16a William Street, Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Email | office@dowlingterrace.com.au
Phone | 02 4987 2226
Web | www.dowlingterrace.com.au
ABN | 29 101 237 281

Introduction
The Importance of a Condition Report & How to Complete It
Contents Insurance Strata/Special Conditions
Break Lease
Pet Application
Rental Payments & Arrears
Utility Invoices
Minimum Housing Standards
Repair Requests
Guide on Troubleshooting Repairs
Smoke Alarms
Lease Renewal Routine Inspections
Vacating Your Property Fair Wear & Tear Guide
Residential Tenancy Act

Welcome to the Tenant Onboarding Guidebook! This guide is designed to walk tenants through every step of their rental journey, from signing the lease to vacating the property. Whether you're a tenant or a landlord, this provides comprehensive details to ensure smooth communication and clear understanding of rights, responsibilities, and processes.

Your duplicate Ingoing Condition Report must be completed and returned within 7 days of the start of your tenancy. This step is crucial because it allows you to provide your comments on the property's condition, which will be considered when your tenancy ends.

If you do not return your duplicate copy within the specified timeframe, only the original condition report will be used as a reference when you vacate.

Take the time to carefully review the property and ensure your comments are thorough and accurate to protect your interests.

How to Complete a Condition Report

Completing your condition report is a crucial step when starting your tenancy. Follow these detailed instructions to ensure a smooth process:

1. Accessing Your Email Links

• The agent will ask you to open your invitation email.
• Scroll down to locate the Key Form Link and the Condition Report Link.

2. Signing for Your Keys

• Click on the Key Form Link.
• Tick the Terms and Conditions box and select Start.
• This will open the key form. Select Continue, tap on the signature panel, and sign.
• Once completed, select Save, followed by Confirm/Next.

3. Optional Tutorial Video

• You’ll have the option to watch a tutorial video for additional guidance.
• If you prefer to skip it, simply select Continue to move to the next step.

4. Reviewing Tenancy Information

• The next pages will provide important tenancy details and instructions.
• Scroll to the bottom of each page and select Next to proceed.

5. Completing the Condition Report

Once you’ve accessed the condition report:

• Review Each Item and Feature:
  - If the property inspection includes 360° photos, click on them to take a virtual tour of the property.
  - Carefully review all listed items to confirm their condition.
• Agreeing with an Item:
  - If you agree with the report, scroll to the bottom of the page and select Next Room.
  
  
• Disagreeing with an Item:
  - If you disagree, a red pipe and camera icon will appear.

  Add both:

  - Comments explaining the issue.

  - Photographic evidence to support your claim.

• Both comments and photos are mandatory to proceed. This ensures accurate documentation and prevents exaggerations.
• Viewing All Items:
  - If you attempt to proceed without viewing all items, a pop-up message will remind you to scroll down and review everything before continuing.
  - This process ensures nothing is missed and the report is reviewed thoroughly.
  
  

6. State-Specific Reporting and Finalizing the Report

• Once all areas are completed, you’ll move to a section with state-specific reporting.
• Review the information provided, scroll to the bottom, and tap into the signature panel.
• Sign the condition report and select Save.
• Confirm by selecting Yes.

7. Completing the Process

• After signing, the system will display a thank-you message for completing the condition report.
• A signed copy of the report will be automatically sent to you shortly.

By following these steps, you ensure the condition report is accurate, complete, and well-documented, protecting both you and the property owner throughout your tenancy.

Digital condition reports completed through platforms like Inspection Manager or PropertyMe are accepted under NSW Fair Trading regulations.

Key Risks Covered by Renters Insurance

Theft

• Coverage for stolen items (e.g., laptops, jewelry) and any damage caused during the break-in.

Fire

• Protects belongings damaged by fire or smoke, even if the fire originated elsewhere.
• May cover temporary living expenses if repairs are needed.
• Be aware insurance policies don’t cover cigarette burns or scorch marks.

Water Damage

• Coverage for items destroyed by incidents like burst pipes, which landlords' insurance typically does not cover.

Personal Injury

• Liability coverage for medical or legal fees if someone is injured at your property.
• Your liability coverage will vary depending on your circumstances so make sure you check your policy or ask your insurance agent for details on how much your liability coverage is.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Assess the value of your belongings and invest in a renters insurance policy to protect yourself from unforeseen risks. Insure your peace of mind today!

Key Information for Tenants in Strata Properties

• Follow Strata By-laws: Tenants in strata properties (apartments or townhouses) must comply with the rules (by-laws) that apply to all residents, such as noise, parking, and use of common areas.
• Comply with Tenancy Agreement: In addition to strata by-laws, tenants must also follow the terms of their tenancy agreement.
• Contact Your Real Estate Agent: For most issues, your real estate agent is your primary point of contact.
• Pets: If you want to keep a pet, you must obtain landlord’s permission before contacting the strata manager. The strata scheme may have additional pet-related by-laws.
• Rights Under Strata Laws: Tenants have certain rights under strata laws, such as attending some meetings, but these come with conditions.

