You will always have at least one week’s notice before a property inspection. The first inspection will take place within the first 6-8 weeks after you move in. If there are no issues, future inspections will be conducted every 6 months. If there’s a problem, we can talk you through what you need to do to resolve it and you will have 2-4 weeks to rectify the issue.

Property inspection tips

Here are some top tips for a stress-free property inspection.

1. Don’t Panic

Routine inspections are… routine. They’re a regular part of renting a property. If you love and look after your home, chances are you’ll get a glowing report.

2. It’s a 2-way street.

An inspection is also your chance to point out any problems or wear and tear the owner needs to know about. Damages or breakages caused by you are your responsibility – but structural, plumbing and electrical issues are the owner’s responsibility. Make some time before your inspection to write down any items that need attention.

3. Start early.

You will have at least a week to prepare for your inspection. Use that time to work through your home and garden, cleaning and tidying as you go. Pay attention to the items you might overlook in your regular cleaning routine like the oven, exhaust fans, blinds, windows, and light fittings. Use the cleaning checklist to be sure you’ve covered everything.

4. Think inside and out.

Don’t forget to clean inside and out. That means inside and outside cupboards and doors, inside and outside your oven, and inside and outside your home. If you have a garage, veranda, or garden, these should be neat and tidy too.

5. Secure your pets.

If you have pets, you’ll get a reminder to make sure they are secured for the inspection. You might choose to have them stay somewhere else, so you know they’re safe and you don’t have to worry about any extra fur or mess they might cause on the day.

Follow these tips to avoid unnecessary call-outs.

No power

• Have you contacted your electricity supplier? There may be a fault in the street. Have you checked with a neighbour? If you live in a block of apartments, it may be the Owners
• Corporation that needs to be contacted for action.
• Have you checked your fuse box? There may have been an overload and the safety switch has been activated and needs resetting.
• Have you checked that one of your appliances is not faulty? Unplug all appliances in the house. Reset the safety switch in the meter box. Plug in the fridge and turn on the power point, check the safety switch. If the safety switch clicks off then you know that there is a fault with the fridge and you will need to get it repaired. Otherwise disconnect the fridge and plug in the stereo and continue checking all appliances until the faulty appliance is located. If an electrician attends to your repair request and finds the fault is with one of your appliances, then you will be charged for the service fee.

No hot water

• Have you arranged for the connection of your gas or electricity?
• If it is an electric hot water system, check to see if your hot water system needs refilling. There is normally a copper valve on electric hot water systems and an overflow pipe. Pull up this lever until a flow of water starts coming out of the overflow pipe. This quite commonly needs to be carried out every 6 months.
• Have you checked the fuse in the meter box? Has someone turned off the fuse by mistake?
• Have you checked that the water tap on the hot water system itself is turned on?
• If it is a gas system, first check if your pilot light has gone out. Some gas hot water systems can be easily relit – others may require a tradesperson.

Lights or power points are not working

• Have you checked your fuse box? If there has been an overload the safety switch may need resetting.
• Have you replaced the light bulb?

Stove element is not working

• Have you checked the connections to make sure they are not loose or dirty? Sometimes pulling the element out and cleaning them and putting back in again can fix the problem.

Blocked sinks and drains

• Have you tried using some Draino?
• Have you tried pouring boiling water down the sink to free up old soap & hair?
• Have you cleared hairs and old soap from the waste and u-bend? Put a bucket under the pipe, unscrew the pipe under the sink (where possible) remove the hair and old soap and re-screw the pipe back together. Pour boiling water down the drain, this should clear the blockage.
• Have you removed old food from the kitchen waste and poured boiling water down the drain? Do not put fat and oil into the drain as these will clog up the pipes.

The bond you pay at the beginning of your tenancy agreement is your money. It’s understandable that you want to make sure you’ll get it all back when you’re ready to move on. Most of the time you needn’t worry. There are really only three reasons why a bond or part of your bond might not be refunded. All of them are avoidable.

1. You owe rent

You must pay your rent right up until the agreed leaving date. If you don’t, any amount owing will be taken out of your bond monies.

This doesn’t mean you can stop paying rent in the last weeks of your tenancy. Yes, the remaining balance will come out of your bond; but it’s also an offence under the Residential Tenancies Act. If you purposely owe rent at the end of your tenancy, it will be recorded and may make it harder for you to rent other properties in the future.

2. Property damage

Your bond is held by the NSW Office of Fair Trading as a form of security against any potential damage done to the property during your tenancy. If repairs are needed when you leave, then part or all of the repair costs may be drawn from your bond. Anything beyond ‘wear and tear’ is damage.

3. Inadequate cleaning

Your residence should be as clean when you move out as it was when you moved in. If extra cleaning is required, then that cost may be deducted from your bond. To avoid this, make sure you have covered every item on the cleaning checklist [download].

More information about bond lodgement, claims and disputes is available from the NSW Office of Fair Trading at www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au.

We have a duplicate key to your property. This may be used for periodic inspections, routine maintenance, and in case of any emergencies. The duplicate key can be borrowed during office hours, given special circumstances and after producing proper identification, but must be returned within 24 hours. This service is unavailable when the office is closed. It is recommended that all tenants have a spare key cut, in case they are locked out of their residence at any time.

When the time comes to move out, you will need to give notice as per the terms of your tenancy agreement. The length of notice required depends on your circumstances.

Whatever your circumstances, you’ll need to complete and return a tenant vacating form.

Leaving at the end of the tenancy agreement

If you intend to vacate at the end of your residential tenancy agreement, you must give 2 weeks’ (14 days’) written notice prior to the expiration of the agreement. The 14 days must finish on your lease expiry date.

Leaving after terms have expired

Once the term of your contract (tenancy agreement) has expired, you are free to either continue living at the residence or vacate. If you intend to vacate, our office must have written notice from you at least 3 weeks (21 days) prior to the vacating date.

Leaving before the end of the tenancy agreement

If you need to vacate prior to the expiration of the residential tenancy agreement, you will need to pay a break fee. This is equal to:

• 6 weeks’ rent if less than half of the lease term has expired

• 4 weeks’ rent if more than half of the lease term has expired.