Your Guide to Renting With Barry Plant

A Rental provider is required by law to disclose particular information about the rental property before a Renter enters into a rental agreement. The disclosure statement gives you information about the property, the owner’s intentions and other important details. Prior to signing your agreement, it’s important that you read the disclosure statement that we provide and speak to your Property Manager if you have any questions.

All adult Renters that apply for the property must sign the Residential Rental Agreement prior to the agreed commencement date.

The Residential Tenancies Act sets out the rights and responsibilities of both Renters and Residential Rental Providers. Prior to signing your Residential Rental Agreement, it’s important that you read and understand the responsibilities of being a Renter in Victoria.

Consumer Affairs Victoria have summarised this information on their website, as detailed below.

Rent and bond payments must be paid and cleared in our account before we will hand over the keys on the commencement date of the agreement. Payment options are outlined in the “Important information” section at the back of this guide.

Once the bond is paid and cleared in our account we will lodge your bond with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA). You will receive an email directly from the RTBA advising you that we have initiated a bond lodgement on your behalf. Please keep an eye out for this important email as it requires you to confirm the lodgement in order for you to be able to track your bond in the future. It’s important that you check your email and junk mail in the days following payment of your bond to ensure that you receive and action the lodgement. If you have not received an email from the RTBA within 10 days of paying your bond, please contact your property manager as a matter of urgency so we can track your bond and ensure that it is correctly allocated.

The Condition report is an important document as it records the condition of the property when you move in and is then used as a reference to complete the final inspection and bond refund at the end of the tenancy. The Condition Report will be completed in the days prior to you moving in and will be provided to you when you collect your keys.

The Residential Tenancies legislation requires you to return your signed/amended copy of your Condition report to us within 5 business days of the agreement start date. If it is not signed and returned, you will be deemed to have agreed with the agent’s report on the condition of the premises when you commenced your tenancy. This could cause a delay in the refund of your bond when you vacate the property if there is a dispute.

Your Property Manager will confirm a key collection time prior to your commencement date. Keys can be collected from our office at the agreed time. Please bring with you the original ID that was used when you applied for the property. Once your identification is verified the keys and Condition report will be provided. We cannot issue keys earlier than the start date of the tenancy, for both legal and security reasons.

Should you wish to copy additional keys, please email the office to advise how many extra keys have been cut so this can be recorded. It is important to note that when your tenancy finishes all keys must be returned. If you change the locks during tenancy, you must provide us with a new set of keys for property access. This is a requirement under the Residential Tenancies Act.

It is a requirement of your tenancy that you seek written permission from the Residential Rental Provider if you wish to have another person move into the property.

Any additional occupant will be required to provide identification and to complete a rental application. Their references will be checked and their application presented to the owner for approval.

If the Residential Rental Provider consents to the additional party moving in, they will be added to the lease and you will be jointly responsible for the property.

It is important to note that the owner does not insure the Renters personal contents. Renters must arrange their own contents insurance. If any goods or possessions are damaged, destroyed or stolen because of circumstances affecting the property, (i.e. fire, storms, power outages, flood, break-ins) they are not insured by the Residential Rental Provider. Please seek independent advice regarding the type of insurance that may be suitable to your personal circumstances.

Our office does 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 of $200 will be required until they are returned. If you have misplaced your keys after hours, you may call a locksmith to assist you to get back into the property - this is at your cost.

If there has been property damage caused by you or your visitors you are obligated to let us know immediately or on the next business day (if the incident occurred on a weekend or public holiday). Any restoration/repairs must be carried out as soon as practicable and by a suitably qualified person.

It is important to note that the utmost care must be taken to ensure that you do not cause nuisance by disrupting your neighbours with unreasonable noise levels. Loud music, parties or otherwise can disrupt a neighbours’ right to peace, and the quiet enjoyment of their residence. This is even more critical in the case of units and apartments, because of the close proximity of other properties. You also have an obligation to ensure that your visitors are not disrupting neighbours when they are walking from your premises to their vehicles.

If the property you are renting has a fireplace or wood heater, this cannot be used unless you have been given permission from us in writing to do so. Sometimes these are ornamental or the flue/chimney has been blocked up. Using them could cause a fire to occur in the flue or ceiling. If you are given permission, please ensure a spark catcher is used at all times in front of the fire to protect carpets and flooring from sparks and ash damage.

If you have pot plants or aquariums, be aware that if they are placed on hard surfaces like tiles, floorboards and linoleum they may leave indentations, stains and damage. If placed on carpet areas they run the risk of carpet rot or water damage. Please take sufficient precautions to protect the property from what could be expensive repairs for the Renter.

We strongly recommend that you or your visitors smoke outside the property to avoid costly cleaning and restoration costs. Renters are responsible for cleaning and deodorising the inside of the property to eliminate smoke odours. Any expense for cleaning walls, carpets and other floor coverings, curtains or blinds as a result of people smoking inside will be charged to the Renter.

