Tenants: Changes to what you must be told about your rented home
Sometimes, there is something in the history of a home that a tenant should know before they rent it.
There is currently a list of things that tenants must be told about a residential property they will be renting, but these are going to change slightly for leases signed after 23 March. These changes to the list are being made because of changes that have happened recently – for example some terrible fires have exposed the danger of certain building cladding materials – and also to make it easier for landlords and agents to know exactly what tenants must be told. As a tenant, these new rules will ensure that you know important information about the home you are renting.
Before you sign your lease on a residential property, your landlord or their agent must tell you:
- Whether the property was subject to flooding from a natural weather event or a bush fire in the last 5 years
- Whether the property was the scene of a serious indictable offence in the last 5 years (which means punishable by imprisonment for a term of 5 years or more)
- Whether the property was the scene of an offence under the Drug misuse and trafficking act 1985 in the last 2 years
- Whether a person has committed suicide in the property in the last 5 years
- Whether the property proposes a serious health or safety risk
- Whether the property is listed on the loose-fill asbestos insulation register
- Whether the property is on the register of external combustible cladding
The intention here is to protect tenants, which is good news. You’ll be informed about what type of work might have to be done on the home (e.g., replacing external cladding), what limitations there might be (e.g. not being able to drill into a wall to affix furniture in a house that has asbestos insulation), and whether you would feel personally comfortable and safe living there.
Knowledge is power, and knowing all this information will help you make an informed decision about the suitability of a property as a home for you.
Click here to read about the new lease break fee laws commencing 23 March 2020.
Click here to read about the new smoke alarm laws commencing 23 March 2020.
Click here to read about the new laws about minor alterations commencing 23 March 2020.
Click here to read about what hasn’t changed for investors since 23 March 2020.
Click here to read about the new laws about minor alterations commencing 23 March 2020.
You can read more information about the reforms to tenancy laws here.
By Rebecca Nutley
