Information For Tenants

The following information may assist you during your Tenancy with First National Real Estate Burton Groves.


Please click on your area of interest.

1.Office Hours
2.Finding and Applying for a Rental Property
3.Processing your Application Form
4.Rental payments
5.Tenants Responsibilities
6.Periodic Inspections
7.Property Condition Report
8.Alterations by Tenants
9.Change of Employment
10.Car Parking
11.Electricity, Gas and Telephone Connections
12.Damaged caused by Tenants
13.Pests and Vermin
14.Keys
15.Repairs and Maintenance
16.Smoke Alarms
17.Security Bond
18.Water Usage
19.Vacating - Giving Notice
20.Vacating - Final inspection
21.Vacating - Breaking a lease



 
1.Office Hours

Our Property Management office hours are:

Monday to Friday - 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
Saturday - closed
Sunday and Public Holidays – closed



2. Find and applying for a rental property

Finding a place to rent can be a stressful experience. At First National Real Estate Burton Groves we try to make this process as easy and stress-free as possible.

Viewing:

Firstly you must view the property you are interested in, you can find the open inspection times on our website, in some instances a private viewing may be allowed you will need to speak with the relevant property manager if this is required.

Once the property has been viewed and if you would like to rent the property you will need to complete our Residential Tenancy Application Form and supply the appropriate documentation.

Applying:

Application Forms are handed out at the time of the open inspection or if you require using 1form please advise the property manager at the open inspection and they will supply the code required, you can then proceed to the website at 1form.com.au - codes will not be handed out until the property has been viewed.

• We offer speedy processing of your tenancy application and under normal circumstances applications are usually processed within 24 hours on business days. This is of course subject to us having all of the information provided by you. Waiting on return phone calls from referees can slow the whole process down so we recommend you supply written references at the time of your application to help speed up the process.
• Each adult prospective tenant that will potentially be residing at the property must complete an individual application form as well as provide supporting documentation.

With your completed and signed application, we also require the following documents:

Two forms of Photo Identification (driver’s license, 18+ card or passport)

• Two types of confirmation of your current/previous address (rates notice, car registration, rent receipts, phone account, credit card statement or similar)
• Proof of Income: this can be payslips, a group certificate, bank statements, Centrelink letter or statement from your accountant. If you have more than one source of income, please provide all details.
• Please ensure to sign the terms and conditions on the Form which gives us approval under the Privacy Act to seek verification of your details.

Completed application forms plus supporting documentation can be submitted by
1.    In Person – Hand the completed application with copies of your supporting documentation to our Reception or
2.    On line – www.burtongroves.com.au
3.    Email to the property manager directly or mail@burtongroves.com.au
4.    Fax – 8265 2355



3. Processing your Tenancy Application Form:

Following your inspection of the property and upon submitting a fully completed Application with all the necessary documents; our Property Managers will review and process your application and discuss with the Landlord. This process normally takes 24 – 48 hours however is subject to us being able to verify all of the references.

One of our Property Management Team will contact you to advise you of the Landlords if accepted, they will also discuss your move-in-date and arrange an appointment for you to sign your Residential Tenancy Agreement, and we will require you to either sign the Tenancy Agreement within 24 hours or pay your first two weeks rent to secure the premises. The property will continue to be advertised until the lease has been signed or the 2 weeks paid until then we are unable to guarantee the property is secured for you.

These monies will be receipted into our Trust Account as your first 2 weeks of your tenancy. We will then proceed to prepare the Residential Tenancy Agreement ready for execution at that appointment.


Moving into your New Property:

Prior to collecting the keys for your new home, you will need to also pay the Security Bond which is equivalent to six weeks rent for a property $251 or more and four weeks rent for a property $250 and under. The Security Bond will need to be paid in full plus the Bond Lodgement Form will need to be signed. Cheques will not b accepted for a Security Bond payment.

