Should you have an EXTREME after hours emergency, please contact our duty mobile on 0419 047 423. Otherwise please report any maintenance in writing or facsimile 08 9386 0001.

If it is an appliance fault that you are reporting, please try to include the make and model number – in an effort to speed up the process.

Tradespeople will make contact with you direct to arrange a time and if firm arrangements regarding access for any tradespeople are not kept by you, the service charge for calling the tradesperson will be automatically passed on to you for payment. As such if the maintenance turns out to be a result of your actions, the fee will be passed onto you for payment – ie the toilet is blocked and it then turns out the blockage was due to your child flushing a toy down the toilet.

If you have a break in with resultant damage, you must report it to the police in the first instance, and obtain a Police Report Number.

If you lock yourself out of the property after hours, we are unfortunately unable to give you access at this time. You would need to call a locksmith at your own expense.

NEIGHBOURLY PROBLEMS
Problems with your neighbours are beyond our control. If you have a problem with one of your neighbours, just as you would if you owned the property, we recommend that you contact the necessary authorities – Local Council, Police etc

  DRIVE BY INSPECTIONS
Simple “drive by” inspections of our rental properties are a common occurrence. We ensure this exercise is conducted on a regular basis, in an effort to keep an eye on lawns and gardens in particular.

We also encourage our Perth based landlords to make regular drives past their property to ensure its satisfactory upkeep – so tenants beware and remember to keep up the good work, both inside and out!

ROUTINE INSPECTIONS
You will be advised by mail with 7-14 days notice of a routine property inspection being due. This will occur approximately six weeks after you move in and on a three monthly basis thereafter. You do not need to be home during inspections, but your co-operation is appreciated.

These inspections are a vital means of assuring the landlord that his/her property is being cared for and to also see what routine maintenance may be required.

You cannot refuse entry to a Property Manager or property owner if the correct notice has been given and the proposed time of entry is deemed to be reasonable. If you are unable to attend you can arrange for a friend or relative to be present; otherwise the Property Manager will enter the property using the office set of keys.

At a Routine Inspection, we expect the following …

•	Lawns must be mowed, edged, raked, well watered and gardens weeded.
•	Cobwebs to be removed from outside the property as well as inside.
•	Carpets to be vacuumed, floors mopped.
•	Exhaust fans/rangehoods and air cond. filters to be free of dust and grease.
•	Marks on walls and around light switches to be wiped clean.
•	Ovens, stove tops and grillers to be clean.
•	Shower recess and bathroom tiles to be free of grime.
•	Swimming pools to be clean and chemically balanced. Your Property Manager should be advised immediately of any motor or filter problems with the pool.
•	Driveways, verandahs and pathways to be swept.
•	All maintenance problems or damage must be reported immediately to your Property Manager.
•	Be sure to report problems with your reticulation (other than sprinkler heads, which is a tenant responsibility).
•	Windows to be cleaned.
•	If a dog is on the premises or if there is an alarm, please notify our Office.

Your Lease Agreement is a very important document, so please be sure to read all sections and if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to ask your Property Manager. The Lease outlines your rights and also contains relevant information regarding your obligations. It is a legal and binding contract between us for the term of the lease, providing protection for both you and the Landlord. If you wish to renew the lease, for a further fixed term, please contact your Property Manager.

At the commencement of the Lease you will be given the keys to your new home.

ELECTRICITY, GAS AND TELEPHONE
You will need to make your own arrangements to have these services connected.

Synergy (Electricity) - 13 13 53 or www.synergyenergy.com.au
Alinta (Gas) - 13 13 58 or www.alinta.net.au
Telstra (Phones) - 13 22 00 or www.telstra.com

If the electricity is sub-metered, the power is continually connected and a Strata Company official will have to read the meter. Accounts will be sent from our office and we ask that you pay this direct to Morgan-Sudlow & Associates with your payment of rent. If you are on a benefit and are entitled to a rebate, please arrange this with the service provider, prior to paying the account.

Excess water consumption is also the responsibility of the tenant, however these accounts will come direct to Morgan-Sudlow & Associates. In turn, we will then invoice you and the monies are to be paid promptly along with your rent.

RENT
Rent payments are to be made directly into our Trust Account. Upon signing the Lease you will be given a tenant code and our account details. If you misplace these details, please contact our Property Manager on 9386 0004.

Rent is due and payable on or before the due date shown on your tenancy agreement. If payment is late, we will issue a Breach Notice warning that unless is it paid promptly, we will be obliged to instigate action to terminate the tenancy. Breach Notices are a required routine procedure, and are automatically noted against your tenancy file.

BOND
Your bond is like a deposit. It is held by the Bond Administration (division of the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection) and requires both Agent and Tenant signatures to both lodge and release. The bond is held to cover any damage to the property that may occur which is the tenant’s fault, beyond what would be reasonably classified as general wear and tear.

To recover all your bond monies at the end of the tenancy the property must be returned in the condition in which it was obtained. A Property Condition Report (PCR) will be given to the successful tenant within a month of moving in. The PCR is a detailed report on the condition of the property. It is important that you note any items of disrepair on this report, so it is not attributable to you at the end of your tenancy.

INSURANCE
The landlord’s insurance on the property does not cover your personal belongings. We strongly recommend that you take out Contents Insurance for your personal belongings.

