A quick guide

Landlords and tenants have certain rights and responsibilities when they agree to a tenancy. Some of these are listed below.

The landlord must:

• Sign a tenancy agreement and give the tenant a copy.

• Send any bond money, including part payments, to the Department of Building and Housing within 23 working days and give the tenant a receipt for any payment that is made.

• Make sure the property is clean and tidy before the tenant moves in.

• Make sure all the locks work and the property is reasonably secure.

• Maintain the property and do any necessary repairs.

• Ensure the plumbing, electrical wiring and the structure of the building is safe and working.

• Provide adequate water collection and storage for premises without reticulated water supply.

• Write and tell the tenant at least 60 days before they put the rent up.

• Take all reasonable steps to ensure tenants don't disturb neighbours.
• Write and tell the tenant if they decide to put the property on the market
• obtain the tenant's consent before showing the property to real estate agents, buyers or prospective tenants
• Pay the tenant back for any urgent work the tenant has paid for (as long as the tenant can prove they tried to tell the landlord about the problem before getting it fixed and the tenant didn't cause it on purpose or by being careless)

In relation to a periodic tenancy:

• Give the tenant 42 days' notice to vacate the property once the sale of the property has gone unconditional, or if the owner or a member of their family needs to move in otherwise, give the tenant 90 days' notice if they want the tenancy to end.
• Give 48 hours' notice to inspect the property – but not more than once every four weeks and only between the hours of 8am and 7pm (the landlord can come onto the section without giving notice, but must respect the tenant's privacy)
• Give 24 hours' notice to do repairs and do them between the hours of 8am and 7pm.
• Enter the property in an emergency without informing the tenant
• Enter the property at other times if the tenant freely allows.

The Landlord Must not:

• Ask for more than 4 weeks' rent as bond
• Ask for more than 2 weeks' rent in advance, or ask for rent to be paid before it is due.

• Inspect the property more than once in every 4 weeks, except to check on work they've asked the tenant to do to remedy a breach of the tenancy agreement.
• Interfere with the tenant's peace, comfort and privacy.
• Interfere with the supply of gas, water, electricity or telephone unless to avoid danger or to enable maintenance or repairs.
• Unreasonably refuse to allow a tenant to put up fixtures such as shelves.
• Change the locks unless the tenant agrees.
• Unreasonably stop a tenant who wants to sublet or assign the tenancy to someone else, unless it is stated in the tenancy agreement that the tenant cannot assign or sublet the tenancy.
• Evict a tenant (this needs a possession order enforced by the District Court)
• Take the tenant's belongings as a security for money owed at any time during or after the tenancy or refuse to hand back belongings left behind at the end of the tenancy (provided the tenant pays any actual and reasonable storage costs).

Source:- Department of Housing and Building