There will be certain clauses in the contract that you will be required to meet and these will be explained by the Property Manager. Please ensure that you are on time for your appointments and allow a minimum of 30 minutes to go through all the necessary documents during the sign up, all appointments are made between 9am and 4pm. The Property Condition Report and keys will be issued to you at that time.


Additional Points:

First National Real Estate Burton Groves has a legal obligation to our Landlords to ensure that all prospective tenants can fulfil the requirements of the Residential Tenancy Agreement. Please ensure that you have provided the following:

• Previous rental reference from an agency with contact numbers. If you have not rented from an agency, a reference from a private landlord with copies of receipts and/or proof of regular payments. If you have never rented and are a current home owner, we will require a copy of a recent rates notice. Also contact details for the agent who may have sold your home or has rented it out on your behalf.
• Referees must be that of an employer and or people who are held in high regard in the community, they cannot be that of a relative or close friend.
• Proof of income, either pay slips (x 2) or Centrelink statements
• If you are self-employed, the last 2 years tax returns will be required as proof of income, along with a business license number and or company registration number from Office of Fair Trading.
• Proof of identity (e.g. driver’s license, Medicare card, passport, proof of age card, birth certificate) further details on application form
• Next of kin details

Should an application submitted not meet the above criteria, the applications may not be checked or approved.

All applications will be submitted to the landlord and the landlord’s decision will be final.


Residential Status:

If you are not an Australian Citizen, you will need to provide proof of eligibility to reside in Australia. A copy of your Visa will be required. (Not applicable for New Zealand Citizen).

If you require any more information about renting a property, please contact our office on 08 8819 0105



4. Rent payments

Rental payments can be made by cash in the office, EFTPOS, and direct debit. All payments are to be received in the office on or before the due date which is stated in your Tenancy Agreement and explained when you signed your Tenancy Agreement

Rent is always payable in advance and must not be less than the stated amount on your Tenancy Agreement.

Here at First National Burton Groves we have a strict ZERO TOLERANCE for rent arrears! And will not tolerate late payments. All rent arrears payments are looked at on a daily basis and appropriate correspondence actioned.

As of the 1st March 2014 new legislation has been introduced for the 3 strikes and you’re out policy.

• If a tenant continues to pay their rent in arrears and is issued 3 - Form 2 notifications to remedy the breach in a 12 month period, an Agent can now lodge a Form 7 with the Residential Tenancies for vacant possession.

If you do have unforeseen circumstances which may lead you to falling into rent arrears, please make immediate contact with your Property Manager.



5. Tenant’s responsibility for regular tasks

Regular maintenance tasks include:

• throwing out rubbish and putting bins out for collection
• general cleaning – ie: vacuum, wash dishes, clean wet areas such as kitchen, bathroom and toilet
• not allowing flammable material to accumulate – : iestacks of newspapers
• maintaining the garden or yard – ie: regularly cutting grass and hedges.

If you are having difficulty maintaining your property there are organisations that offer services to help you with cleaning, shopping, gardening and household upkeep.



6. Periodic Inspections

During the Tenancy Agreement the property will be inspected periodically every 3 months by First National Burton Groves we will provide you no less than 7 days notice and no more than 14 days notice, this is to ensure the property is being maintained to the same standard as when the property was Tenanted out in accordance with the Residential Tenancy Agreement and also that any maintenance is reported to the landlord. If you are unable to attend your routine inspection we will use our own keys to gain access.

 In some instances we may require to inspect the property every 29 days this maybe due to check on completed maintenance, or that we have believe that the property in not being maintained in accordance with the Residential Tenancy Agreement.

