Tenant Information

As a tenant of Spectrum Estate Agents, you may find our services and how you are valued by us a little different to that of a standard agency. Our completely transparent and personalised service extends not only to our landlord clients but also our tenant customers. We know that whilst today you are a tenant, tomorrow you could be a property owner and one day perhaps a property investor (if you’re not either of these already), so the relationship we develop with you is crucial to both our future success and that of our clients.

For any reason should we need to meet and chat about any tenancy matters that we can’t resolve over the phone, we are able to meet you onsite at the property or out for a coffee. For the fastest response, please contact your property manager via email or SMS. If you would like to meet with your property manager face to face, please get in touch to make an appointment with an agreed time and location.

PRE-MOVING IN

UTILITIES

Prior to moving into your new property, you will need to arrange to have your utilities connected and/or relocated. You can use our free Concierge Service to arrange connections with all utilities – we have a number of providers on our books and aim to get you the best price possible.

INSURANCE

You acknowledge the property owner’s insurance policies does NOT cover in any way, your own contents and belongings. You also understand that no claim can be made against the managing agency for any loss or damage of your own personal contents and belongings.

ENTRY CONDITION REPORTS

A copy of the Entry Condition Report for the property will be provided to you at the very commencement of your tenancy. You are required to complete, sign and return it to our office within seven (7) days, as required under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act. This report protects you at the end of the tenancy when vacating the property.

What is an Entry Condition Report? It documents the condition of your rental property before you move in. This is the most important document to ensure your bond refund at the end of your tenancy. With our thorough attention and detail and by completing it correctly, you can rest assure that the end of your tenancy will be managed easily.

Why do I need to complete it? By not returning the report in the specified time frame, you are agreeing to the property manager’s report of the property and you are accountable for any issues that may have been overlooked. Once returned to the agency you will receive a signed copy of the report via email for your records. When vacating the property at the end of your lease, your property manager will inspect the property against the entry condition report for any discrepancies during the tenancy.

How do I complete it? The report is divided into sections outlining different rooms and features of the property. Follow each of the sections throughout the report and write comments on any marks, damage, or faults as you go. If you disagree with some of the comments made by the agent lease your comments in the “tenant” section of the report. If there are any comments on items that we disagree with, we will arrange a time with yourself to attend the property to discuss these together.

DURING THE TENANCY

BOND AND INITIAL PAYMENT

On approval of your application, to commence the lease and to remove the property from all advertising, you must make payment of Bond (equal to four (4) weeks rent), and your first two (2) weeks rent. The bond can be paid direct to the RTA and will not incur any credit card merchant fees. Keys will not be provided for the property until the lease agreement has been signed by all Tenants and the bond and first two weeks rent have been received by the Agent in full, as cleared funds.

ON-GOING RENT PAYMENTS

Spectrum Estate Agents has a 0% tolerance of rental arrears. Should your rent fall into arrears, this will be reflected on your tenancy ledger and the following steps will be taken;

TIME PROCEDURE

1-6 days in arrears You will be contacted daily via SMS, email and/or phone call. Your owner will also be notified that your rent has not been paid by the due date.

7 days in arrears Phone call & email advising rent must be paid by close of business to avoid a Notice toRemedy Breach being issued. Note: repeated breaches can result in your lease not being renewed.

8 days in arrears A formal Notice to Remedy Breach of your General Tenancy Agreement will be issued.

Day prior to breach expiry Phone call & email – If rent is not received by close of business, a formal eviction notice will be issued.

Day 17 – Expiry of breach Should rent still not be paid by the expiry of the breach, a formal eviction notice will be issued, giving you seven (7) days notice to leave and vacate the property.

OCCUPANCY

Only the people originally included on the application approved by the owner are allowed to reside at the property permanently. If a new tenant wishes to move in and/or replace an existing tenant, our office must be informed immediately, in order to complete an application form and have it approved by the owner before they are allowed to move in. Please note, there is usually a fee associated with changing tenants.

