Tenants FAQs

Important Information about your Lease

As the successful applicant for one of our properties, there will be some paperwork to do.

Your property manager will make an appointment for you to come to our office at 28 Anderson Walk Smithfield, to get all the paperwork completed and signed off.

You will be provided with Residential Tenancy Agreement, or lease, that will contain all the details of the names of yourself and the owner, the property being rented, terms of the lease, rental amount and due dates for payment. It will also contain all the terms and conditions of the tenancy, including procedures for inspections, and any other charges that may arise such as payment for water.

The lease is prepared to comply with all the requirements of the Residential Tenancies Act and outlines your rights and responsibilities.

It is most important that you read through it carefully and have any questions answered. Your property manager will explain the terms and conditions of the lease and answer any questions you may have.

You will also be presented with a very detailed in-going inspection report. This needs to be checked when you move into the property and a copy returned to us within fourteen days.

Once everything has been signed, you will be given copies for your records to keep, together with a set of keys.

We wish you happy moving and look forward to a long and successful relationship.

This document is required under the regulations of the Residential Tenancies Act and is sometimes referred to as the “Ingoing Condition Report”.
This has been prepared by your property manager prior to the commencement of the lease.

It is very detailed and shows the condition of both the inside and outside of the property at the time of the inspection.

You will be given two copies of the report at the time of signing up for the property.

You then have fourteen days to review this report and return one copy to our office with any comments. Please be sure to record any differences or any observations that you make. Please keep the other copy for your records.

This First Inspection Report is then used for checking at the final inspection conducted at the end of the tenancy.

In addition to doing this report, as required under the law at the start of the tenancy, we also take a series of digital photographs which are held on file as a part of the first inspection.

Upon payment of your bond, you will be required to sign a Bond Lodgement Form which will be lodged with the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs (OCBA). You will receive a copy of this form and also a receipt from OCBA with your bond lodgement reference number for your record. The names and signatures of all of the tenants contributing to the bond should be included on the lodgment form as this will be compared when the bond is dispersed at the end of the tenancy.

The bond money will stay with OCBA until the end of the tenancy. Please note that no interest is paid on the bond money to you, the owner or us as the managing agents.

Change of ownership or tenants

If at any time during the tenancy a change occurs either with ownership of the property, the property management company or change in one or more of the tenants of the property, an agent/landlord transfer form or a tenant transfer form must be completed and forwarded to OCBA.

Return of your bond

At the end of the tenancy, your bond will not be released until a final inspection of the property is carried out. We will conduct the final inspection as soon as possible after you return all of the keys to our office, generally within two business days. If the property is in generally the same condition as it was at the beginning of the tenancy, the bond will be returned to you without delay.

To enable the property to be re-let quickly, it may not always be possible for you to return in order to correct any areas requiring attention. If further cleaning is required, we may engage a professional cleaner at your cost. To avoid this, a Final Inspection Checklist will be sent to you prior to vacating the premises, advising you of what the property manager will be checking at the final inspection.

A Bond Claim Form must be completed and signed by all tenants and us as the managing agents and sent to OCBA.

If there are any deductions against the bond, (for cleaning, damage or rental arrears) the amount to be returned to you will need to be agreed upon before any monies can be released by OCBA. If you do not agree with the amounts claimed, please discuss this with your property manager in the first instance. If an agreement cannot be reached it may be necessary to make an application to the Residential Tenancies Tribunal for the disposal of the bond to have the matter determined by a Tribunal Member. Your Asset Manager can give you more information on this.

Outstanding rent

At the end of the tenancy, any unpaid rent will need to be paid before your bond is returned to you. You cannot stop paying rent with the view that it will be taken out of the bond, even if it is almost the end of the tenancy, as this is an offence under the Residential Tenancies Act 1995.

Rents are always required to be paid in advance. When you signed up for the property, you will have paid the first two weeks rent in advance. This is not held in trust like the bond, but is actually the first two weeks of your rent. When this two weeks rent has been used up, the next two weeks rent is due.

We do not take cash payments at our office. You will be given our Trust Account details with instructions on how to set up rent payments to us with your financial institution. 

Please note that we have a Zero Tolerance Rent Arrears Policy in place. This means that in the event of your rent being in arrears we will not renew your tenancy. It is a breach of the lease to fall behind in the rental payments and may result in the tenancy being brought to an end and you will have to vacate the property.

If you have some unforeseen circumstances, it is most important that you contact your property manager immediately.

We carry out periodic inspections of the property through the year.
These are usually every three to four months. However, as we manage a large number of properties, we do group our inspections by suburb for efficiency. This means that in practice, your first periodic inspection could be much sooner in the cycle after you move in.

At all times, you will be given at least seven days written notice that we will be attending to do this inspection. This letter will also include a form that you can use to report any repairs needed.

Unfortunately, we are unable to make a specific time on the day to be there, but it will always be between 9.00 and 1.00pm. This will be explained in the notice letter.

We always prefer you to be present for these inspections, but if this is not possible, we will use our file key.

Good relationships are built on good communication! We manage a large number of properties and always strive to provide the best possible service. However, this does depend on good communication.

To assist us in giving you the best possible service, here is a list of the best ways to get in touch with us:

Repairs and Maintenance. Please use our on-line Repairs Request form. In the event you do not have access to the internet, please email your request direct to your Property Manager.

Matters relating to the Lease or Rent payments. Please email your request or question to info@kevinhodges.com.au as the first and preferred option. In the event you do not have access to email, please call our office on (08) 8254 3777.

Seeing your Property Manager in person. If you would like to meet with your property manager, it is essential to make an appointment. This can be done by email, or telephone our office on (08) 8354 2777.