Rules to Follow in Strata

• Residential Tenancy Laws: These are set out in your tenancy agreement.
• Strata Scheme By-laws: Each strata scheme has its own set of by-laws that affect tenants' lifestyle (e.g., smoking policies, pet restrictions).
  
  

Common Strata By-laws

By-laws must be followed by all residents, including tenants. Common by-laws include rules about:

• Parking
• Pets
• Noise
• Smoking

Example: You may not be allowed to smoke on your balcony if the smoke affects your neighbour’s lot or common property.

How to Find Out About By-laws

Tenants will be provided with a copy of the strata scheme’s by-laws when they sign their tenancy agreement.

What Happens if You Break the By-laws?

• Fines: If you break a by-law, you may receive a formal notice from the owners corporation or strata manager to comply. If not resolved, it may be taken to the NSW Civil Administrative Tribunal (NCAT).
• Tenant's Responsibility: If the tenant is responsible for the breach, they must pay the fine, not the landlord.
  

Do Renters Pay Strata Fees?

• No, renters do not pay strata fees. The landlord pays these fees as the property owner.
  
  

Pets in Strata

• Pet Approval: Your landlord decides if you can have a pet in the rental property. You must request permission from them.
• Strata Process for Pets: If approved, tenants must follow the strata scheme’s process, which may involve submitting a request to the strata manager or secretary.
• By-law Restrictions: Strata schemes cannot prevent pets unless they cause unreasonable interference with other residents' enjoyment of their property or the common property.

If you decide to vacate the property before the end of a fixed-term lease, you are required to pay rent until you return the keys, along with a break lease fee. If you pay for water usage, a final water usage charge will apply, but this will only be read after the final inspection.

At our agency, we pride ourselves on thoroughly screening tenants to ensure rent is paid on time. However, despite our best efforts, some tenants still fall behind. To address this, we enforce a Zero Tolerance Policy for late payments.

Key Policies and Procedures

Rent in Advance:

• Rent is always payable in advance, as stated in your tenancy agreement.
• Upon signing your lease, your initial payment covers the first two weeks. Unless to start paying your regular rental payments also on the day you sign up, you will use up some of that rent in advance between your sign up date and the date you start making regular payments.

If you happen to fall into arrears or know that you will be unable to make a rental payment, please contact the office and discuss the situation with your Property Manager.

Arrears Management:

If your rent account falls behind, we follow a structured process to address arrears:

• 3 Days in Arrears: You will receive an SMS or email notification advising of your arrears.
• 5-8 Days Late: A reminder phone call is made, additional SMS and emails are sent, and your landlord is informed.
• 15 Days Late: A Non-Payment of Rent Termination Notice is issued, giving you 14 days to vacate the property if the arrears are not cleared.

Notifications via SMS and email are sent daily until arrears are resolved. If the Termination Notice is ignored, we escalate the matter to the Consumer, Trader & Tenancy Tribunal.

Consistent Late Payments:
Tenants with a history of repeated late payments may not have their lease renewed. In such cases, we also issue a poor performance reference, which can impact future tenancy applications.

What’s Already Connected?

Most rental properties in Australia are pre-wired and connected to:

• Gas
• Electricity
• Phone line
• Water

However, these services may not be active until you set up an account in your name.

Setting Up Utilities

Before moving in, arrange for your utilities to be connected:

• Contact the suppliers for electricity, gas, and phone/internet to ensure they are active by move-in day.
• The agent can provide the supplier's contact information.

Who Pays for Utilities?

• Tenants: Pay for utilities if the property has a separate meter. This includes gas, electricity, water usage, and phone/internet.
• Landlords: Cover utilities for properties without separate meters (e.g., some unit blocks).

Usually there is a fee for reconnecting or switching on utilities and the supplier may ask you to sign a contract. Do not sign a new contract with another utility supplier before your current contract has ended. They may charge you for ending your contract early.

Reporting Utility Issues

If a utility is broken (e.g., a burst water pipe):

• Notify the landlord or agent immediately.
• Urgent repairs, like unsafe or essential services, must be fixed promptly under tenancy laws.

Need Help?

• EWON: For gas and electricity disputes.
• NSW Fair Trading: Learn more about tenant rights and responsibilities. Visit www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au or call 13 32 20.
• Language Assistance: Call 13 14 50 for support

To ensure your rental property is fit for habitation, NSW Fair Trading requires all homes to meet these minimum housing standards:

• Be structurally sound
• Provide adequate natural or artificial lighting and ventilation
• Have proper drainage and plumbing
• Supply hot and cold water for drinking and cleaning
• Ensure electrical safety
• Include a working gas supply (if applicable)
  
  

These standards help guarantee your safety and comfort throughout your tenancy.