The list below will provide you some information on what we look for and required to be clean at a routine inspection:

• Window ledges
• Window tracks, door tracks including built in robes
• Cob webs brushed down inside and out
• Exhaust fans cleaned IE: over cook tops, showers
• Floors cleaned regularly
• Carpets regularly vacuumed and professionally cleaned if required
• Venetian blinds cleaned back and front
• Shower recess free from mould and soap scum
• Bathrooms cleaned regularly
• Ovens cleaned inside and out
• Gardens regularly mowed and wipper snipped
• Paths, pavers and garden beds free from weeds and or grass
• Bench tops cleaned
• If you have a pool, maintained free from algae and leaves

With your routine inspection letter you are also provided with two forms one for any general maintenance required by the Landlord to fix and also one for the Landlords information only and not required to be fixed, this maybe things that you have noticed where certain things are starting to deteriorate and the landlord may chose not to fix or replace but has been advised. Please ensure that these are left for the Property Manager to clearly see and these will be picked up at the time of the inspection and passed on to the Landlord.



7. Property condition report

The Property Condition Report is filled out at the commencement of your Tenancy to record the cleanliness and general condition of your property. We also take a full set of photos of the inside and also the outside of the property. This also helps with any disputes ie:  hooks are put on walls without consent, holes in walls, a full set of photos are also taken at the time of the ingoing inspection.

It is the record of the condition of the property and should be checked by the Tenant, signed and returned to our office within 14 days of the commencement of the Tenancy.

If Property Condition Report is not checked, signed and returned to First National Real Estate Burton Groves within that time, it is then deemed that the Tenant has agreed with all of the comments noted in the original report which was carried out by our Property Manager. You will also be required to forward any photos that you may have also taken.

If there are a number of significant discrepancies, our Property Manager may need to make an appointment to meet you at the property to ensure we have an agreed report.



8. Alterations by the tenant

A tenant cannot alter or add to a property without the landlord's consent. If a tenant removes something they have added to the property with the landlord's consent, they need to repair or pay for the repair of any damage this has caused.



9. Change of employment:

It is very important that we are notified immediately of any change of employment and any new contact telephone numbers are also supplied to us. Please ensure that you email your relevant Property Manager or click here to email us at mail@burtongroves.com.au



10. Car Parking

Vehicles are to be parked only in designated parking areas. Parking on lawns or garden areas is prohibited.

Provision must be made by Tenants to ensure that the parking area is protected from oil leakage from their vehicles



11. Electricity, Gas and Telephone connections’

It is a tenant’s responsibility to arrange connection of services to the property in their name and to have all accounts finalized upon vacating.

• On your application form you are offered a free service through Direct Connect to arrange Telephone, Internet, Gas and Electricity, please ensure if you do require these services that you tick the appropriate boxes and sign the Terms and Conditions on your Tenancy Application Form.
• It is not a Landlord’s responsibility to supply a phone or phone line to the property. This must be added to your Annexure in your Tenancy Agreement

12. Damage caused by the Tenant

The tenant is responsible for replacing or repairing damage that they cause at the property. This includes:

• damage caused intentionally or through neglect
• damage caused by visitors or other people living at the property

Tenants can be fined up to $2,500 for deliberate and serious damage.

A landlord can issue a notice to the tenant asking them to fix the problem or the lease agreement will end.



13. Pests and Vermin

As a guide, landlords are responsible for getting rid of the following pests if there is an infestation at the start of the tenancy:

• ants
• bees and wasps – and during the tenancy if in a wall cavity
• cockroaches, fleas and spiders
• mice and rats
• Snakes – and during the tenancy only if the landlord breaches the agreement, eg by leaving piles of rubbish in the garden.

The tenant is usually responsible if these pests become a problem after 30 days of the commencement of the tenancy.

These pests are the responsibility of the landlord:

• white ants
• possums – remove and seal entry points
• Birds – remove and seal entry points.

14. Keys

A duplicate set of keys is retained by First National Real Burton Groves for access. No key service is available after normal office hours, on weekends or public holidays. Under special circumstances, and upon producing identification, the keys can be borrowed, during office hours, but must be returned to our office the same day. It is advisable that you make your own private arrangements regarding the location of a spare key, should you accidentally lock yourself out of the premises. Locks are not to be changed without the written consent of the owner.

A fine of up to $5,000 can be issued if someone changes the locks without consent.



