NKSK

Sorry all - I'm really getting my money's worth today!!

When you rent in Australia can you pretty much compare the rental directly to a mortgage or are there other monthly costs on either side which need to be taken into account?

e.g (hypothetically) When you rent does the landlord pay anything
which you would normally pay if you had a mortgage (or vice versa)?

Trevglas

The landlord is responsible for all rates, although the tennant will have to pay any (excess) water usage charges.

Any body corporate charges (for units) will also be picked up by the landlord

There is of course insurance on the building itself.

NKSK

(Thanks for both replies!)

Is buildings' insurance the tenants responsibility? (obviously it's only contents in the UK).

biggy

u only pay for contents insurance, then of course u need to pay to get leckie anf fone on.........in Qld there is a $80.00 safety deposit with Ergon Energy and u also pay ur ambulance cover thro ur leckie bill

Pollyana

Can anyone tell me - I've tried the website but it doesn't answer this point - the Queensland Residential Tenants Association (RTA), do all landlords have to be registered with it?
Is it legal to rent a place out to someone without being registered, and without giving them a rent book/contract or asking for a bond?

biggy

as far as i am aware they must be registered....well put it thos way I wouldnt rent off somebody if i didnt get a contract etc

Pollyana

No, nor would I but the situation goes back many years. We now have a landlord who is not registered, threatening to sell from underneath us, and we have nothing to prove we live here, pay rent etc. My main worry is that if he sells we can be kicked out on the spot as we have no security bond or anything.

ABCDiamond

A landlord doesn't need to be registered, but they do (as far as I am aware) need to give you a rental contract.

Also the bond you pay has to go to the RTA, the Landlord cannot hold onto it themselves.

Regarding the costs involved:

A $300,000 house would cost the landlord (assuming a 100% mortgage)
Interest - $20,000 py
Rates - $1,600py
Buildings Insurance - $200py
Repairs etc - $2,000py
Say about $24,000 py or $460pw

A tenant would pay about $250 pw in rent, (in most areas these days).


Why do Landlords do it ?
The landord in that example would get about $85pw week back in tax relief, and then as long as property goes up in value by about 2% per year, they are breaking even.

biggy

Shit poor u...............how did u pay for ur rent......was it cash or done thro the bank...if done thro the bank at least u will have some record of making payments to this ass hole

biggy

most of the rentals in this area are ex show homes that the builder has thrown up for buttons, and the land packages were $55k 2 years ago....so they will be sitting in very little mortgages if any

Pollyana

All cash unfortunately! I've never been happy with it, since I moved here. Only chance now is to persuade the git to give us a letter saying we have been there as tenants since whenever.
Pity if he doesn't have to be registered.....I was planning on shopping him!

Ceri

Legislation for Tenants
In Queensland, people who rent housing are covered by the law - the Residential Tenancies Act 1994 (the Act).

The Act sets out the rights and responsibilities of tenants and lessors. It describes what the tenant and the lessor/agent can and can't do, how to address issues that may arise during the tenancy and explains what happens if the lessor/agent or tenant breaks the law.

To view a copy of the Act visit the website of the Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel and follow the links to the Residential Tenancies Act 1994.

.................................................. .......

Contacts for Tenants
Tenancy Advice and Advocacy Services (Qld)

Tenancy Advice and Advocacy Services (TAAS) provides residential tenants, particularly those experiencing difficulties with their tenancies, access to information, advice and advocacy services regarding their rights and responsibilities.



Brisbane Region Phone
Inner Northern Suburbs 07 3358 3951
Northern Suburbs (Stafford) 07 3857 8686
Inner Southern Suburbs 07 3844 9814
Logan/Albert/Beaudesert 07 3208 8736
North Region 07 3888 3577
Outer Northern Suburbs 07 3262 9555
Outer Southern Suburbs 07 3277 7583
Wynnum/Manly/Redlands 07 3893 0016



I'd give them a phone. If you are covered by the RTA - your landlord is breaking the law, he must keep receipts, and if you ask for a receipts he/she must give them to you by law.

selling a home - not sure if you can do anything about this one, if you don't have a contract. Except that he must still give you reasonable notice by law.( two weeks I think without a contract)

say for instance you don't sign the renewal contract after a year etc etc and you just have a running tenancy, with no agreement to when you have the house until; If the landlord sells home, he can not kick you out, he needs to give you notice, I can't remember if it's two weeks , or a month. It may be on the RTA site somewhere.

One of the landlords we had in the past sold ( we didn't sign our contract after the first contract of a year ran out, as we didn't want to be locked into another contract as we intending to move anyway) , he had to give us notice. The new owners could not kick us out - I'm pretty sure it was Two weeks notice by law ( maybe be a month - check this out).

The best thing you can do is phone the RTA advisory lines and ask them.
They will give you the rules, I've phoned them in the past over "access on Sunday's" ( landlord was selling home, and showing people around even on Sundays). The RTA booklet, all that it said "reasonable notice, and agreeable times".. Sunday was not agreeable to us,. and refused entry on Sunday's.. just because it was not reasonable for us. There was not a damn thing the landlord could do, as I was within my rights.

( their web site does not explain everything, neither does their booklet, which indecently you should have one of these given to you at the start - or again he is breaking the law, that's if you are covered by the RTA act)

If you are covered by RTA agreements/act
Your landlord is breaking the law in a few ways , receipts for one thing.

(P.S you are covered by the looks of things to me - all people who rent, the RTA act covers private letting - ie renting directly from the landlord - see fact sheet link below)

I couldn't read the whole file below, as it keeps freezing with me - my blocks.
http://www.rta.qld.gov.au/zone_files.../17a-final.pdf

cheers

Pollyana

Thanks Ceri, plenty to go on there!
I'm not exactly impressed with the fact that he showed the Real Estate people round last week - not just when we weren't there, but he let himself in and showed them round without even telling us he'd been there! We found out by chance from the neighbour!! Starting to sound like we would have a few things to throw at him.

Ceri

He can't do that! He must give you notice when showing people around, which must be at a reasonable time, and agreed by you - he can't let himself in and out without you knowing, and not in an emergency ( that's about the only time he can do it without notice - ie a fire, leaking pipe etc etc) - phone the RTA pronto and get it from the horses mouth

Ps I meant to say incidentally, not indecently give you a booklet lol , mind you he could have indecently gave you a RTA booklet
cheers