to
ask for a copy of the lease to review prior to signing this document.
Check all the conditions and Contact Us your Real Estate Agent should you
have any concerns. Remember that this document is legally binding once
signed by you and your landlord, therefore make sure you understand and
agree with every word on the lease.
| Once
you sign the tenancy agreement/lease, you are entitled
to receive a copy of this signed document. If
you haven't received this within one month after signing
the agreement/lease, follow it up with your Real Estate
Agent. |
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The security deposit
is an amount of money you must pay to the landlord/agent prior to moving
in to their residence. This money is kept as security against any
substantial damage that may be caused to the property whilst you are
renting it, or to cover any rent owing at the end of the lease.
The full amount of
the security deposit should be accessible at the end of the tenancy, at
which time you may be entitled to a full or partial refund of this
money.
The landlord/agent is
also responsible for ensuring you receive a receipt when you pay the
security deposit. This receipt must:
- Be signed by the
person accepting the money,
- State that it is a
receipt for a security deposit,
- Detail how much
was paid,
- Give the date the
money was paid,
- Give the tenant's
name, and
- Detail what
property the security deposit is for.
The landlord may be
entitled to receive some rent in advance when you pay your security
deposit and sign the lease.
Remember - your
periodic rental payments are paid in advance (not
arrears).
Also make sure you
obtain a receipt. A receipt given for rent in advance must:
- be signed by the
person accepting the money,
- state that it is a
receipt for rent,
- say exactly how
much was paid,
- detail the period
for which the payment was made,
- give the date of
the payment,
- give the tenant's
name, and
- detail the
property address.
Once you have signed
a tenancy agreement/lease and paid a security deposit, you should be
provided with an Inspection Report (also called a Condition Report).
This document provides a record of the condition of the property at the
commencement of your tenancy.
This report lists all
the features of the premises, room by room. For example, the condition
of the walls, ceiling, windows, paint work, carpet, tiles, fixtures and
amenities should all be itemised.
Each item is
typically graded using a code to indicate good, fair or poor condition.
Both the landlord/agent and the tenant are able to record their
assessment of the premises - one alongside the other in two distinct
columns. In most cases the landlord/agent will fill in the report with
his inspection findings and then give you a copy to review.
| Check
every item listed. If you do not agree with the
appraisal of an item, write down your preferred grading.
Also, feel free to add extra items to the list if you
feel these should be recorded. If there is room to add
comments, elaborate on any specific details you believe
deserve special attention. |
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Once you have filled
in the inspection report, sign it, and return it to the landlord/agent.
The landlord/agent must then provide you with a copy of the final
report, which they should also have signed.
Put your inspection
report away for safekeeping. Hopefully you will not need to refer to it
again. However, it may be useful when you end your lease to prove to the
landlord/agent that the condition of the premises has not deteriorated
during your occupancy. For example, the landlord/agent may claim some or
all of the security deposit is needed for repairs. If the report says
these repairs were necessary at the start of the tenancy, the tenant can
prove that the security deposit money should be returned.
| Photographs
are a great way to record the condition of the premises.
It is worth taking several photographs, especially of
areas where there is existing visible signs of damage.
Use the date stamp on a camera or send doubles of the
images to yourself by post and keep unopened for proof
of the date when the pictures were taken. |
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The next thing to
organize is your
move.
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