Renting through Rubix Realty

Tenant handbook

Rental payments

During the tenancy, rent payments are to be made in advance as set out under the tenancy agreement.

Calendar monthly rent is calculated as follows:

Weekly rent ÷ 7 (days in a week) × 365 (days in a year) ÷ 12 (months in a year) = calendar monthly rent

If at any time you are unable to make a payment on or before the due date, please make immediate contact with your property manager.

Each time we receive a payment, you will be sent an email receipt confirming your payment and where it has paid you to. Please ensure that you use the bank reference provided.

Bond

Your rental bond will be lodged with Rental Bonds Online (RBO). The bond is held as security against damage or undue wear and tear to the property. Lodgement will be made using the online payment direct to Rental Bonds Online.

Your rental bond will be refunded to you promptly after the property is vacated, less any deductions that may be agreed between us or as ordered by the Tribunal, in the event of a dispute.

Should extra person/s decide to move into the premises after the lease has commenced, you are required to receive permission from our office. We ask that you advise our office as soon as possible and have any potential tenant/s complete a tenancy application form; a Change of Shared Tenancy Bond form will also be required.

Electronic condition report

Prior to taking possession, you will receive the condition report via email link. We ask that you check this thoroughly and add any additional comments you see fit. Please be aware that the link will expire within 7 days of receiving the report.

Routine inspections

During the course of your tenancy, the premises will be inspected periodically by your property manager after the required notice has been given (7 days).

Six to eight weeks after you move into the premises, an inspection will be carried out. Thereafter, provided that everything is in order, further inspections will be carried out at six-monthly intervals.

Keys

Rubix Realty generally retains a duplicated key to all properties for emergency access, maintenance to be carried out and periodic inspections. Under special circumstances and upon producing identification, the keys can be borrowed during office hours, but must be returned within 24 hours. This service is not available out of office hours or on public holidays.

It would therefore be advisable that you also make private arrangements regarding the location of a spare key, should you inadvertently lock yourself out.

In most instances the lock combinations to external doors and gates have not been changed prior to your tenancy. Locks may only be changed after first obtaining permission from Rubix Realty, and then on the strict understanding that you supply us with a spare set of keys.

Tenant's contents

Please note that the landlord's insurance does not cover tenant's contents, and the landlord cannot be held responsible for damage to or theft of a tenant's belongings. You may wish to compare home and contents insurance.

Electricity, gas and telephone

It is each tenant's responsibility to have the appropriate account placed in his or her name(s) and then to arrange to have a meter reading, prior to vacating the premises.

Repairs and maintenance

All repairs are attended to as promptly as possible; however, it is often necessary to obtain the landlord's approval and/or quotes before any work can commence, so unfortunately a time lag is sometimes unavoidable.

If firm arrangements regarding access for any tradespeople are not kept by you, the service charge for calling the tradesperson will be automatically passed on to you for payment.

Where applicable, the upkeep of the gardens and grounds are your responsibility. Please do not store unnecessary paper, rubbish, bottles, flammables and cans, etc. on or around the premises.

Emergency repairs

Under the NSW residential tenancy laws, an "urgent repair" means:

• a gas leak
• a dangerous electrical fault
• flooding or serious flood damage
• serious storm or fire damage
• a failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply to the premises
• a failure or breakdown of any essential service on the premises for hot water, cooking, heating, cooling or laundering
• a fault or damage which makes the property unsafe or insecure
• a burst water service
• an appliance, fitting or fixture that uses water or is used to supply water that is broken or not functioning properly, so that a substantial amount of water is being wasted
• a blocked or broken lavatory system
• a serious roof leak

This rule does not include work needed to repair premises that are owned by a person other than the landlord or a person having superior title (such as a head landlord) to the landlord.

Smoke alarms are also considered "urgent" to ensure they are working, but there are different rules about their repair. Get more information about repair and maintenance of smoke alarms at NSW Fair Trading.

For an urgent repair, call the office on 02 4933 9588.

Termination of the tenancy agreement

Your Residential Tenancy Agreement is a legal and binding contract, providing protection for both you and the landlord. You can terminate the Residential Tenancy Agreement in the following ways:

If you intend to vacate at the end of your Residential Tenancy Agreement you are required to give fourteen (14) days written notice prior to the expiry of the fixed term of your agreement. These 14 days must take you up until your lease expiry date.

Once the fixed term has expired, you are at liberty to continue living at the property or to vacate. If you intend to vacate, written notice must be received by our office at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the vacating date.

If unforeseen circumstances arise and you have to vacate prior to the expiration of your tenancy agreement, you will be required to pay a break fee. The break fee is worked out as follows:

• 4 weeks' rent if less than 25 per cent of the agreement has expired
• 3 weeks' rent if 25 per cent or more but less than 50 per cent of the agreement has expired
• 2 weeks' rent if 50 per cent or more but less than 75 per cent of the agreement has expired
• 1 week's rent if 75 per cent or more of the agreement has expired

A printable Tenant Vacating Notice (Lease Expired) form (PDF) is also available, or use the form on this page.