PROPERTY ASSESSMENT INSPECTIONS (ROUTINE INSPECTIONS)

Spectrum Estate Agents conducts regular property assessment inspections approximately every 3-4 months. Information relating to the inspection and notice of entry will be sent out to you a minimum of seven (7) days prior. You will receive an email or SMS to remind you of the inspection a few days before.

On the day of inspection, we will be looking to ensure the property is being well maintained and to identify any repairs or maintenance that need to be addressed. We will leave you a note to let you know that we have inspected the property and an email will follow if anything requires attention. Due to the restricted time frames for the Property Managers and our obligation to carry out the inspection on behalf of the owner, it is not possible to change the
day or time of the routine inspection.

Furthermore, you acknowledge and understand that a two to three hour time range on the date of the inspection will be advised and if you wish to be present during the inspection, you will be required to be at the property during the time range provided, as an exact time cannot be provided.

KEYS AND TENANT LOCK-OUT

Should you lock yourself out of the rental property during normal business hours, but prior to 4pm, it may be possible to borrow the management keys (if available) to regain access to the property. The keys will be released to you for a period of one hour, and by you providing a deposit of $100 and by us sighting your identification at time of collection. If the keys are not returned by the agreed date/time, then the deposit will be forfeited and the locks to the property will be changed at your expense. If the keys are unavailable or you require access outside of business hours, you will need to engage a locksmith at your own expense.

PARKING

All vehicles are to be parked only in the designated parking areas or your exclusive-use parking bay (if residing in a unit/and or townhouse). Vehicles are not to be parked on grass, footpaths or any common areas if the property forms part of a body corporate. Any damage caused from a motor vehicle/s (including oil stains) will be the responsibility of the tenant to remedy and make good. Visitor car parking provided throughout the complex is not to be used by residents.

WATER CHARGES

The property may be water efficient compliant, so you will be responsible for all water consumption charges for the property if we hold a water efficiency certificate for the property. Water supply and sewerage charges are all covered by the property owner. An invoice for any water consumption will be issued by your property manager and you will receive 30 days to pay this to reimburse the owner.

SMOKE ALARMS

The tenants acknowledge and agree to the following statements. To comply with Queensland Fire and Rescue Services legislation, the following are your responsibilities during your tenancy:

• The tenant(s) will notify the Agent when a smoke alarm has failed or is about to fail.
• The tenant(s) will not remove, dispose of, or otherwise tamper with to cease the smoke alarms’ effectiveness.
• The tenant(s) will ensure that all exits from the property are maintained as clearways, so they can be safely and effectively used for escape in the event of a fire.
• The tenant(s) can replace batteries within the Smoke Alarms as required. if the smoke alarm is beeping – it’s time to change the battery.

As part of legislation – your smoke alarms will be inspected once a year by a licenced technician and at least 30 days prior to a new lease commencing. This cost is incurred by the owner.

SAFETY SWITCH

You as the tenant(s) agree to test the Safety switch/s installed on the power board every three (3) months by completing the following steps:

Pressing the “TEST button”

This should automatically trip the switch to the “off” position

Reset by pushing the switch back to “on”

If this does not work, contact your property manager immediately

PARKING

All vehicles are to be parked only in the designated parking areas or your exclusive-use parking bay (if residing in a unit/and or townhouse). Vehicles are not to be parked on grass, footpaths or any common areas if the property forms part of a body corporate. Any damage caused from a motor vehicle/s (including oil stains) will be the responsibility of the tenant to remedy and make good. Visitor car parking provided throughout the complex is not to be used by residents.

MEETINGS AND APPOINTMENTS

If you require a meeting with any member of the team, an appointment must be made to ensure the team member is available and so they can dedicate an appropriate amount of time to you, as well as having the information ready that you require.

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS

There are two types of reported maintenance: general routine repairs and emergency/urgent. All general repairs and maintenance are to be notified to the managing agency in writing and with photo evidence through the tenant portal. Providing photos allows for quicker identification for quoting and may result in your maintenance being repaired sooner. It is your responsibility to report all maintenance as soon as you notice it. No action on the reported maintenance will be taken unless it is reported in writing.