WATER CONSUMPTION
As a condition of your Lease Agreement, you are liable to pay all excess water consumption charges. By entering into your Lease Agreement you have accepted the responsibility of maintaining the property and in turn, its lawns and gardens. Therefore, any consumption charges relating to watering will be your responsibility. If you allow the gardens to deteriorate there will be consequences and you will most certainly be responsible for their restoration.

CRITTERS
Perth sometimes experiences bad seasons for rats. If you are experiencing a problem, please contact your Local Council who will issue you with rat baits, which will help alleviate the problem. The control of vermin is the tenant’s responsibility.

The control of spiders and insects is also the responsibility of the tenant. Please keep the outside of your property free of cobwebs. By keeping the cobwebs down this will discourage spiders.

IMPORTANT
Clause 2.2 of your Agreement states –
The tenant agrees to keep all sanitary, electrical, gas and water apparatus including reticulation fittings, electrical and gas installations, extraction fans/grills and electrical fuses in good working order (fair wear and tear expected) and to test the Residual Current Devices on a regular basis.

We ask that you view any property from the kerbside only initially. This will give you a general feel for the property and its location. To arrange an inspection, please telephone us on 9386 0004 or 0419 047 423 and our Leasing Manager will then make a suitable time with you to view the property.

Please take care when making your choice of rental premises, as you agree to take the property on “in its current state of repair” or “as is”. It is important to be aware that the landlord is under no obligation whatsoever to make any improvements to the property – ie install an alarm system, replace the floor coverings, conduct a re-paint etc.

Rental agreements are usually on a minimum 6 month basis and you will be required to sign a lease. The lease will require an initial payment equivalent to 7 weeks rent – 4 weeks rent as bond, a letting fee equal to one week’s rent and two weeks rent paid in advance. This initial payment must be paid either in the form of cash, bank cheque (not personal cheque) or direct deposit (cleared funds in our trust account). Make sure that you carefully read all the paperwork that your Leasing Manager has prepared and understand it, as you will be required to sign.

A Lease Agreement is a legally binding contract.

All of the above applies whether you rent a house, townhouse, apartment or unit.

When you find the right property, you will need to complete a Tenancy Application Form.

At Morgan-Sudlow & Associates we look for people that will look after the property as if it were their own, with financial stability, the ability to pay rent, and a good rental history. It is important to note we do not require the “Letting Fee” to be paid upon submission of an Application – we request that it be paid within 24 hours after acceptance.

Once you complete an Application, Morgan-Sudlow’s leasing team will conduct a review of the information you provided, contacting your personal references and employers. When all the checks are complete, we then submit your application to the landlord for a decision.

Under normal circumstances your application can be processed within 24 hours, as long as all the necessary details have been provided. Being unable to make contact with references may cause delays but we endeavour to process Applications as quickly as possible and notify you of the approval outcome.

The preparation you put into getting your property ready for sale can be the difference between getting a standard price and getting a great price.

PRESENTATION
The process, or indeed art, of presenting your property for sale is an all important one to master. It is a critical factor in achieving the highest possible price, so it is important to do whatever is possible to have your property looking its absolute best on inspection day.

Some of the turn offs for buyers include:
• Overgrown Gardens
• Animal odours in the house
• Evidence of damp or moisture in the walls
• Cigarette or strong food odours
• Doors, windows or gates that stick
• Cracked glass
• Too much furniture or personal belongings cluttering the space
• Stained carpet

To improve the presentation, seek an outside opinion, as many of these problems can be fixed over a weekend for little expense. Our Sales Team give great advice in this area, so why not ask them?

TIMING
Buyers for good quality property can be found all year round but there are times of year that suit some properties more than others, especially in the instance of rural estates. Make sure you discuss the timing factor with your Agent.

The time required to sell a property that is accurately priced will typically vary on a case by case basis, however ideally an additional two weeks should be allowed prior to placing the property officially on the market to allow for preparation of both the property and the marketing material.

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELLING
When considering selling your property, some essential things one must do are:

Interview your agent and get an appraisal of your property. This should give you a much clearer idea as to what the market will bear for your property.

Enquire from your agent as to the current state of the market, their recent comparable sales in the area and their history selling similar properties.

Consider all the different methods of selling your property. The methods of sale are Private Treaty, Auction, Tender and Expression of Interest. Each method has its own advantages and it is advisable to speak to your agent about the benefits of each method. Once a method of sale is chosen and an agent selected you will need to sign an Agency Agreement and negotiate a Selling Fee with your agent.

At Morgan-Sudlow & Associates your property will not be just one of hundreds of listings. Being a boutique agency means that your listing will be handled with great consideration, time and energy to truly promote your home or investment. We never pass listings onto assistants, instead our agents handle them personally, every step of the way.

SALE PREPARATION CHECKLIST
Have the property professionally cleaned throughout. A few hundred dollars spent sprucing up the property will increase the saleability and more than likely increase the sale price.

Obtain a building and pest inspection report. This allows you to have any necessary repair work done prior to the sale. Also, a 100% clear report can be used as a selling feature for buyers.

A certificate of compliance should be obtained from the Local Council if you have recently undertaken major building works.

IIt is advisable to have a floor plan and site map available if required when selling a property.

If there is a current Lease Agreement in place, check the expiry date and termination requirements.

Make a note of all the inclusions to the sale. That is, everything that will be included in the purchase price and remaining with the property at settlement. Standard items include light fittings, floor coverings and window treatments. These can also be excluded if you prefer but it must be noted in the contract for sale.