Landlord Responsibilities
Responsibilities Landlords Have When Renting A Property In Adelaide.
As a landlord, it is your fundamental responsibility to ensure and maintain the property so that it’s fit to live in and is compliant with local and state building and health codes, free of defects and hazards.
Property managers from Salvan are fully conversant with landlord obligations, and will include in a report to you, anything that needs attention before leasing out your property to tenants.
When preparing your property to rent out, you may consider new appliances, especially if they’re quite old and the chances of a breakdown is high. The same can be said for anything that you feel may cost you money in repairs sooner rather than later.
Remember too, the better the condition of your property, the more desirable it becomes and the higher the rent can be.
The following list outlines the major obligations landlords have when preparing a property for tenants to rent:
- At the start, the property needs to be in a clean state. It’s the condition you want the property to be in when it’s handed back to you.
- All appliances such as cooktops, ovens, dishwashers or air conditioners must be in good working condition and come with instructions on their use
- Ensure all doors and windows can be opened and closed and that all door locks work to reasonably secure the property
- Provide hot and cold running water to all taps, ensuring they do not have any leaks
- Structural components of the property need to be sound and hazard free
- Fencing needs to be secure with any gates opening and closing properly
- Gutters should be clean, free from leaves, bark and dirt etc.
- Garden areas should be clean and tidy
- Compliant smoke alarms should be installed
Regulation 76B of the Development Regulations 2008 requires a smoke alarm (or smoke alarms) be fitted and be either:
a 240 volt, mains-powered smoke alarm, or
a 10-year life, non-replaceable, non-removable, permanently connected battery powered smoke alarm. - Working light globes should be installed to all light fittings
- Ensure the property is pest free, i.e. free from rodents
The following list outlines the major obligations landlords have when maintaining a property once tenants have moved in.
These items are handled by Adelaide property managers from Salvan.
- Maintaining all appliances in good working condition
- Clean gutters every 6 months
- Carry out necessary repairs and maintenance after being notified by the tenant of a problem
- Provide the tenant with a copy of the lease agreement, information material from Consumer and Business Services (CBS), inspection sheets and anything else required under the Residential Tenancies Act 1995
- Lodge the security bond with Consumer and Business Services
- Pay council rates, land tax charges, sewerage charges and any levies
- Allow the tenant peace, comfort and privacy, conforming with statutory requirements for notice of inspections and maintenance
- Keep proper rent records and give proper receipts for any money received from the tenant
Other Landlord Responsibilities
Unless otherwise stated in the Tenancy Agreement, landlords are responsible for replacing consumables such as light globes and Pura Tap filters.
Cleaning of air conditioner filters for example is one of the tenant responsibilities.