Emergency/urgent maintenance must be telephoned through to Spectrum Estate Agents as soon as the emergency is noticed, and can include situations such as:

• Burst water service
• Blocked drain or toilet (if only 1 toilet for premises)
• Serious roof leak
• Gas leak
• Fault/damage likely to cause<injury
• Electrical fault/shock

A serious fault in a staircase, lift or other common area or premises that unduly Inconveniences a resident in gaining access to, or using the premises.

In the event of an emergency repair, you as the tenant must follow these steps:

Notify the property manager immediately.

2 If property manager is unavailable, for the fastest response, you can contact either Chris on 0409 870 000 and/or Jess on 0466 872 112. If we don’t answer, leave a voicemail and/or send an SMS to let us know it’s of an urgent nature.

3. If you don’t have a response within 60mins, contact the nominated repairer listed in your tenancy documentation.

4. If the nominated repairer cannot be contacted, you can arrange a suitably qualified person to carry out the repair, but only to the maximum value of two weeks rent and only if the emergency item is one as outlined above.

Note: If the repair is not considered an emergency, or is found to be caused by tenant negligence, then you will be responsible for the payment of services.

CONTRACTORS ACCESS

Should tradespeople need to access the property to complete any maintenance or assessments, your contact details will be provided to them to arrange access to the home. These tradespeople generally operate in normal business trading hours; therefore, you will need to discuss an appropriate time with them, via the following options;

• You can arrange a mutually agreeable time with them during their trading hours that you will be home to let them in. (If you can’t be present, but would prefer someone be there with the trades person, you can have a family/friend let them in.
• If they are unable to contact you or if you are unable to arrange access with them, they will collect keys from the office to let themselves in. (an entry notice will be issued if they can’t contact you).
• You can pay any associated costs for the trades person to attend the property after hours (providing they have this option available)

ENDING A TENANCY

TENANT REQUEST FOR EARLY LEASE TERMINATION (BREAK LEASE)

Your fixed term tenancy agreement ends once the end date has been reached and the correct notice has been given. In the event, you cannot fulfil your commitment to the lease end date and wish to vacate the property sooner, you are required to provide to us notice in writing using a Form 13 Notice of Intention to Leave. Once this is received, we can then begin advertising the property.

Under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act , the act states the owner is to be compensated for their loss, which includes any associated costs incurred for the change in lease conditions during a break lease. Should you request an early termination of your tenancy term the following obligations must be agreed to and followed:

You as the tenant are responsible for the payment of rent in advance as it falls due, up to the day before a new tenant occupies the property or until the lease end date (whichever comes first). Should the rent be paid past the date of the new tenancy/lease expiry, the overpaid portion will be refunded to you.
You acknowledge and understand that the bond is not to be used for rental payments. The bond will be disbursed as soon as the replacement tenant has paid all monies, accepted and signed the tenancy agreement and taken up residency, and once your final vacate inspection has been completed and any subsequent repairs/invoices have been finalised.

Should you vacate the property prior to a substitute tenant being secured it is still your responsibility to maintain the house and gardens and ensure security to the property until the official expiry of your lease or until the replacement tenant occupies the property (whichever comes first). This also includes ensuring the power supply remains connected.

No final inspection will be carried out until the official expiry date of the lease agreement, or when the new tenants will be occupying the property (whichever comes first). This is because you are still responsible for the property and the cleanliness and gardens etc. If you have already cleaned the property and completed the gardening, additional tidy up’s may be required.

For breaking your lease and terminating your General Tenancy Agreement early,you are also required to reimburse the owner for any costs or fees incurred as a
result of the request for termination, such as:

• The cost of any advertising required to secure a new tenant
• The letting fee, which is equal to one week’s rent plus GST

You understand that even if you find a replacement tenant yourself, they will still need to complete the relevant forms and meet the same processing requirements as per standard application selection criteria, to be presented to the owner for their approval. You as the tenant will still be responsible for all costs as a result of the early termination of the tenancy as listed above.

