Investment rentals have been an area where disputes have popped up fairly frequently during past years. Much of this was because there were no clear set rules governing many of the disputed areas, and both sides thought they were in the right. The Residential Tenancies Authority saw the end of these problems with clear cut guides to all areas of rental procedure, making for a better relationship between landlord or management and the tenants.
Procedures for rental bond lodgement, excess charges for water and rental payments are made easy to understand for all parties involved.
Nowadays before a rental agreement is signed, all relevant issues must be stated in the agreement, read and understood by the tenant, then agreed to after which the signing takes place. This prevents any problems developing further down the line and makes each party aware of their obligations to the other. Tenants are obligated to pay their rental fees on time and in full, keep the property tidy and clean and in good condition. They are obligated to ensure the fire alarms batteries are working throughout their lease and are well maintained, not only for their safety but to protect the landlord’s investment. They are obliged to give notice if leaving once their lease is ended allowing the landlord to make arrangements to have his Brisbane real estate home tenanted again.
The landlord or his management are obliged to make necessary repairs to fittings in the home, such as stoves and hot water systems when they are needed. He is also obliged to list on the lease agreement any extra charges the tenants are expected to pay over and above the rental fee and to make the prospective tenant aware of them before they agree to sign the lease, as well as lodging the rental bond in a Water consumption charges are one of the areas high on the list of extra fees, and where some landlords or their Brisbane property management only charge excess water usage fees, they are allowed to charge for the full amount of water usage under certain conditions.
If the rental is in a country area where tank water is the only supply and the tank needs to be refilled during the tenancy, the costs can be charged to the tenant. If the home has been certified to be water efficient and the tenants are overusing the water supply, they can be charged for the full amount. Otherwise, if the tenancy agreement states that the water consumption charges are to be met by the tenants and they accept this fact and sign the agreement, the charges must be paid by them.