A lease is a legal agreement about your tenancy. It explains your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. It also explains our rights and responsibilities as the property owner.
Our lease is based on the rules for renting a home in Tasmania in the Residential Tenancy Act 1997.
When you sign or renew your lease with us, it will be for a non-fixed term – that is, it will not have an end date.
We want you to have a stable home for as long as you need it. We don’t end leases without a good reason. But if you don’t follow the rules, we may ask you to move out.
What is expected of you?
It is important that you read your lease to understand the rules. Some of the rules in your lease are in the list below. You may have additional or different rules.
The list below are things you must do as a tenant.
- Keep your home free of pests and insects, like mice and ants.
- Not change the property without written permission from us including things such as changing locks, adding security, renovations, building work, installing a shed or painting.
- Not keep pets at your home without our permission.
- Keep the home clean and tidy, both inside and out.
- Not damage the home on purpose.
- Let Homes Tasmania know if there is any damage to the home, no matter how it happened.
- Treat Homes Tasmania staff and our contractors with courtesy.
- Not let other people live in your home without receiving permission.
- Not store dangerous goods or substances at your home.
- Park your car or bike only in the driveway, garage, carport or the car space allocated to your home.
- Not run a business from your home without receiving permission.
- Not do anything illegal at your home.
- Pay the right amount of rent on time and in advance.
- Not disturb your neighbours.
What can you expect of Homes Tasmania?
The list below are things you can expect of Homes Tasmania as the owner of the home you live in.
- Provide a clean home which is in good condition when you move in.
- Fix any damage that is from fair wear and tear. We explain fair wear and tear below.
- Pay the rates and taxes that apply. This may include some or all your water bills.
- Let you have ‘quiet enjoyment’ of the home. This means you can get on with your day-to-day life without us interfering, but you must not cause problems for anyone else.
- Let you know in writing if the amount of rent you pay is going to change.
- Make sure that the outside doors have good locks on them when you move in. We will maintain the locks unless you damage them.
- Give you notice of when we are coming to visit you or inspect the home. We do not need to give notice if we believe there is an emergency.
What is fair wear and tear?
When you live in your home for a while, some types of general wear and tear can take place.
For example, the carpet in a busy hallway may get worn down after a long time or the paint on the outside of the house may start to fade. When we do a property inspection, your tenancy officer will talk to you about what is considered fair wear and tear.
Big problems such as broken glass, damage to walls and doors, untidy gardens and rubbish that needs to be removed are not fair wear and tear.
Getting support to stay in your home
We want you to enjoy living in your home. We can offer you support to make your tenancy a success. If you are having problems, you can contact Homes Tasmania for support with your tenancy.
What if you want to move out?
You need to tell us in writing 14 days before you want to move out.
When you move out, the home must be in the same condition as when you moved in.
You also need to pay any outstanding bills that you have with us.
For more information contact Homes Tasmania
Phone: 1300 665 663