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Housing questions


DesertDaisy

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When we got to the Middle East we were surprised to find that many of the things we took for granted were simply not done here. For example, when people leave their villas or flats, they don't just take out the furniture - even things like light fittings, curtain rails etc are removed! We've even heard of one person having gone in to find that even the ceramic tiles that the previous tenant had put down (at his own cost) had been removed, leaving them with a bare concrete floor!

There are different rules for provinces in SA too - like in Gauteng you have to leave your stove behind, but in other provinces you don't.

Whats "standard" in Aussie housing? For eg. built in wardrobes, fixtures (light fittings, curtain rails), garages/shadeports?

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Hi there,

I think generaly the rule of thumb is that you have to leave a place as you found it, specifically when you rent it.

All the houses I have seen, have curtains and/or blinds, and that stays in the house. Some houses have dishwashers, and sometimes even other apliances. These are part of the house, and rental contract.

Greetings,

Dreamy

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Hi Desert Daisy

Rental - it must have window coverings, it must have the necessary cooking facilities, and everything must be in working order. Your deposit is placed in a government bonded account and not held by the estate agent. You will be required to complete an extensive list of inspection, make sure you notate on that anything that is wrong. Also make sure that you keep your copy, as you will need it if there is a dispute when you wish to leave. Upon inspection by the estate agent at the end of your tenancy, they give you a letter/form stating that they are happy with the condition, and hey presto, you get your bond back immediately. This works in Queensland and Victora, I don't know about the other states.

Selling - It is unlikely that you would buy a house without window coverings, unless it was stipulated in the sale contract. Usually fixtures are included, but if you are worried about something, ensure that it is stated as an inclusion in your sale contract.

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Another thing: If you rent a property and ask permission form the landlord to add a fixture (e.g. ceiling fan). When you move out, you can take it with you - but then you must repair the ceiling to look exactly as it did before, or if the owner wants you to leave it, he must refund you for it. (This is as far as NSW goes - don't know about the other states).

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Sounds wonderful compared to what we experienced here. Read this to see what a delightful (not) time we had moving in here.....

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Oh DesertDaisy, you have had me in fits of laughter - rest assured it is a lot better than that in Australia! I am amazed that you are still sane, I think I would have blown a gasket, or rather, worshipped at my husband's feet, as he is a handyman of note!

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Hi there

You will find that most rental properties come with dishwashers and ours even came with a tumble dryer as it was bolted to the wall.

It is tax deductable for the landlord to do improvements like paint etc so there is no harm asking if something needs to be done depends if they know about the tax otherwise they might not think it is worth well.

Often when you buy you can request that the fridge/freezer be left as often the spaces in the kitchen don't fit all fridges I know 4 people who have bought the fridges that were in the houses.

Most agents will request that the house is proffessinally cleaned when you leave and if you have a pet they might want it fumigated. Oh and all houses in nsw must now have a fire alarm.

Best of luck

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Oh and all houses in nsw must now have a fire alarm.

Yeah, well.... :blush::ilikeit::(

We just had a fire in our rental house, and I feel so bad about it. The owners are away for the long weekend, so we have to wait until Tuesday to speak to them. At least the agent was very supportive, and only wanted to know if anyone got hurt. (No-one did)

Will keep you up to date on what happens with the logistics regarding rental houses, and the processes in this instance.

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Oh dear Dreamy - I hope you are okay, and that the damage was not too severe.

It must have been very stressful indeed.

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Well, after our mishap on Saturday :blink: , and that on a long weekend, all the paperwork has finally been done. The agent came and had a look at the house on Tuesday morning, and offered that we could go to a hotel untill all has been repaired. We declined the offer, trying to keep life as normal as possible under the circumstances.

They sent a cleaner to start washing the walls, I have to clean the furniture and so on myself. They promise to have all the rebuilding and repairs done within the next two to three weeks. I thought the owners would show up to see, but no sight of them. The agents have been very helpful throughout.

Will let you know how long the building takes.

Greetings,

Dreamy

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just an update on the rental house issue:

It is now 3 1/2 weeks later, and still no repairs. The agent's support has dissolved into thin air, and we are getting no response from them. I started looking at tenancy rights websites this afternoon, after trying without success to get hold of the insurer to find out what is going on!

Last week Monday we asked the agent if they would at least give us a rental reduction for the time being, as we used to have a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house, and now we can only use 2 bedrooms, and 1 bathroom. She was a bit apprehensive and told me that is was not the owners fault! It was not my fault either! :ilikeit:

Well, the insurance assessor has finally returned my call, at 8pm in the evening! He assured me that repairs will commence tomorrow, and they will reduce our rent by 55% until the house is liveable again. Phew, what a relief.

When we moved to WA, they told us that the WA stands for What Awhile, not Western Australia! How true.

Greetings,

Smoked out Dreamy

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Oh goodness Dreamy, how stressful this has all been for you. I'm so glad that you finally have an answer though. Hang in there!

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Hier is die regte van jou as huurder (en ook die pligte van die "landlord" en agent) mooi uiteengesit - ek hoop dit help! (Dit is spesefiek vir WA en dit is WET!) Kyk op Bl 12 oor "urgent repairs" Renting_a_Home.pdf

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Baie dankie Riekie, jy is 'n staatmaker soos altyd! :ilikeit:

Groetnis,

Dreamy

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