CHANGE OF SHARED TENANCY

Should you request a change to one or more of the current tenants (and one or more of the current tenants will remain at the property), this classifies as a ‘change of shared tenancy’ and there are several steps that you will need to follow

• You must notify our office of the change in circumstances in writing
• Application forms must be submitted for any new occupants
• Landlords approval of change or shared tenancy will be sort
• Once approval has been granted, we can complete the relevant forms
• Subsequent changes to shared tenancy fees are payable before new documents are drawn
• A change of shared tenancy fee is payable of $110 inc GST

You understand that any replacement tenants will have to be approved and meet the exact same processing requirements as per standard application selection criteria. No change in tenancy will take place unless approved by Spectrum Estate Agents and the owner of the property.

You understand that it is your responsibility to find a replacement tenant and not the responsibility of the managing agency in any way whatsoever. It is also your responsibility to negotiate with the outgoing tenant/s and replacement tenant/s the distribution and/or refund between each other of the bond held in trust, as no portion of the bond will be released by Spectrum and the RTA.

The new tenants understand that when they eventually vacate the property, the initial tenancy agreement and entry condition report will be referred to. This also means the new tenants will be responsible for any possible damage that may have occurred as a result of the vacating tenant.

Please note this is only applicable if one of the original lease holders remains in the property. If no original lease holders remain in the property, it is considered an early lease termination and break lease procedures will apply.

ENDING A TENANCY

At the end of a fixed term tenancy, one of two things will occur:

• You will be offered a new lease agreement for renewal of the tenancy
• You will be issued a notice to leave at the end of the lease with 60 day’s notice.

You will be notified approximately three (3) months prior to your lease ending. If you do not wish to continue the tenancy after the lease end date, you are required to provide us with a minimum of two (2) week’s notice prior to the lease expiry, which must be done in writing via a Form 13 Notice of Intention to Leave.

All keys and remotes must be returned to Spectrum Estate Agents during normal business hours. Should all keys not be returned on time, you will be charged additional rent, calculated on a daily basis, for the period between when the tenancy expired and the time that you provided all keys and/or vacant possession of the property to Spectrum Estate Agents.

You are required to provide all the relevant and requested supporting documents with the return of the keys and hand the property back in the same condition in which the property was originally handed to you at the commencement of your tenancy.

The day you return all keys to the office is the day you provide vacant possession to the property and the day your tenancy has ended. This therefore means that the condition of the property at vacate is how you intend to return the property, as such, if the property has not been returned to the same condition as listed on your Entry Condition Report, we will then arrange professional cleaners/gardeners/tradespeople to attend to any issues from your vacate. You understand and acknowledge that if this is required, this will be at your expense – with the option of paying all invoices yourself and receiving a full bond refund, or by having these invoices deducted from your bond. However, if the total amount of funds owing at vacate exceeds the bond amount held, then you will be responsible for paying the excess figure.

Should the property owner experience delays in a new occupant moving into the property as a result of any issues from your vacate (e.g. necessary repairs/cleaning), you may be responsible for additional rent up until the date that the property is officially available and ready for occupancy. Furthermore, failure to hand the rental property back in a clean and tidy condition to which the property was at the beginning of your tenancy (making it necessary for additional follow-up final inspection/s), will result in a penalty of $75.00 + GST per re-inspection, at your expense

BOND REFUNDS

You acknowledge and understand that the bond will not be refunded until a final inspection has been completed, the rental property is ready for re-let, and when payment for all outstanding monies and invoices have been received by Spectrum Estate Agents. To ensure your get your bond refund as quickly as possible, the following list will assist you:

• Ensure all rent is paid up to and including date of vacate.
• Complete your 14a Exit condition report, and return this along with all keys/swipes/remotes to our office on time.
• Ensure the property cleaned and returned to the same condition as it was before you moved in. (we recommend engaging professional cleaners and carpet cleaners).
• Complete all details on the “Vacating Tenant Document” provided to you.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Should there be any misunderstanding or grievance experienced by you, Spectrum Estate Agents has a formal Complaints Procedure. Naturally, we aim for happy and delighted clients and are grateful of the opportunity to alleviate and remedy any misunderstandings and improve service delivery, when and if, necessary.