Change of Shared Tenancy Top
A Change of Shared Tenancy is where the tenants names on a lease agreement are changed due to tenants moving in or out.
This can occur for any number of tenants moving, as long as at least one of the original tenants remains on the lease.
Changing names on a Lease Agreement can be quite an involved procedure.
It requires documentation to be signed by all parties, as well as the approval from the Owner of the property.
HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK?
1. You advise your Property Manager in writing (email is best) that you wish to remove a name from and/or add a name to the lease. If you could give a reason, this will make your case stronger.
2. If someone is adding their name to the lease, they need to submit a Tenancy Application Form at the same time.
3. Your Property Manager will then contact the Owner to make the request on your behalf.
4. If approved, your Property Manager will send out documentation for all tenants to sign and return.
5. Where possible, it is advisable for all tenants to make an appointment to come into the office and sign the paperwork together.
S OM E P OI N TS TO R E M E MB E R –
Approval for a change to a shared tenancy is at the Owners discretion.
If you do not give a valid reason for the change, it may not be approved.
The tenant/s remaining at the property assume full responsibility for the lease and the condition of the property at the end of the lease.
If part of the Bond is in the name of one of the Tenants leaving, we can have you sign a new Bond form; HOWEVER, it is up to the Tenants to arrange transfer of moneys between them.
Early Termination Of Lease (Break Lease) Top
There is provision in the legislation to allow you to end your lease agreement early. Both parties (Owners & Tenants) have responsibilities to mitigate losses for each other.
Your main responsibility is to continue to pay your rent until another tenant is placed, or the end of the lease (whichever is sooner). This applies even after you have vacated the property. You must also reimburse the Owner for any extra expenses such as Letting Fee or advertising costs incurred to find new tenants. The Owners responsibility, through us (their Agent), is to find replacement tenants for you as soon as possible.
What do I need to do, to start the process?
1. You must advise your Property Manager in writing that you wish to end your Tenancy Agreement early, and the date that you intend to vacate the property. *Email is the best method.
2. Your Property Manager will send you the necessary documents to sign.
3. Once we receive the signed paperwork, your Property Manager will advise the Owner of your intentions and obtain instructions from them. 4. We will begin advertising for new tenants. * If you do not have access to email or printing, you will need to make an appointment to see your Property Manager at the office. What happens once a Tenant is found? Once a replacement tenant is found, your Property Manager will advise you of your revised lease end date, which will be the day before the new tenants start their lease. Note that you will need to have vacated the property at least
4 business days beforehand, to give your Property Manager the time to complete the vacate inspection and address any cleaning or repairs that need to be completed. The vacate and bond refund process is the same as a normal lease end, and the final rent amount owed is calculated to the revised lease end date.
How can I help to Re-tenant the Property quicker? Your assistance in helping to find replacement tenants is vital. Your actions can have a direct effect on how quickly the property is tenanted.
Some useful tips:
1. Keep your property well presented at all times. People looking through the property will be turned off if it is untidy and cluttered.
2. Be co-operative with our Leasing Staff.
Remember, our goal is to find a tenant to take over paying the rent for you after you vacate the property. It is in your best interests to allow us to take prospects through at their convenience, even if it does not entirely fit in with your schedule.
3. Offer to show prospects through yourself. We may have prospects who want to view the property on a weekend, after hours, or other times when our leasing staff are not available. We can line up viewings during these times for you to allow access to these prospects.
4. Keep the Yard looking neat & tidy even after you have vacated. Remember, you are responsible for the upkeep of the property until new tenants are placed, even after you have vacated. Keeping the lawns mowed and gardens tidy will attract tenants quicker, and you wont have such a big job to do before the new tenants start their lease.
5. Offer to rebate the rent to the end of the Lease. If you plan to vacate soon and a new tenant has not been found, you might like to offer to reimburse the owner a small amount per week (eg $10 or $20) so that we can advertise the property at a lower price. This will attract more enquiry and raise the chances of placing a tenant quicker. You will only be responsible to pay this rebate until the end of your lease. This can save you hundreds of dollars in rent.
6. Keep the lines of communication open. It is important to keep in touch with your Property Manager. Our goal is to find a replacement tenant as soon as possible to minimise losses from all parties. The more we can work together, the easier the process will be for all.
Entry Condition Reports Top
What is an Entry Condition Report?
An Entry Condition Report (ECR) is an official RTA document that is filled out by both agent and tenant at the start of the tenancy. It is a thorough checklist which both parties use to document any defects or damage in the property before the tenancy begins.
This is a crucial document as it details any pre-existing damage or significant wear to elements of the property and serves as protection for both parties in the event that they are blamed for something that has occurred during the tenancy.
What is the process in completing an ECR?
Once you have been approved to move into one of our properties, our staff will visit the property and complete the ECR. We carefully inspect the property and check that everything is ready for the tenancy and mark the condition of the property on the ECR. When you start your lease, you will be given a copy of the ECR. It will be signed by us as the owners agent, and you will be asked to sign it to confirm receipt of the ECR. It is your responsibility to walk through the property and complete in the Tenants section, any items that you do not agree with. You are required to return the ECR to us within 3 days. If we do not agree with your assessment of the state of the property, we may contact you and make an appointment to visit and go through the report together with you. It is very important at this stage that both Tenant and Agent agree with the report to ensure a smooth vacate at the end of the tenancy. NOTE: I f you do not complete an ECR and return it wi thin 3 days, i t will be assumed that you are agreeing to abide by our assessment of the property.
The RTA has it covered! The Residential Tenancies Authority has produced an excellent video which takes you through the whole process. We highly advise that you watch this BEFORE you begin your lease. See the link below: https://www.rta.qld.gov.au/Renting/Starting-a-tenancy/Entry-condition-report
Vacating Your Property Top
KEEP CALM and GET ORGANISED! Moving out of your property can be a very stressful time.
According to the law, you are required to leave a rental property in the same state you moved in – minus ‘fair wear and tear’.
Therefore, there will be lots of cleaning, and perhaps some minor repairs to be done before handing the property back to us. We can recommend good contractors who charge very reasonable rates to take the stress out of all these tasks.
Once you hand in your keys with your Exit Condition Report, your Property Manager will inspect the property. If everything looks good, your rent is paid up to date and there are no outstanding invoices, we arrange for your bond to be refunded in full. We Want You to GET YOUR BOND BACK!
If the property is not up to standard, we will allow 24 hours for you to return to rectify the cleaning or repairs. Please note that you will NOT be permitted to keep the keys overnight as this may compromise the landlord’s insurance. If you need more time, we can extend your lease which means that further rent will be payable. If you are unable to rectify the necessary repairs or cleaning, we will arrange for our contractors to attend and take the cost out of the rental bond.
The important thing to remember is that your Property Manager is obligated to ensure the property is clean and ready for new tenants to move in, with as little vacancy time as possible. It is therefore vital to work with your Property Manager so that you can receive your bond refund quickly. In the lead up to the vacating of your property, your Property Manager will send you our Exit Booklet, which contains a wealth of valuable information that you can use to ensure you receive your bond back in full.
