Before moving into a rental property you are required to sign a lease. In agency speak we call it a General Tenancy Agreement or Form 18a. This document includes the standard terms and conditions of renting in QLD, as well as any special terms relating to the rental property. A lease usually includes a fixed term, commonly either 6months or 12months. Signing this document states you agree to pay rent at the property until this lease term is up.
We all know life can be unpredictable. Circumstances may force you to have to vacate the rental property before the term of your lease is up. This is commonly referred to as “breaking your lease.” If you want or need to break your lease there are some steps you need to follow.
- Contact your property manager via phone or email and let them know your intentions.
- Fill out and submit a “Notice of intention to break lease” form which can be supplied by your Property Manager
- Take heed of the following advice…
When breaking your lease it is important to remember you are responsible for paying the rent until the day before new tenant’s lease begins or your original lease is up. Upon receiving your notice of intention to break lease, the Property Manager will do the following in order to find a new tenant for the property.
- Hold open inspections at the property
- Post the property on the agency rent list
- Post the property on the appropriate rental websites
There are however some things you as the current tenant can do to improve the chances of finding and securing a new tenant.
- Agree to let the Agent hold open inspections regularly. You can even give your Property Manager a schedule of what times you would like them to hold inspections.
- KEEP THE PROPERTY CLEAN. It will definitely help secure a new tenant if the property is presented well.
- Advertise the property. Ask your Property Manager about how the property can be advertised in other media to greatly improve the chances of finding a tenant.
- If you know of anyone (friend etc.) who might be interested in renting the property give their contact details to your property manager.
If in future you need to break your lease, please keep this advice in mind. Remember, the faster a new tenant is secured, the fewer the number of weeks you will have to continue paying rent at the property.
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