As a landlord, it is important to both understand and respect the legal rights of your tenants. Earlier this month, a property owner in High Wycombe was found guilty of 13 contraventions of the Residential Tenancies Act of 1987. This resulted in a $24,000 fine being levied against him. Without an expert Perth Property Manager helping the landlord understand his rights and obligations, he unwittingly committed multiple provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act.
Violations of the Residential Tenancies Act included;
- Failure to provide his tenants with proper receipts for rental payments.
- Illegally requesting the payment of more than the first two weeks rent during a new tenant’s first two weeks of occupying the property.
- Requesting more than what is legally allowed to be requested as the security bond on the property.
- When putting new tenancy agreements on paper, the property owner failed to utilise the prescribed Form 1A Residential Tenancy Agreement as is required.
- The property owner failed to lodge a security bond with the local Bond Administrator for three consecutive tenants.
- The property owner violated a tenant’s right to peace, privacy and quiet enjoyment of the rented property by visiting the property without providing the appropriate notice required by law.
Verdict for the owner
The Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection Gary Newcombe issued a statement declaring that he hoped that this “significant” punishment will send a strong and clear message to both real estate agents and private landlords that everyone must comply with the Residential Tenancy Act.
The Western Australia Department of Commerce issued a media statement about the fine, which can be read here. The Consumer Protection agency produced a series of videos to help educate landlords about the tenancy laws.
Solution – Getting yourself a Qualified Perth Property Manager
If you are worried or concerned that your self-managed property may be putting you at risk, please give Investors Edge Real Estate a call – so you can get in contact with a well awarded Perth Property Manager who can provide you with top quality property management service with Peace of Mind Guaranteed!
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