Tenant Rights and Responsibilities

When you are renting a property, you must have a sense of good stewardship. Tenants have rights as well as responsibilities during a tenancy agreement. These things should be respected and practiced.

Generally, tenants are expected to pay rent on time, keep the property clean, adhere to the terms in the tenancy agreement, and respect the rights of your neighbours. It is also your responsibility to alert the landlord if there is any needed maintenance.

Meanwhile, the landlords should also comply with their requirements, respect the privacy of tenants, do the needed repairs and maintenance, meet the health and safety requirements, and lodge bond with the RTA.

Some of the tenant’s rights and responsibilities are governed by the lease agreement or by the local and state laws.

Quiet Enjoyment

One of the most notable rights of a renter is his or her right to “quiet enjoyment,” which is the right of a tenant to enjoy the property without any interference.

This means the landlord should not contact you or enter the property you rent unless it is an emergency. Otherwise, the landlord will face potential lease agreement violations and there are certain courses of actions you can take in this case.

Actions to Take

You can document this issue, you can send a written, diplomatic notice to the landlord, or you can leave the property and look for another place to rent.

If things get worse, you can come up with a mutually agreeable termination to your lease or you can consult or hire an attorney to handle your landlord issue. Hiring a lawyer is also a good idea if the landlord breaches contract, like not doing proper repairs or maintenance.

To keep a mutual respect between you and the landlord, it would be best to treat your rented property as if it is your own.