Q: How often will I have rent inspections?

Your first inspection will be carried out at 6 weeks’ and 3 -monthly thereafter. You will be given no less than 7 days and no more than 14 days’ notice of your inspection date.

Question 1

How do I book an apartment at Zamia?

Accepted Answer

Applications are accepted at any time of the year and will be processed according to availability.  The website allows you to book a room with a stay period of either 6months or 12months. Shorter accommodation periods may be considered upon application.

Question 2

How long does it take for my application to be successful?

Accepted Answer

Depending on the number of applications we receive for the property; we aim to give you a final decision within 2 &ndash; 5 days.  Waiting on additional information or references to get back to us is the main reason why processing your application may take longer.

Question 3

Are my Utilities included in my rent?

Accepted Answer

Utilities are not included in your rental amount.  At this site you do not need to connect them yourself as the utilities are set up already and will be on charged to you.  UniLodge will provide you with your utilities bill as applicable and you will be asked to pay this in addition to your rent.  You are responsible for paying your rent and all outgoing utilities when you lease a rental property.

Question 4

How do I pay my Rent?

Accepted Answer

Bank Transfer, Eftpos or Direct Debit are all available.  Rent must be paid  at least 2 weeks in advance at all times.

Question 5

Do I need to pay a bond?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you will be required to pay a bond equal to a maximum of 4 weeks&rsquo; rent.  The bond is a form of financial protection in case there is a breach of the lease agreement and is used to cover any cost for which the tenant may be liable at the end of the tenancy, such as damage to the property, outstanding utility charges or unpaid rent.

Question 6

Can I use my bond to pay my last month’s rent?

Accepted Answer

You cannot use your bond for rent. Your bond is held and released at finalisation of your rental agreement within 7-10 days.

Question 7

Will I receive my bond back?

Accepted Answer

If you leave the property in the same condition as the Property Condition Report with rent and utilities paid up to date, you will receive the full amount back.

If the property is found with damages, unclean or unpaid rent and utilities, this amount will be deducted from the bond and the remainder will be released. If there are any outstanding costs after the bond has been used, you will be required to pay the outstanding amount. If the outstanding amount is not paid by the due date, the agent may wish to apply to court and the costs of the application and any other fees involved will be passed onto the tenant.

Question 8

What is a Property Condition Report?

Accepted Answer

UniLodge is required to complete a thorough inspection of the property prior to the beginning of your tenancy noting in detail the condition of the property including any damage cited and all items at the property.

This condition report will in turn be used for your final inspection to ensure you have returned the property back to UniLodge in its original condition. The tenant will be provided 2 copies of the report within 7-days of the lease commencing. If the tenant disagrees with any information contained in the report, they must note their disagreement on a copy and return to UniLodge within 7-days of receiving the report.

Question 9

How often will I have rent inspections?

Accepted Answer

Your first inspection will be carried out at 6 weeks&rsquo; and 3 -monthly thereafter. You will be given no less than 7 days and no more than 14 days&rsquo; notice of your inspection date.

Question 10

Are my possessions covered by my Landlord’s insurance?

Accepted Answer

No, you will be required to take out Contents Insurance for your personal belongings. Each insurance policy is different, and you don&rsquo;t want to pay for what you don&rsquo;t need, so before you get quotes, do an audit of your possessions giving them a replacement value.  You will be surprised how things add up!

Question 11

Can I get additional keys for the property?

Accepted Answer

You will be provided with at least one set of keys for the property at the beginning of your lease.

Should you want additional keys you will need to request this by emailing UniLodge and you will be charged for the additional set.

Question 12

Am I allowed to hang things on the walls?

Accepted Answer

You are not allowed to make alterations to any walls without permission from UniLodge. You may request in writing by emailing UniLodge your request including which rooms and how many hooks you are planning to put up.  This is at the discretion of the manager to be approved or not.

