Commencing Your Tenancy

Renters are responsible for charges in respect of the re-connection and consumption of water, electricity, gas, telephone and internet, where the rented premises are separately metered for these services.

Your Property Manager can introduce you to our connection partner who can assist you free of charge with connection of all required services to your new property. This streamlines the process and helps to make your move a little easier. Talk to your Property Manager for more information.

Please ensure that you return your signed/amended copy of your property condition report to us within 5 business days of the tenancy start date. This is an important step to document the condition of the property at the start of your tenancy and it is used to determine the refund of your bond at the termination of the tenancy.

Please allow sufficient time to complete the condition report and return it to our office. If this is not returned please be aware that the original inspection will be used for end of tenancy comparison.

It is your responsibility to ensure that any changes to your contact details (phone, email etc) during the tenancy are given to our office as soon as possible.

It is your responsibility to take out insurance for your personal belongings - Residential Rental Provider's (RRP) insurance does not cover contents of a property.

General maintenance and repairs

At the start of your tenancy, your Property Manager will provide you with instructions on how you should report any general or emergency Maintenance/Repair requests for your rental property.

If you're unsure about the process, we recommend you contact your property manager as soon as possible.

Urgent maintenance and repairs

It is important to know the difference between an urgent or non urgent repair. All non urgent repairs must be reported to the office in writing. For urgent repairs, please follow the instructions provided by the agency, to contact us immediately and then follow up in writing with the details of the repair.

Urgent items are generally those that could cause injury to a person or damage to the property, and may include:

• burst water service, blocked or broken toilet system.
• serious roof leak.
• gas leak or dangerous electrical fault.
• flooding or serious flood damage, serious storm or fire damage.
• failure or breakdown of any essential service or appliance provided by a landlord or agent for hot water, water, cooking, heating, or laundering.
• failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply.
• any fault or damage in the premises that makes the premises unsafe or insecure.
• an appliance, fitting or fixture that is not working properly and causes a substantial amount of water to be wasted.
• a serious fault in a lift or staircase.

Legislation may differ from state-to-state in Australia. For information on urgent repairs and maintenance visit Victoria: Consumer Affairs VIC or New South Wales: NSW Fair Trading.

Should you wish to copy keys, please call the office so they can record the number of extra keys.

It is important to note that when your tenancy finishes you will need to return all keys given to you at the start of your tenancy and any additional copies created during your tenancy period.

If you change the locks during tenancy, it is a legislative requirement that you must provide your managing office with a full new set of keys for property access.

Misplaced keys: Barry Plant offices do not guarantee that a spare set of keys is held for every property. If a set is held and you wish to borrow the keys for 24 hours to gain access, a security deposit may be required until they are returned. If you have misplaced your keys after hours, you may call a locksmith to assist you back into the property - this is at your cost.

Make sure you let Australia Post know of your move and redirect your mail. Don’t forget to contact financial organisations, insurance companies, VIC roads and other important bodies to let them know of your change of address.

It is important to note that the utmost care must be taken to ensure that you do not disrupt your neighbours with noise.

Loud music, parties or otherwise can disrupt a neighbours’ right to peace, and the quiet enjoyment of their residence.

In the case of units and apartments, particular care must be taken with respect to noise due to the close proximity of other properties, usually located on the other side of the wall.

Renters should also ensure that their visitors are not disrupting neighbours when walking from your premises to their vehicles.

At no time should cars or any type of vehicle be parked on any lawns, gardens or any area not created for, or designated as a vehicle parking area.

Damage to lawns and landscaping can be costly and will be billed to the renter if this occurs.

If you have a pet that you would like to keep at the property, you must request a pet application form from the property manager / owner. All pets will be considered for their suitability and written pet approval will be granted if the pet is deemed appropriate.

If you are approved to keep a pet at the premises, you will be required to ensure that it does not cause any disruption to neighbours and that it does not in any way damage the property. The property must be kept free from pet odors and fleas, animal waste must be regularly cleared. Failure to adhere to any of these guidelines may result in action resulting in the pet needing to be removed from the property.

As a renter, your responsibility is to pay the whole amount of the rent that is due on the date specified under your agreement. Please refer to your tenancy agreement for the details of the payment due and the relevant date.

All Barry Plant offices have a zero tolerance policy on rental arrears. You may be served with a notice to vacate if you fall into arrears and have failed to make contact with your property manager.

Barry Plant is legally entitled to conduct routine inspections at a rental property after the first 3 months and approximately every 6 months thereafter.

The main purpose is to provide a report to the owner that you are maintaining the property and also to check for any repairs that may be required. Here’s what we look out for:

Inside the property

• Walls, light switches, doorways and doors are clean from marks and have no holes.
• The carpets are clean and stain free.
• The windows and screens are clean and intact.
• The kitchen areas are clean and oven/stove top is free of burnt on food and carbon staining.
• Shower, bathroom, toilet and laundry are clean (including tiling).
• All areas and rooms are fully accessible (not locked).
• No noticeable new damage.

Outside the property

• The lawns are freshly cut/edged and maintained and gardens are tidy with weeds removed.
• Rubbish and lawn/garden clippings removed.
• No unregistered vehicles kept on the property.
• Oil stains removed from carports, garages and driveways.
• All outside areas, garages, store rooms etc. are accessible.
• Swimming pool and/or spa areas are clean (if applicable) and moveable objects are not stored next to the fence, which can allow children to climb.
• To ensure that renters have not erected a swimming pool or spa without consent.

To ensure the safety of staff attending the property, dogs should be secured or removed from the premises for any inspection/s.

All Barry Plant properties have a strict ‘no smoking inside’ policy. Please ensure that any visitors are aware of this policy. Cleaning and deodorising the inside of the property to eliminate smoke odours can be a very costly exercise. Smoking inside affects walls, carpets, curtains and blinds. This policy is designed to reduce such expenses for renters and is a requirement to ensure that a bond claim for smoke damage is not required at the end of your tenancy.