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How to get your bond back | Everyday Money | ABC Australia - YouTube
Channel: ABC Australia
[0]
It's a really common experience.
[1]
When you move in,
[2]
you move in with a family of rats.
[5]
And then on the way out
[6]
they're running their fingers
on the skirting boards,
[8]
just checking for the most minute detail.
[11]
That's Stephen, and he
recently moved out of a rental.
[14]
They had all the
power in that situation.
[17]
They had the keys.
[18]
We couldn't actually go
back in and dispute it.
[21]
Look, it's a common
experience for renters.
[24]
But today, we're going to look at
[26]
how clean a rental property
really needs to be,
[29]
and what you need to know
to get your bond back.
[33]
The rules around rentals are different
[34]
in each state and territory,
[36]
but when it comes to cleaning
[37]
the standards are largely the same.
[40]
The key thing is that a property
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is left reasonably clean.
[43]
That doesn't mean good as new,
[45]
and what's reasonable depends
on the condition of the rental
[48]
when you moved in.
[49]
If, like Stephen, you moved
into a rat-infested house,
[52]
it would be unreasonable to expect
[54]
that you return it after your lease
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in much better condition.
[57]
So here's my tip,
[58]
which is really just common sense.
[60]
Take lots of photos when you move in.
[62]
(camera shutter clicking)
[63]
Photos are a great way to document
[64]
the condition of the property,
[66]
and along with a condition report,
[68]
they'll be relied on
[69]
if there are any disputes down the track.
[71]
It's a lesson Stephen
learned the hard way.
[73]
So when we moved out
[74]
we used their end-of-lease cleaners,
[77]
and on top of that they also wanted us
[79]
to get the carpets steam-cleaned as well.
[81]
And then once we handed the keys back,
[83]
they said that they found
wear and tear on the walls
[86]
that we also had to cover the cost of.
[88]
So in the end it ended up being
a pretty significant chunk
[91]
of the bond.
[94]
As a renter you aren't liable
[96]
for wear and tear,
[97]
but you are liable
[98]
for any damage you cause to the property.
[101]
If you've chipped paint
[102]
because you used a picture
hook, that's damage.
[105]
But if the carpet's a bit more worn down
[106]
than when you moved in,
that's wear and tear.
[109]
Here's the full definition
of wear and tear
[111]
from Fair Trading New South Wales.
[124]
This could be news to you,
[125]
but you might not need
a professional cleaner
[127]
to meet the reasonably clean standard.
[130]
In my time renting in Sydney,
[131]
I've probably had three
end-of-lease cleans,
[134]
so that's at least a thousand, really,
[137]
that I could have saved.
[138]
That's a lot of money,
[139]
but in New South Wales
[141]
clauses demanding
professional carpet cleaning
[143]
are prohibited, unless you have a pet.
[146]
The rules are different in
other states and territories.
[149]
Sometimes carpet cleaning
clauses are enforceable,
[152]
sometimes they aren't.
[153]
If you're in doubt,
[154]
check with your local
Tenants' Advice Service.
[156]
We'll show you how at
the end of the video.
[159]
After what happened,
[160]
it does really make me
distrust real estate
[164]
and what they do with your
money and with your bond.
[170]
Because Stephen lives
in New South Wales,
[172]
he could have applied to have
the bond refunded himself.
[175]
If he did,
[176]
the agent would have 14 days
to settle or contest the claim.
[180]
If they didn't respond in time,
[181]
he would've got all his bond back.
[184]
If I knew I could get the
bond back independently,
[187]
without the real estate,
[189]
then, yeah, I would
definitely be doing that.
[191]
You really do feel hostage,
[192]
and like they have all the power,
[195]
so it would just completely
flip the power dynamic
[197]
to already have access to that
[199]
before they grant you the access.
[202]
Again, the rules are different,
[203]
depending on where you live.
[205]
In Victoria, for instance,
tenants don't have this option.
[209]
Wherever you live,
[209]
if you're worried about
getting your bond back,
[211]
or there's a disagreement,
[213]
it's a good idea
[214]
to contact your local
Tenants' Advice Service.
[217]
They can give you free
advice and information
[219]
about your rights.
[220]
So finding out what my rights are
[224]
as a tenant going forward,
[226]
it just puts you in a
whole different position.
[228]
It's a whole different
game now going forward.
[230]
Like, game on, real estate!
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