Legislation changes for rental properties

THE CHANGES

Under the new laws:

Residential tenancy agreements will be standardised with the option to add any specific clauses to the agreement as long as they don't counteract those in the act.

Property condition reports must be completed at the start and end of a tenancy.

Security bonds must be lodged with the Department of Commerce's Bond Administrator.

Pet Bonds will now include any pet capable of carrying parasites that could affect humans where previously they only included cats and dogs. Like before, Pet bonds may only be used to fumigate.

Landlords will only be able to inspect their property a maximum of four times in a year and must notify the tenant whether the inspection will be before or after noon.

Inspections must be between 8am and 6pm on a weekday, 9am and 5pm on a Saturday or at any other time agreed by both parties.

Landlords will be required to contact a repairer within 24 hours for an essential repair or within 48 hours for other urgent repairs, with repairs to be completed as soon as possible.

A new minimum level of home security, yet to be finalised by the Department of Commerce, will be compulsory for all rentals and must be put in place within two years of the new laws commencing.

A tenancy will not automatically end when a fixed term tenancy agreement ends unless the owner or tenant gives the other party 30 days notice.

Option fees will be capped at either $50 or $100 dollars depending on the rent.

Only tenants who have breached their lease can now be placed on tenant databases and landlords must inform tenants of which databases they will be checking. If a landlord finds a tenant on a database they must inform the tenant in writing of ways they can get themselves removed from the database.