During Renting
Can rent be increased? If yes, how often can it be increased?
The rent cannot be increased during the fixed-term lease agreement unless the agreement has written provisions. In that case, If you enter into a new fixed-term or fixed-term lease agreement on or after June 19, 2019, the interval between each increase in rent must be at least 12 months. And the landlord must notify you of the rent increase in writing 60 days in advance.
Can I ask the landlord for repairs and who will pay the bill?
You can tell the landlord or property manager if anything needs repair. Tell them as soon as possible, especially if not fixing the problem could cause more damage. It’s best to tell them in writing and keep a copy. If repairs are required due to damage caused by you, you may have to pay for repairs, you can also arrange repairs by yourself in this case.
Usually, the landlord has 14 days to repair after you tell them about it. But if it urgent, they have to fix things as soon as possible. If the landlord does not deal with urgent repairs quickly, you can apply to VCAT and they will hear your case in 2 business days. Urgent repairs include:
- a burst water service
- a blocked or broken toilet
- a serious roof leak
- a gas leak
- a dangerous electrical fault
- flooding or serious flood damage
- serious storm or fire damage
- a failure or breakdown of any essential service or appliance provided for water, hot water, cooking, heating or doing laundry
- a failure or breakdown in any appliance or fitting supplied by the landlord that will result in a large amount of water being wasted
- a failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply
- a serious fault in a lift or staircase
- any fault or damage that makes the premises unsafe or not secure
Can the landlord or agent enter my home?
They can have the rights of entry only in certain situations, like inspection, showing the property to a prospective tenant, valuing the property, and so on.
If they want to enter your home, they must give you the notice before 24 hours with a valid reason. Once they give the proper notice and get permission from you, they can enter the property even if the time doesn’t suit you or you won’t be home. However, you can negotiate a time with them which suits you better.
Is an assignment or sub-letting allowed?
Yes, you can. Before doing this, you need to get permission from the landlord. However, the landlord cannot unreasonably decline this application. A landlord or agent cannot charge a fee for consenting to an assignment or sublease. If they do, you can apply to Tribunal for help. But If you assign or sub-let without permission, the landlord can give you a 14-day Notice to Vacate and apply to the Tribunal to let you leave.