PLEASE NOTE: Although temporary (adhesive) picture hooks are marketed as easy to remove, they can and often damage paint work when removed.  If damage to the walls occurs, it will be at your cost to have them repaired.

Question 13

What happens if I lose my keys or lock them in the property?

Accepted Answer

If this occurs during business hours, you can come to our office and we will provide a temporary access key. You will also need to provide us with ID and &#36;50 deposit.  You are required to return the keys back to our office within the same day, at this time your &#36;50 deposit will be returned to you.

If you are unable to come to our office yourself and want to send a third party to pick up the keys, you need to provide us with written or verbal consent beforehand and your representative will need to provide their ID.  If you are unable to provide a &#36;50 deposit, we will hold your credit card.

After hours a residential advisor can be called to allow access to your apartment.  A fee will be charged of &#36;100 to grant access .

Question 14

Am I allowed pets at the property?

Accepted Answer

The property is governed by Curtin University by-laws in which pets are not generally permitted.  However, the manager has the discretion to consider pets in the Zamia apartments.  Only small and singular pets will be considered at the apartments and a written application must be submitted for consideration by the manager.  We ask that all applicants be aware of the limited space offerings in apartments and small balconies that offer the only outdoor access.  It is also an apartment building in which noise levels should be adhered to and all tenants are entitled to privacy, peace and quiet of the building.  It is also not suitable to walk pets on campus or through the building and this should be taken into consideration as well.  Please include in your application if the pet is a companion for health and wellbeing reasons. 

If a pet is approved a pet bond of &#36;260 will be payable.  Please note you will also be required to cover any additional cleaning or damages that occur from your pet.  A flea treatment will also be required at your cost, and the receipt for this service must be provided to UniLodge upon vacating your property.  Should all these steps take place you will receive your pet bond back.

Question 15

Can I have friends or family stay over?

Accepted Answer

In a rental property, the only people who should be staying at the property are those listed on the lease and any children originally listed on your approved application. If, however, you are planning to have friends or family stay at the property with you (for more than one night), please notify UniLodge and provide certified photo ID for each person.

Although this may seem invasive, if something was to go wrong i.e. a fire at the property, we need to know who was at the property to notify authorities.

Question 16

What happens when my lease expires?

Accepted Answer

When your lease is nearing its end, we will contact you to ask if you would like to enter a new lease arrangement.  If you do not want to renew your lease, you will be required to give 30 days&rsquo; written notice that you intend to vacate the premises.  A full departure clean will be required and we ask that the tenant provide the receipt for this service.  UniLodge also offers this service, please enquire at reception for more details. 

Once your property is empty, a departure inspection will occur and we will look at your property condition report to check that it is in the same condition.  If it is not, then charges may apply and may be deducted from your bond.

Question 17

What if I need to move out before the end of my lease?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes things happen, and a tenant needs to move out of a property before their current lease has expired. This is known as a &lsquo;Break Lease&rsquo;. In accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act and your lease agreement special conditions, you are required to:

&ndash;    Give us 28 days written notice  of your intention to break your lease.

&ndash;    Pay rent up until the lease ends or until a new tenant/s lease commences (whichever comes first), even if you have physically vacated the property prior to that date.

&ndash;    Notify us of a date you will be vacating the property so we can prepare it ready for re-leasing

If you know someone who wishes to lease the property, they are required to complete the application process as normal. You can discuss this with UniLodge in more detail, however it is important that you understand there is no guarantee that this application will be approved.

Question 18

What is a final inspection and how does it work?

Accepted Answer

Once you have given notice, UniLodge will arrange a time to meet you at the property for your final inspection to compare the property condition to when your tenancy began, you do not have to be present for this inspection if you wish.  We expect some fair wear and tear however will look for visible signs of damage and check that the property is cleaned to an expected standard.

UniLodge will discuss with you any items requiring your additional attention.

UniLodge at Curtin University - Zamia Apartments
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