Rental Provider Fact Sheet

Understanding your responsibilities as a rental provider can sometimes be confusing. Below are some key factors and useful information when becoming a rental provider. As always, if you require clarification or more information, please contact our office on 03 5986 4900.

Urgent repairs in rental properties – up to $2500

Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, urgent repairs in a rental property are:

burst water service
blocked or broken toilet system
serious roof leak
gas leak
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 rental provider 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

The video below may help with understanding how repairs should be attended to.

Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms must be installed in all Victorian homes, units, flats and townhouses. Rental providers are responsible for fitting smoke alarms in rented properties.

Hard-wired smoke alarms with a battery back-up must be installed in all buildings constructed after 1 August 1997. Buildings constructed before that date can have a battery-powered smoke alarm.

Rooming houses (buildings where one or more rooms are available to rent, and four or more people in total can occupy those rooms) must have hard-wired smoke alarms.

Please click the link here to view our smoke alarm fact sheet.

Gas & Electrical Safety Checks

On or before 29 March 2021, new legislation from the Residential Tenancy Act (VIC) will mean a significant increase in compliance and a range of new renter safety & compliance requirements:

From optional to under the new legislation, regular safety checks for smoke alarms, gas and electrical are compulsory, not just recommended.
From an obligation to offer services to an owner, to an obligation toensure property compliance and retain relevant documents. Since safety checks are no longer optional, agents need to ensure that all owners actually take up compliance maintenance services.
Smoke alarms, gas, electrical and pool fences. The new legislation introduces mandatory checks for a number of safety measures that weren’t previously legislated, multiplying the obligations for agents and owners.

Ensure you are covered

Standard building insurance doesn’t necessarily cover you for common renter related risks.

As the owners of an investment property, it is important for you to have piece of mind that your physical assets and income derived from these, are protected.

With the multitude of policies available, here are a couple of companies we as Managers have dealt with and can recommend.

Let us know if you require information on these or others.

To view our rental provider instruction sheet, please click here