We understand that moving can be a stressful experience and therefore we aim to make finding and settling in to your new home as hassle free as possible. To assist in this regard, we have formulated the following tips:

Inspections:

Once you have found a property you would like to inspect, all you need to do is contact our office and arrange a mutually convenient time to meet one of our staff onsite. Inspections can be arranged during office hours (9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday and 9.00am to 3.00pm Saturdays excluding public holidays). We will endeavour to assist you with an inspection time at the earliest available time, however if the existing tenant has not yet vacated it will be necessary to give at least 24 hours notice.

The Application Process

If you like what you see, the next step is to complete an application form and forward the completed details along with your first two weeks rent to us for processing and then approval by the owners. Once approved, we will contact you to arrange for the signing of your lease and other associated paperwork, along with payment of the balance of your calendar months rent and bond.

Completing Your Paper Work

Before you can move into your new home you will be required to sign your lease document. In essence, the lease contains information which is vital to the performance of the tenancy. Apart from providing details of the parties to the agreement, it also provides details such as how, when and where the rent is to be paid, the number of people allowed to occupy the premises, services which you must pay for, and any other special conditions (eg carpet cleaning and pest control obligations at the end of the tenancy).

Another important document that you are required to complete is the Entry Condition Report. This is a guide to the condition of the property at the start of the tenancy. It is important that you complete this in detail and return a copy to the office within 3 working days, as we compare this report to your exit report at the end of your tenancy.

Paying Your Rent

In reading your lease you will note that rent is due calendar monthly in advance on the same day of the month that your lease starts. The monthly figure is easy to calculate and done as follows: Simply take your weekly rent, multiply it by 52 because there are 52 weeks in the year, and then divide this figure by 12 as there are 12 months in the year. (eg.: For a weekly rent of $250, the calendar month would be $1083 per month ie.$250/week multiplied by 52 weeks and then divided by 12 months = $1083).

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Paying rent couldn’t be easier; there are two simple ways of doing this. The office can either give you a Commonwealth Bank deposit book which will allow you to physically deposit your rent at any branch of the Commonwealth Bank, or we can supply you with the account number so that you can either arrange for a direct debit from your account or arrange payment via an internet transfer.

Rental Bond

The rental bond (equivalent to 4 weeks rent if the weekly rent is $300 or less) is paid at the commencement of your tenancy. It is then lodged with the Residential Tenancies Authority for the duration of your tenancy. At the end of your tenancy, an inspection is conducted to ensure that the property has been returned in a condition comparable to the commencement condition. As soon as all parties agree on the condition of the property, a refund of bond monies can be arranged by advising the RTA that all the parties are in agreement with the amounts being deducted. The RTA will then arrange for the balance of the bond to be disbursed to you.

Utilities

Please be advised that the connection of services such as telephone, gas and electricity is the responsibility of the incoming tenant (unless otherwise stated). Prior to moving in, you will need to contact some if not all of the following organizations:

• Telstra (telephone): 13 2200
• Energex (electricity): 13 1253
• Origin Energy (gas): 13 2462

Note: Energex supplies both gas and electricity; it is advisable to enquire about the supply of gas when arranging your account.

Routine Inspections, valuations, inspection by owner, etc

From time to time we may need to access your property for specific reasons. These can be anything from a valuation to a routine inspection by either the owner or us. In the event that we need to get access to your property, we will provide you with an entry notice, which outlines the date and time of the intended entry.

Routine Repairs

Please use the Repair Request Form to notify us of any maintenance/repairs that may be needed. Only emergency repairs will be accepted by telephone. It is important that you highlight the best access method along with a detailed account of the required repair so that the repair can be carried out in the shortest possible time frame.

Emergency Repairs

Your first point of contact is the office (3254 3666). If the office is closed it is best to refer to your lease document in case your owner has preferred trades people, in which case you will need to contact the owners preferred people. Should the specific trade be unavailable, then we would recommend that you contact the specific trade in the following table:

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Vacating a premises

Before you vacate your premises, you need to ensure that you have given the correct amount of notice (fourteen [14] days written notice is required should you wish to vacate the premises on or after the day your fixed term lease ends) and that the notice is in the correct form (the RTA website has the Notice of Intention to Leave form available for download). The Residential Tenancy agreement can be terminated in one of the following ways:

• If you need to leave the premises prior to the end of your fixed term agreement, please contact your property manager to arrange details. Essentially, rent is due up until a new tenancy is put in place together with any associated re-letting costs (advertising, letting fees, etc).

Your property manager will also be able to assist you with recommended cleaners and carpet cleaners should you require these services.

On the day of vacating, you are required to bring into the office all keys and remote controls issued to you at the commencement of your tenancy. We also require any keys that you have had duplicated during your tenancy, plus your carpet cleaning and pest control receipts (if applicable) and your Exit Condition Report (available for download on the RTA website). It is important that you supply a forwarding address in the designated space on the Entry Condition Report as this is where your bond refund form will be posted to.

We will inspect the property within three working days of receiving all of these items and will contact you should the property require further attention. If we are satisfied with the condition of the property, we will complete a bond refund form and post it to you.

Your bond may be collected in one of the following ways:

• By taking the bond form (signed by both parties) to any Australia Post outlet in Queensland, along with photo identification (eg drivers licence). Australia Post will fax the form to the RTA and once processed, you will be given your bond refund in cash.
• By posting your bond refund form to the RTA. The RTA will directly credit your bond refund amount to a bank account of your choice.

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