Both tenants and landlords should take the time to read the terms of the agreement and this guide before signing the agreement. The ACT Law Handbook online provides explanations of ACT laws, including those relating to rentals. It acts as a guide to the law: what it is, how it affects you and how you can use it. It is written by academics, lawyers and judges with the aim of making the law more accessible to ACT residents. There is a wide range of other services that can help you solve your rental and occupancy problems. We`ve listed a few of them below: Our rental advice line is a free confidential phone service that connects you with a lawyer who can provide legal advice and assistance in a number of rental matters. Status report (PDF, 232.89 KB) – State reports are used as evidence in bond disputes. This 5-page status report can be used in a rental or occupancy report. It is available free of charge by www.revenue.act.gov.au The terms of the standard accommodation rental agreement cannot be changed (except for rental contracts with a fixed term of 20 years or more – contact your local rental advice and advocacy service for more information).
If you do not fulfil your obligations, you may indicate that you have breached the (unkept) provisions of the agreement. You must duly inform the landlord that you do not intend to renew the lease before the lease expires. Termination must occur some time before the lease expires, as required by law in your jurisdiction. This period of time is called the “notice period”. As a general rule, the notice period is one month for leases with a duration of one month or less and two or three months for leases with a duration of more than one month, but this varies by jurisdiction. You should consult the current status for the jurisdiction in which the property is located to determine the notice period required for your rental agreement. A deposit/deposit is a sum of money that the tenant pays to the lessor to ensure that the tenant fulfills all the obligations arising from the rental agreement. The lessor keeps the fiduciary guarantee for the duration of the lease, in order to ensure that the tenant is not late in the terms of the rental contract or does not damage the property. If the tenant damages the property (“normal wear and tear”) or if the tenant has not paid the rent, the lessor has the right to recover the amount due from the deposit. As a general rule, the tenant must pay the deposit to the lessor at the beginning of the term of the rental contract. At the end of the term of the rental contract, the tenant is reimbursed the deposit, minus any deductions for repairs / restorations.
It is important that you read your lease carefully before signing it. If you have any doubts, please contact one of the following rental assistance services for advice. In addition, before the conclusion of the contract, the lessor must put a copy of the rental book. If a “fixed” term is chosen, the rental agreement may persist even after the expiry of the tenancy, if both the lessor and the tenant so wish. In some jurisdictions, the law states that this is a periodic lease, usually from month to month, although this may vary. In other jurisdictions, the temporary lease may become, upon expiration, an “all-you-can-eat lease” or a “lease” that lasts only as long as both parties wish and is not subject to as much legal protection as a periodic lease. If you wish to terminate all rights to a fixed-term rental agreement as soon as the rental agreement expires, you must terminate it correctly before the expiry of the term of the rental agreement, in accordance with local law.. . . .