Hi - I'm asking for advice on behalf of friends - any advice and information will be appreciated.
My friends ( a couple) have rented a house in Perth (4 bdr, $520pw) and have been told by the 'Property Manager" that:
1. They are not allowed to get flatmate(s) to help pay the rent - as the landlord has the right to veto it, ie simply say No.
and
2. They have no phone or internet service as they phoned Teleco companies to connect then so they could use the phone and internet. The Telco companies have all said they have done what they can at their end but the problem is that the underground wires/ fibre optic cables have been CUT (possibly by ex tenants as they were kicked out).
Anyway - my friends nicely asked the "Property Manager" to get these cables repaired so they can have phone service and were told that they - my friends - would have to pay the cost of getting this done! Do tenants have to pay for ex tenants damage or does the Landlord? I think the Property Manager is trying to con my friends into paying for the landlords responsibility.
Surely this can't be right??? They need phone and internet for work etc. Wouldn't anyone renting a modern top end house assume the house would have this already.
It must be the Landlords responsibility to pay for repairs to phone etc cables which have been vandalised - not the new tenants responsibility.
Any help re tenants rights, how to rectify this and the law re this would be helpful.
Cheers
Jasmine123
Tenants Rights in Perth - HELP PLEASE
Hello Jasmine123.
Welcome to Expat.com! 
Hope you'll be advised by other members soon.
Thank you,
Aurélie
Thanks,
They want phone line for cheaper International calls and need broadbank to use Skype, work presentations, links etc.... currently use mobile phones... expensive.
Anyway this is still helpful.
They would be wary of getting in flatmate - bypassing leases - as the Property Manager has already said'" the neighbours are all watching the house, blah, blah." and will tell me the minute you do anything wrong blah blah. (If it had of been me I would have torn the lease to pieces if I'd been intimidated in this manner.)
They are getting tenant legal advice as apparantly the law says ; "landlord has to REINSTATE services" - that were previously there. Yes there was previously teleco lines. Which functioned before they were cut. They may also be entitled to compensation as services not REINSTATED.
Cheers,
Jasmine123
Ask them to check out Vivid wireless .. They can get a phone line and Internet through them and thus bypassing the need and costs of paying for connection. It'll be an Internet phone with a normal land line number and all but using the Internet to dial and receive calls. More cost effective this way.
Hi Fluffy,
Thanks for your response - they've got it sorted with phone/ internet- just trying to get flat mate(s) in now.
Cheers - Jasmine
You might want to ask them to check their tenant agreement as most agreements states that you are not allowed to have extra roommates other then those originally stated in the agreement. If the agent or landlord finds out that they are renting a room to someone else, they have the right to terminate the rental. Which means they will be out of a home and their names might be blacklisted in the tenants list. So thread with care. They could always move further away from the city then rent would be cheaper..
Hi Jasmine
Fluffy is nearly right - most leases say you cannot sublease. However that clause is there not to stop the practice, but to have the right to control what is happening. Most landlords simply want to be informed.
They cannot kick you out for having someone else share the rent. They have to issue a notice of infringement first, and give you the opportunity to correct the situation. (14 days) If you correct, they cannot remove you.
Some people have a houseful and the house ends up being wrecked. Hence the rules. In todays rental market, it is wise to share the rent and many landlords are very helpful.
regards
David
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