Once you’ve moved into your new rental property you immediately want to make it feel like your home and your own space. However, before you go ahead to make any changes, just remember you can’t make any alterations that you won’t be able to reverse when your tenancy is up, and you vacate. When you leave the rental, you are required to return the house in the same condition it was when you originally moved in.

You may think a change is so tiny or an improvement is nothing major, the owner of the house may not be on the same page. Before you go ahead to make any changes just stop to think because you will have to take the time to return the property to the original condition when moving out or you could have to forfeit a portion of the bond.

Here are some common items that you might question:

HANG UP ART AND PICTURES

Personal artwork and pictures are a way to add a personal touch to a home, but they are common for leaving unsightly marks on the walls.

Always make the effort to ask the property owner or the property manager for permission to hang things up on the wall using nails. However, you want to avoid using adhesive hooks to not cause damage to the paint on the walls.

Also using blu-tac is against tenancy agreement. An easy way to hang pictures or art on the wall is to attach it to already exisiting hooks.

Please always seek prior approval from the owner and property manager before going ahead and making changes.

MOUNT A TELEVISION TO THE WALL

You may want to raise your television higher up on the wall to keep out of reach for children or pets, but before making the installation you should definitely ask the owner or property manager for permission. If you are wondering how high to raise the TV, here is the length that should between the TV centre and floor:

42 inch Screen = 56 inches from the floor to the TV’s centre

55 inch Screen = 61 inches from the floor to the TV’s centre

65 inch Screen = 65 inches from the floor to the TV’s centre

According to the Consumer Protection Legislation Amendment Bill 2018 referring to the Residential Tenancies Act it states that landlords must allow tenants, who submit a request form, to attach furniture to a wall to prevent a child, or a person with a disability, from being hurt or killed. This means when deciding to install toppling furniture, it must be considered safe for a child or disability person and approved by the owner. Tenants who attach furniture to walls will have to repair the wall at the end of the tenancy agreement.

Most owners may agree to this under the condition you hire a professional to install the mount to ensure there is no chances of damaging when installing. You will also have to agree to return the wall in the original condition when you move out which can add up in costs.

GARDEN

One of the tenant’s responsibilities is to maintain the gardens and to leave it in the same condition that you found it so before going ahead with any grand plans for landscaping, you will need to be mindful of asking for permission.

There can be consequences for removing plants you don’t like, or you might even have to remove any that you plant if the owner prefers a low-maintenance garden.

The best way to avoid upsetting the owner is to maintain the garden in its current state and grow any plants you wish in pots or planting boxes that can be transported when you vacate.

INSTALL AIR-CONDITIONING

Summer is brutal in many parts of Australia and so it’s understandable that a lot of renters make requests for air-conditioning to be installed.

In many cases, the property owner will agree, but you may have to negotiate who pays for it.

In some instances the property owner will bear the cost, however, in other situations, the tenants will be asked to share the cost or perhaps agree to a higher rent.

 If your landlord isn’t willing to have an air-conditioning unit installed at the property, then it’s worth looking into purchasing a portable option or using pedestal fans as a cooling method.

 Overall, in any change you wish to make at the rental property, it is always worth talking to the property manager first up and asking them to present the idea to the owner for consideration and approval. The property manager should be happy to make changes however you should be prepared to receive any answers you may not want to hear.