Skimming through a rental agreement, you’d be forgiven for wondering if there’s anything you’re actually allowed to do within the four walls of your temporary home.
The rules governing the occupancy of residential rental properties are many and varied, chiefly to ensure the landlord gets their property back in the same condition in which they leased it.
But, if you’re willing to ask a few questions, you might be surprised to discover that your landlord is a lot more relaxed than your lease would suggest.
Here are six things you can do in a rental property.
A pet resume could help convince your landlord to let your furry friend stay. Picture: Getty
1. Own a pet
Pets are deal breakers for a lot of renters – and for a lot of landlords, too.
Queenslanders, Tasmanians and South Australians need to get written consent from their landlords before inviting a furry friend into their home, and West Australians are often charged a “pet bond” of up to $260.
And while there’s nothing in the other states’ respective tenancy laws specifically related to a tenant’s right to live with a pet, most allow landlords to include “no pets” clauses in their lease agreements – though the Andrews Government in Victoria recently passed laws that will do away with these contractual conditions.
Passed through state parliament in September 2018 and likely to come into effect in July 2020, Victoria’s new tenancy laws will only allow landlords to refuse pets by order of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. And Queensland is expected to implement similar laws by the middle of the year.
That said, even if your rental agreement says “no pets”, an honest conversation with your landlord often goes a long towards changing their mind.
For example, when this writer recently moved into a new apartment, there was more than half a page of fine print dedicated to the strict ban on pets within the property. But with a quick call from the agent to the landlord, a kitten was approved in less than five minutes.
Many landlords’ rules around pets are there to prevent damage, so creating a pet resume is a good way to reassure the landlord that your pet isn’t likely to be a problem.
2. Adding a door or wall
Want to partition off part of your rented apartment, or add a door to create another bedroom or living space?
Hocking Stuart Richmond Department Manager – Property Management Jo Leonardis says some of her previous tenants have taken it upon themselves to make additions to properties that significantly altered their layout – particularly in warehouse-style spaces.
But Leonardis says you should ask for permission first, or risk having to pay to reverse the renovation.
“Sometimes tenants, if they’ve got a bedroom that doesn’t have a door, or it’s more of a mezzanine style, they go out of their way to install a wall or a door or something to block off that room and use it as a bedroom, and/or study or whatever to suit their purposes,” she says.
“It can go one of two ways: either the owner loves [getting] this extra room… or they want it removed immediately, because it affects either the structure or the appeal of the property.”
Even hammering in wall hooks to hang artwork is off-bounds in some rentals – although these types of alterations will soon be a lot easier to make in Victoria, thanks again to the recent raft of reforms.
The new laws allow renters to make minor modifications, such as hanging pictures, installing air conditioning or adding reasonable security measures, without the landlord’s consent.
3. Installing a security system
Today’s security systems are so advanced they can run exclusively off your home WiFi, eliminating the need for internal wiring in the house. Which means they’re now within reach of prudent renters.
Many of the systems are app-based, and allow you to check on your home when you’re out and about.
And because you don’t need to install anything, you can easily pack up the system and take it with you when you move to a new home.
4. Kitchen reno
Love the house and location but don’t like its ageing kitchen? Why not ask your landlord if they’d be prepared to cover some or all of the cost of upgrading it, if you’re prepared to do all the legwork?
Leonardis says some tenants who planned to remain in a property for a fairly long time managed to tease out a kitchen overhaul from their landlord.
“I actually had a tenant who wanted a new kitchen, so he went to IKEA and did all of the groundwork for the owner, and the owner was like, ‘Yeah, OK, it’s really old, that’s fine, let’s see what it looks like. You install it and can pay half for it’,” she says.
Your landlord may well be happy to split the cost of a flat-pack kitchen reno. Picture: IKEA
5. Hanging pictures
Many landlords will allow you to hang pictures or photo frames on some walls, provided you ask permission first and agree to repair the holes when the time comes to move out.
And, again, if you’re a Victorian, from July 2020 onwards, you’ll be able to do so without your landlord’s consent.
6. Painting the property
It’s always best to ask for permission before painting a rental property. Picture: Getty Images
If you simply can’t bear the wall colour in your bedroom or living space, you can ask the landlord for permission to repaint it.
Leonardis says while many landlords will say no, some will allow it, provided you consult them on colour choices and have the painting done professionally.
This article was originally published on
12 Sep 2019 at 9:00am
but has been regularly updated to keep the information current.