Commencing your tenancy

Renters are responsible for charges in respect of the re-connection and consumption of water, electricity, gas and telephone where the rented premises are separately metered for these services.

There are connections services that can assist renters free of charge, talk to your Property Manager for more information.

Please ensure that you return your signed/amended copy of your property condition report to us within 3 business days of the tenancy start date.

If this is not returned please be aware that the original inspection will be used for end of tenancy comparison.

It is your responsibility to ensure that any changes to your contact details (phone, email etc) during the tenancy are given to our office as soon as possible.

It is your responsibility to take out insurance for their personal belongings - Residential Rental Provider's (RRP) insurance does not cover contents of a property.

If you're thinking about vacating your rental property, here are some things you need to consider:

Giving notice to vacate

The Residential Tenancies Act 1997 is explicit about how a tenancy ends. It can only occur when one of the parties to the tenancy agreement gives notice to the other.

If you want to vacate the property at the end of the tenancy agreement, or a date after the end of the lease, you must provide at least 28 days notification in writing of your intention to vacate and specify the date that you will leave the property.

Note: Rent will be payable until the 28th day or until you remove all of your possessions from the property and return the keys to our office.

Final inspection

Rent will be charged until the day the keys are returned. Please allow 2 business days for a final inspection to be carried out.

Lease break

Under extreme circumstances, a lease can be broken. There are penalties involved with this and at the end of the day, the named renter/s are ultimately responsible for the lease until a new and approved resident is found, a lease break fee and the cost of advertising. Please refer to your lease for further information.

Bond claim

Your property manager will provide you with a Bond Claim Form, which will need to be fully completed and signed by all renters who signed the original Bond Lodgement form. As long as there are no issues with the property, you will usually be able to obtain your bond refund from the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) within 5 days of returning the signed Bond Claim form to our office.

At the start of your tenancy, your Property Manager should provide you with instructions on how they would like to receive any general Maintenance/Repair requests for your rental property.

If you're unsure about the process, we recommend you contact your property manager.

Should you wish to copy keys, please call the office so they can record the number of extra keys.

It is important to note that when your tenancy finishes you will need to return all keys given to you at the start of your tenancy and any additional copies created during your tenancy period.

If you change the locks during tenancy, you must provide your managing office with a full new set of keys for property access.

Misplaced keys: Barry Plant offices do not guarantee that a spare set of keys is held for every property. If a set is held and you wish to borrow the keys for 24 hours to gain access, a security deposit may be required until they are returned. If you have misplaced your keys after hours, you may call a locksmith to assist you back into the property - this is at your cost.

Make sure you let Australia Post know of your move and redirect your mail. Don’t forget to contact financial organisations, road departments and other important bodies to let them know of your change of address.

All Barry Plant properties have a strict ‘no smoking inside’ policy. Renters will be responsible for cleaning and deodorising the inside of the property to eliminate smoke odours. This can be a costly exercise and any expense for cleaning walls, carpets, curtains, blinds due to renters smoking inside will be charged to the renter.

It is important to note that the utmost care must be taken to ensure that you do not infringe on disrupting your neighbours with noise.

Loud music, parties or otherwise can disrupt a neighbours’ right to peace, and the quiet enjoyment of their residence.

In the case of units and apartments, particular care must be taken with respect to noise due to the close proximity of other properties, usually located on the other side of the wall.

Renters should also ensure that their visitors are not disrupting neighbours when walking from your premises to their vehicles.

At no time should cars or any type of vehicle be parked on any lawns, gardens or any area not created for, or designated as a vehicle parking area.

Damage to lawns and landscaping can be costly and will be billed to the renters.

Unless a pet is specifically noted on your tenancy agreement, you must get permission before bringing any animal to the property.

Some owners allow pets, some don’t. This can also vary if living in units or apartments where Owners Corporation rules are effective.

As a renter, your responsibility is to pay the whole amount of the rent that is due on a specific day each month. Please refer to your tenancy agreement for the details of the payment due and the relevant date.

All Barry Plant offices have a zero tolerance policy on rental arrears. You may be served with a notice to vacate if you fall into arrears and have failed to make contact with your property manager.

Barry Plant conducts a routine inspection at rental properties after the first 3 months and approximately every 6 months thereafter.

The main purpose is to provide a report to the owner that you are maintaining the property and also to check for any repairs that may be required. Here’s what we look out for:

Inside the property

• Walls, light switches, doorways and doors are clean from marks and have no holes.
• The carpets are clean and stain free.
• The windows and screens are clean and intact.
• The kitchen areas are clean and oven/stove top is free of burnt on food and carbon staining.
• Shower, bathroom, toilet and laundry are clean (including tiling).
• All areas and rooms are fully accessible (not locked).
• No noticeable new damage.

Outside the property

• The lawns are freshly cut/edged and maintained and gardens are tidy with weeds removed.
• Rubbish and lawn/garden clippings removed.
• No unregistered car bodies on the property.
• Oil stains removed from carports, garages and driveways.
• All outside areas, garages, store rooms etc. are accessible.
• Swimming pool and/or spa are clean (if applicable).

If you have approved pet/s

Droppings have been removed and pet damage or rubbish has been repaired and cleaned up. Dogs should be removed from the premises for any inspection/s.

It is important to know the difference between an urgent or general repair. Getting this wrong may be costly to the renter/s if an unauthorised repair is conducted after hours!

Urgent items are generally those that could cause injury to a person or damage to the property, and may include:

• burst water service, blocked or broken toilet system
• serious roof leak
• gas leak or dangerous electrical fault
• flooding or serious flood damage, serious storm or fire damage
• failure or breakdown of any essential service or appliance provided by a landlord or agent for hot water, water, cooking, heating, or laundering
• failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply
• any fault or damage in the premises that makes the premises unsafe or insecure
• an appliance, fitting or fixture that is not working properly and causes a substantial amount of water to be wasted
• a serious fault in a lift or staircase.

Legislation may differ from state-to-state in Australia. For information on urgent repairs and maintenance visit:

Australian Capital Territory: Tenants' Union ACT
New South Wales: NSW Fair Trading
Northern Territory: Consumer Affairs NT
Queensland: RTA Queensland
South Australia: SA Government
Tasmania: Consumer, Building and Occupational Services TAS
Victoria: Consumer Affairs VIC
Western Australia: Government of WA