Turn up unannounced<\/p>\n
Landlords can\u2019t just turn up to their rental properties without giving notice.<\/p>\n
They need to give 48 hours\u2019 notice for things like inspections and 24 hours\u2019 notice for repairs or maintenance. If they don\u2019t, they can have exemplary damages awarded against them to a maximum of $1500.<\/p>\n
If they are doing maintenance work outside, they need to make sure that they do not interfere with your peace, comfort and privacy.<\/p>\n
Tenancy Services advises: \u201cA heads-up of when you are coming and what you\u2019re coming for is a good way to help build a positive working relationship with your tenants.\u201d<\/p>\n
In one case heard by the Tenancy Tribunal<\/a> recently, a tenant claimed their landlord arrived at the premises uninvited and unannounced, entered the garden and shouted at them about parking in a shared driveway. The landlord argued he had been working on a neighbouring property and noticed where the car was parked.<\/p>\n The tribunal said even if the landlord only stopped at the gate and did not enter the garden, he raised his voice and shouted at the tenants and threatened to end their tenancy. It said the behaviour was a breach of the tenant\u2019s quiet enjoyment and interfered with their reasonable peace, comfort and privacy.<\/p>\n If a house is listed for sale, the tenant has to give permission for open homes to be held.<\/p>\n Require professional cleaning<\/p>\n Your landlord cannot ask you to pay for professional cleaning when you leave, including carpet cleaning.<\/p>\n Tenants are only required to leave the property in a reasonably clean and tidy state.<\/p>\n Sarina Gibbon, director of Tenancy Advisory, said the introduction of new rules around pets could make this a bit murkier. \u201cWith the pet provisions coming in, it\u2019s going to be really interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n She said one of the examples given with the introduction of the new rules was that landlords might say a pet was allowed if carpets were cleaned to a professional standard. \u201cThat\u2019s just an example given by Parliament\u2026 it doesn\u2019t mean it will cover all situations.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one of those things that I think we\u2019re just going to have to watch how the tribunal interprets the new laws and applied them to give the industry guidance. At the moment we\u2019re still operating under the old rules.<\/p>\n \u201cBut without pets, absolutely a tenant cannot be required to professionally clean the carpet.\u201d<\/p>\n Charge a pet bond (yet)<\/p>\n Landlords are not allowed to collect a pet bond until December 1.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m hearing every week landlords are collecting pet bonds and they have been all year when they are actually not legally allowed to until December 1,\u201d Gibbon said.<\/p>\n