15. Repairs and Maintenance

All general repairs and maintenance matters are to be referred to our office immediately in writing by post, fax or email detailing your name, address, contact details and the nature of the required repairs (including the make and model of any relevant appliances).

Repairs will be attended to as promptly as possible, it is required and necessary to obtain the Landlord’s approval and in some instances quotes before any work can commence unless the Landlord is unable to be contacted and depending on the urgency of the matter this may be approved without the Landlords consent.

Any damage not reported during your tenancy may be deemed to be a tenant liability and claimed against the security bond.

EMERGENCY REPAIRS: If you have an EMERGENCY that cannot wait until the office is open you are required to call your relevant Property Manager leaving your name, contact phone number and the nature of the emergency.

Examples of emergency or urgent repairs

• A burst water service
• A blocked toilet (where there is only one toilet in the property)
• A broken sewerage fitting
• A serious roof leak
• An electrical fault likely to cause damage to property or to endanger human life
• Flooding of property
• Substantial damage caused by flooding, storm or fire

Do NOT leave a message on our answering machine for maintenance items in case we have a mechanical failure with our recorded message system and we do not get your message.

Please make sure you contact our office by email or telephone to report maintenance problems.

Go to the maintenance tab and fill out the details for the maintenance required.

Troubleshooting - Residual Circuit Breakers (RCD)

If part of your power goes off unexpectedly in a specific area of your house, check the circuit breakers prior to contacting our Agency. If the switch is in the ‘OFF’ position, it possibly means that the circuit breaker has been tripped.

Prior to calling us we will require you to complete the following:

• Take note of the appliance that you last plugged in
• Unplug all appliances from the wall and turn off the power points
• Reset switch to ‘ON’ position
• Plug in each appliance individually, until faulty appliance trips the Circuit Breaker to ‘OFF’
• Remove faulty appliance
• Reset switch to ‘ON’. The protected circuit should now run satisfactorily
• Remember to get faulty appliances checked and/or repaired before using again.
• If the Circuit breaker will not come back on after all of the above has been completed advise your Property Manger

Please remember if the faulty appliance is the property of the tenant, any accounts will be deemed Tenant Liability.

If all power has gone off in your house please call the Electricity retailer ETSA as it could be a power failure, even if you’re neighbour has power you could be on a different line where there is a fault in your street or line.
 


16. Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms require regular testing and cleaning as only working smoke alarms can provide the critical early warning needed to save lives and minimise property damage.  A Landlord may choose to maintain their smoke detectors themselves and will contact you directly, this ensures smoke alarms work properly.  Burton Groves also undertake annual maintenance checks through Be Alarmed maintenance services and replace batteries, clean them out or replace the smoke alarm. You will receive a letter of when these checks will be taken out; if you are unavailable at the time of the inspection Be Alarmed will use the office keys.

Under no circumstances are tenants permitted to remove or take down a smoke detector.

Please contact our Agency if you are concerned about the performance of your smoke alarm after



17. Security Bond

First National Real Estate Burton Groves requires that a Security Bond be paid before the commencement of all Residential Tenancy Agreements. The Bond will be lodged with the Residential Tenancies (Office of Business and Consumer Affairs) where they will post you a lodgement receipt.

The Bond is held as security against any damage, undue wear and tear and/or outstanding monies owing at the end of the Tenancy and to ensure the property is left in the same condition as when the Tenancy commenced and there are no outstanding monies owing.

A refund of the Security Bond will be made only after all of the keys have been returned and sufficient time has been allowed for our staff to inspect the property and obtained the water meter read and can only be refunded to you by the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs, if you require to know the process of your refund you can call the office directly on 131 882



18. Water usage

Unless otherwise specified in the Residential Tenancy Agreement the Tenant is responsible for all water consumed on the property and or Water Supply charge.