If you think that the smoke detectors installed, are not working or the batteries are not functioning, please let us know immediately, please be vigilant and report to us any issues, to ensure your safety in the case of a fire. For any issue with the smoke alarms always consult your Property manager, as tampering with a safety device can result in a Notice to Vacate being issued.

If you wish to install any new picture hooks, please let us know in writing what type of hooks you wish to use. To do this you should assess the type of walls that are in the property and the type of picture hooks that are suitable. We will let you know in writing before you proceed to install the picture hooks.

Mould infestation generally occurs from condensation, lack of ventilation or moisture from building or plumbing defects. Please ensure that you regularly open windows and doors, especially when cooking, using the laundry for drying clothes and when using the bathroom, as these play a major role in contributing to a build-up of condensation, which in turn can cause mould. If you see signs of mould within the home, please contact your property manager.

You must regularly clean any filters and intake vents to ensure there is no build-up of dirt or dust. Failure to do so may reduce performance or cause the unit to break down.

Please let us know if you notice any cracks in walls, ceilings or any other evidence of building movement.

Termites will quickly eat through a property and can cause extensive damage. Signs like wood becoming brittle particularly in doorways, skirting boards and ceiling beams or sounding hollow when tapped or the presence of mud deposits are all tell-tale signs of termites. If you see any signs of termites or termite damage please bring this to our attention immediately.

If you wish to install or remove any fixtures or fittings, please request permission for this beforehand in writing.

All carpets need to be cleaned on a regular basis. It’s not something that should only be done at the end of your tenancy. We recommend professional steam cleaning and we do not recommend the use of ‘do-it-yourself’ hire machines which can cause damage if incorrectly used.

Be on the lookout for joins in the bench-top that have gaps or if the surface laminate has started to bulge or lift at a join. Please let us know if this is starting to occur as this may indicate moisture has seeped into a join and is swelling the chipboard underneath.

If grouting or silicone sealing is coming off or is loose around any tiles near the taps and/or taps are dripping or leaking to let us know by using a repair request.

Stovetops, grillers and ovens are to be kept free of burnt-on food. Food, crumbs and spills when left long enough become burnt-on, blackened and carbonised, making them very difficult to remove. Please use care when using scourers as these may scratch and damage enamel surfaces. Please also note that covering stove tops with foil should be avoided as it is a fire hazard.

Ensure any vents and rangehood filters are kept clean. Ensure the exhaust fan cover is clean and kept free of grime build up. From time to time these should be taken down and soaked in hot soapy water, and then scrubbed clean.

Dishwashers provided as part of your tenancy need to be cleaned on a regular basis. This should include the cleaning of filters, baskets and rubber seals.

Bench tops can be easily damaged if not cared for. Please ensure that chopping boards are always used to prevent cut marks and associated damage.

If you notice cracking of the glass in shower screens or shower doors please report this to us immediately.

Should a sink or basin become blocked, first try a drain cleaning product like Draino. Be sure to follow the product instructions carefully. If the sink or basin is still blocked after treatment, let us know so we can arrange for a plumber to attend to the problem.

Water trickling or leaking into the bowl from the cistern indicates a worn cistern washer and needs to be fixed by a plumber.

Report any taps leaking either from a tap head or tap handles. This includes washing machine taps.

Should you notice loose tiles on walls in the shower recess or loose tiles over the laundry trough etc, please let us know.

Take care not to allow children to place toys or other items down drains. If your property has a septic tank system, please do not flush foreign objects down the toilet.

If a plumber is employed by us to clear pipes, drains, basins or sinks and it is determined that the blockage was caused by a foreign object, the bill will be sent to you for payment.

Should you notice water damage to a wall adjacent to a shower recess, bathroom basin etc please let us know immediately. This can be identified by bubbling or peeling paint, or even water or mould marks to the flooring/carpet.

If the hot water service is leaking constantly from the valve or from the base of the unit please let us know.

Renters are responsible for watering gardens to ensure that plants do not die. If the property has a watering system please ensure that it is used regularly to ensure the garden is maintained and the system does not seize up.

Weeding of garden beds, lawns, paths, paving and other outside areas are the responsibility of the Renter. Trimming of bushes and shrubs in and around the garden is also the responsibility of the Renter.

Ensure that lawns are regularly mowed, edged and weeded, keeping them neat and tidy.

Supplied hoses, fittings and accessories must be kept in good condition and returned upon vacating the property.

Please take care when removing flyscreens for dusting and cleaning as they can be fragile and tear easily.

If you have been approved to keep a pet on the property, please ensure that any droppings are regularly cleared from grounds and gardens.

Please ensure that any rubbish is regularly removed from the property. This includes household rubbish and other general household or hard rubbish such as car parts, tyres, unused furniture, lawn and garden clippings. Rubbish cannot be allowed to accumulate.

Should oil leaks occur at any time, they must be cleaned up immediately to prevent oil seeping in and permanently staining concrete/paving.

At no time can 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 would be the Renters responsibility.