Renting in Queensland - (Aus. Outlook, 04)

Migrants are encouraged to rent a property for at least 12 months on arrival in Australia. This period of rental provides an opportunity to research the market and find a home you will feel happy and comfortable with. Migrants who buy in a hurry, often realise they may have made an expensive mistake.

Renting in Queensland is relatively straightforward and here is a brief overview.

After selecting a property to rent the tenant and agent will commence the following formalities. A rental bond (deposit in the UK) is paid at the beginning of a tenancy, it’s not rent in advance and is a requirement to cover rent arrears, damages or other costs at the end of the tenancy. Typically it’s 4 weeks rent.

A receipt is provided by the agent as well as a Bond Lodgement form, which needs to be signed by the tenant. The bond money is then forwarded to the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) who will also resolve any disputes between the owner and the tenant.

Both the tenant and the agent need to complete an Entry Condition Report (Form 1a). This is a record of the condition of the property at the start of the tenancy. The agent will indicate whether items are clean, undamaged and working and if the tenant agrees with the agent's comments, they sign the form. If the tenant disagrees with the agents entries they should record their comments on the form. The tenant is required to return a copy to the agent within 3 days after the day they're allowed to move in.

There are 2 types of tenancy agreements:

  • fixed term agreement - where a tenant agrees to rent a property for a fixed amount of time (such as for 6 or 12 months); or
  • periodic agreement -an indefinite period.

A written agreement is required (even if renting to a friend or family member), which is the agent's responsibility and to then provide a copy to the tenant before they move in. The tenant then has to return a signed copy within 5 days to the agent, who then signs the form and returns it to the tenant within 14 days.

The tenancy agreement must include:

  • Name and address of both tenant and agent.
  • How much rent is to be paid and by what means.
  • Start and finish dates of the tenancy (or that the agreement is periodic).
  • any special terms, which must not conflict with the standard terms or the law.
  • Terms regarding what the tenant and the agent can and can't do.

Most rental properties will allow pets, however a pest and inspection report will need to be conducted at the end of the tenancy to ensure no damage or infestation has occurred.

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