We aim to make the repair process as smooth as possible. As your managing agency, we act under the landlord’s instructions regarding repairs and maintenance. Some landlords grant us authority to organize repairs within a certain budget, while others prefer direct involvement in all matters.

Reporting Repairs

All repair requests must be submitted via the Tenant Concierge on our Dowling Property website: See here: https://www.dowlingterrace.com.au/request-maintenance/

For urgent after-hours repairs, please call our office at 02 4987 2226. If no staff member is available, contact one of the authorized tradespeople below:

What is an 'urgent repair'?

What is a 'non-urgent' repair?

Non-urgent repairs are those that do not need fixing right away. For example, a broken cupboard or a cracked glass window. They are not threatening the property's structure or endangering lives, but will need to be done to keep the property in reasonable condition.

If Repairs Are Delayed

If you cannot contact the landlord or agent or if they don’t fix the problem in a reasonable time, you can arrange for a qualified tradesperson to fix the problem and pay for it yourself

You can get your money back from the landlord within 14 days –

• if the job is less than $1,000
• you did not cause the damage
• you gave the landlord or agent a reasonable opportunity to fix the problem
• you have a receipt and written report of the problem from a qualified tradesperson

If you can’t pay for the repairs upfront, apply to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) for an order to have the landlord resolve the issue.

Both landlords and tenants share responsibilities for ensuring working smoke alarms in a rental property.

If your rent has been paid on time, the property is clean and undamaged, and the landlord is satisfied with your tenancy, we will notify you of the upcoming expiry of your Tenancy Agreement. We will also provide information on whether a further term is being offered and any changes to the terms.

Upon receiving the renewal invitation, it’s important that you inform us in writing whether you accept the renewal or wish to vacate. Please provide your response as soon as possible.

The Residential Tenancy Agreement includes a continuation clause, allowing tenants to remain on the same terms and conditions once the fixed term expires, unless you receive notification of a rent increase or a notice to vacate.

Moving out of your rental property can be a smooth and straightforward process when you follow the steps outlined in this guide. At Dowling Property, we aim to make this transition as easy as possible for you. Here’s everything you need to know about vacating your property:

Notify Us in Writing

You are required to provide written notice of your intention to vacate the property. The notice period will depend on your lease agreement and current circumstances. Please ensure the notice includes:

• Your name and contact details.
• The property address.
• Your intended vacate date.

Once we receive your notice, we will confirm the details with you in writing.

Notice periods to end your lease

A tenancy will usually be terminated by either the landlord or the tenant giving the notice to vacate.

Prior to lease expiry

On the expiration of a Tenancy Agreement, either party can provide 14 days notice to end the Fixed Term Tenancy Agreement. This notice can be served up to and including the last day of the fixed term.

Once the lease has expired

To advise intention to vacate outside the Fixed Term Agreement the Tenant is required to provide at least 21 days notice. To advise notice to vacate outside the Fixed Term Agreement the Landlord must give at least 90 days notice.

Pre-Vacate Inspection

A pre-vacate inspection will be scheduled approximately one week before your vacate date. This inspection allows us to identify any cleaning or repairs required to return the property to its original condition as per your lease agreement.

What You Need To Do

To ensure a hassle-free vacating process, please complete the following:

Restore the Property’s Condition

Pet-Related Obligations

If pets were allowed, tenants may be asked to conduct flea treatment or carpet cleaning only if necessary, such as where pet-related stains, odours or pests are found during the vacate inspection. If pets have been in the garden, it is also important that this is performed to the correct standard. If you feel that you may have difficulty meeting these obligations or you are simply too busy with the move to your next property – ask us how we can help

Outstanding Payments

Settle any rent, water usage, or other invoices up to the vacate date.

Keys and Access Devices

• Return all keys, garage remotes, swipe cards, and access fobs provided at the start of your tenancy, along with any additional copies made.
• Keys must be returned to our office by 5 PM on your vacate date. If your vacate date falls on a weekend, contact us to arrange an alternative handover.

Your final inspection will be completed by your Property Manager within seven days of key handover. You may attend the inspection or wait for the Outgoing Inspection Report, which is based on the Entry Condition Report.

Fair Wear and Tear: Examples include light scuff marks on walls or general carpet wear over time.

Tenant Responsibilities: Damage such as holes in walls or significant stains on carpets must be repaired by the tenant.

This Act outlines the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords. Familiarise yourself with its provisions to ensure compliance and protect your interests throughout your tenancy. Contact our office for guidance on specific legal queries.

See this link for more information: https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2010-042#statusinformation