A water meter reading is taken at the commencement of your Tenancy Agreement and recorded, this is adjusted accordingly depending on when the actual water meter has been read by SA water and account issued. All water supply charges are generally paid in advance.
 All Tenants are billed on a quarterly basis but in some instances earlier depending on your commencement date and when the last quarterly bill issued, you will be provided an invoice and a copy of the SA water account. Tenants are not to pay SA water directly, you can pay your water invoice via EFT ensuring you use your allocated Agent number and the word water added at the end IE: 2003 water This must also be in a separate transaction from your rent or this could be misunderstood for a rental payment and not able to be adjusted.

At the end of your Tenancy Agreement a final water reading will be taken and an invoice provided and any water credits allocated against the water usage. Rent in advance can only be put against any outstanding water charges if a tenant puts this in writing to First National Burton Groves.

Information regarding water usage can be obtained from the Office and Consumer Affairs website. http://www.cbs.sa.gov.au/wcm/rentingletting



19. Vacating - Giving Notice

The Residential Tenancy Agreement is a binding Contract providing protection for both the Landlord and the Tenant.

The Residential Tenancy Agreement can be terminated by the Tenant in the following ways:

1. If you intend to vacate the premises at the end of your fixed term Lease you will be required to provide us in writing of your intention to do so.
2. If you are vacating premises with no fixed term Lease (Periodic Tenancy) then you will be required to give our Agency 28 days' notice in writing, prior to your intended vacating date.

20. Vacating - Final Inspection

When you have given notice to terminate your Tenancy we will require that you supply us with your forwarding address and contact details.

Arrangements should be made with the Property Manager for a suitable time to conduct a Final Inspection of the property and a Vacating Tenancy Guidelines will be posted to you, as a checklist to assist, as you prepare to vacate.

The Final Inspection can only be completed once the property is free of all personal effects, carpets vacuumed and presented in a clean state (your property manager may request for the carpets to be professionally cleaned, and also if a pet has been in the property you can also be requested to have the carpets fumigated if deemed necessary), all general cleaning completed, gardening completed.

When inspecting the property for the refund of the security bond, our staff will pay particular attention to the cleanliness of such things as curtains, windows, floors, blinds, stoves (i.e. griller and oven), hand basin, sink, showers, baths and toilets in accordance with the Property Condition Report (PCR) which was agreed at the commencement of your tenancy.

Please be reminded that you are responsible for rent until all keys for the property have been returned to First National Real Estate Burton Groves.

Bond refund applications are only processed after the satisfactory completion of the Final Inspection and all outstanding monies (including water usage charges) have been paid.

The Final Inspection can only be completed once the property is free of all personal effects, carpets vacuumed and presented in a clean state (Your property manager may request for them to be professionally cleaned), all general cleaning completed, gardening completed and if any fumigation (if a pet has been at the property) arranged.



21. Vacating - Breaking a Lease

A Residential Tenancy Agreement is a binding Contract providing protection for both the Landlord and the Tenant.

If, however, unforeseen circumstances arise and you must vacate the premises prior to the end of your fixed term Residential Tenancy Agreement, please contact your Property Manager immediately to discuss finding a suitable replacement Tenant.

• You will be required to complete a form seeking consent to break your Lease and confirming acknowledgement of the following responsibilities:
• Continuation of all rent payments, in full, through until the date that a new Tenant takes occupancy of the premises.
• Maintaining the property (including keeping electricity on at the property for the lawns and gardens) even if you are no longer residing in the property up to the date the new lease commences.
• Payment of the Un-expired portion of the Letting Fee to reimburse the owner
• Payment for the final inspection fee to reimburse the owner
• Payment of advertising costs incurred in re-letting the property to reimburse the owner.

Any new Applicants will be subject to the same screening process as when you first applied. Approval will be sought from the Owner prior to accepting any new tenants.

We are unable to relinquish you of your legal obligation to the current lease until any new Tenant has executed their Tenancy Agreement and paid their Ingoings. Under no circumstances will a transfer of tenancy be permitted without prior written approval by the Landlord otherwise you will be held responsible for payment of rent and for any damage caused by another person. Please contact your Property Manager and the correct procedure will be outlined to you.