It’s easy to assume that being a landlord is a fairly set-and-forget experience – right? But as a landlord you also have legal responsibilities as part of any rental agreement in NSW. Our Bondi real estate agents manage these responsibilities every day as property managers, so we’re well versed in what you need to be providing to ensure you tick off the requirements. Let us take you through these factors now.
Health and safety
NSW landlords have a legal obligation to provide a safe and maintained property, which can encompass a number of considerations such as:
- Adding and/or maintaining security locks or devices, to ensure the property is reasonably secure.
- Fitting and/or maintaining window safety devices for windows and balconies, if the property is a strata property.
- Ensuring there are working smoke alarms on each storey of the rental property.
- Arranging regular servicing of any gas heaters.
- Ensuring there is adequate fencing if there’s a swimming pool on the property.
- The control of pests and vermin before a tenant move in.
- Managing any mould issues, and improving ventilation if needs be.
Maintenance and repairs
As Fair Trading NSW outlines, a rental property must always be fit to live in. For most properties, this will involve some level of ongoing maintenance and repairs. Detailed property inspections are essential to this process, because identifying any maintenance issues early on can stop them from becoming larger or more expensive problems for you.
The process for an urgent repair – for example a burst water pipe or a roof leak – is different to that of a standard repair request. In these situations, arrangements must be made as soon as possible by the landlord or property manager.
There are also certain laws in NSW about how to manage water and gas payments, as these often aren’t included in the rent.
A property manager such as Wills Property can manage all health, safety and maintenance matters to ensure landlords won’t inadvertently fail to meet their legal responsibilities.
Protecting your rights as the landlord
Of course, on the flip side you also have a range of rights as a landlord to protect your interests and your property. Having the right property management in Bondi or surrounds can ensure your property is taken care of, that all paperwork is as it should be and that your tenants respect your rights as the landlord. Put simply, using a professional service will ensure all the ‘I’s are dotted and the ‘T’s are crossed in addition to maintaining a regular rental return for you. You can ultimately expect a true set-and-forget experience for your investment property.
If you have rental properties in Bondi or Sydney and you’re looking for the right property manager, Wills Property is a highly professional team with the drive and attention to detail to get you the best return on your rented property. And you can definitely say we’re experienced – in fact, we’ve been respected real estate agents in Sydney for 90 years! Get in touch today, and we’ll take you through what we can do for you and your property.
