Renting with LJ Hooker

This is the place to find any information or documents that you may require throughout your tenancy.

Getting in Touch

LJ Hooker Oran Park is open for your convenience from Monday through to Friday between 9am to 5pm and Saturdays between 9am and 1pm. 

You may contact us using any of the following methods:

Reception Email: oranpark@ljhooker.com.au

Website: oranpark.ljhooker.com.au

Phone: 02 4623 1211

Our preferred method of contact is email.

All requests and enquiries should be submitted in writing either via email or on hard copy forms.

Email your Property Manager direct! Just go to our website and choose About Us and then Our Team and send an email from your property manager's profile

Appointments

As you will appreciate, your Property Manager can some days spend a large portion of their working day away from the office.

If you wish to meet your Property Manager, it will be necessary to make an appointment at a convenient time.

This ensures you get the time your enquiry merits. Please either call our office or email your Property Manager direct to organise a time.

What is an emergency?

The law distinguishes between urgent (emergency) repairs and those which are not so urgent.

Urgent repairs are:

(a) a burst water service,
(b) an appliance, fitting or fixture that uses water or is used to supply water that is broken or not functioning properly, so that a substantial amount of water is wasted,
(c) a blocked or broken lavatory system, however if you have a second toilet that is functioning, please report this problem during business hours and use the second toilet
(d a serious roof leak,
(e) a gas leak,
(f) a dangerous electrical fault,
(g flooding or serious flood damage,
(h serious storm or fire damage,
(i) a failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply to the premises,  Please contact your service provider first to establish if the breakdown is to the surrounding area.
(j) a failure or breakdown of any essential service on the residential premises for hot water, cooking, heating, cooling or laundering,
(k) any fault or damage that causes the premises to be unsafe or insecure

What to do if you have...

No power?

Please first...

• Unplug all your appliances and then reset your safety switch in your meter box. Sometimes power goes out due to faulty appliances.
• Check with YOUR CHOSEN ELECTRICITY PROVIDER to ascertain if there are any outages or work being carried out locally, which may be affecting your property.
• Check with other tenants or neighbours to se if th prolem is isolated to your property.

No Water?

Please first...

• Check with SYDNEY WATER on 13 14 50

No Gas?

Please first...

• Check that your Pilot Light is on and burning.
• Check that your appliance is turned on
• Check with YOUR CHOSEN GAS PROVIDER

Who to Contact in an Emergency - Outside Normal Business Hours

Please note that durng business hours you must contact our office on (02) 4623 1211 or please email your property manger.

LJ Hooker Oran Park uses a broad range of contractors and where possible we try to have local tradespoeple do our property maintenance.

If you find yourself with an emergency at your property outside normal business hours (Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm & Saturday 9am to 1pm), please try contacting any of the contractors on your lease agreement.

However if you have an afterhours emergency and a tradesman does attend the property afterhours and the issue could have waited until the next working day, you may be responsible for the full or part account charged by the tradesman.
 

Notice to Vacate

There are generally two types of leases:

• Fixed term - a fixed-term agreement is for a set of period of time, usually six  or 12 months. After a fixed-term lease expires, a tenant can sign a new fixederm lease or roll automtically onto a perodic lease.
• Periodic lease - a tenant will usually roll over to a periodic lease when their fixed-term lease ends. In a periodic lease, the tenant does not sign a new agreement, but must still follow the rules set out in the original lease.

A breakdown of your options when vacating:

AT THE END of the Fixed Term

If you want to end your tenancy when the fixed term period of the agreement is due to run out, you will need to give at least 14 day's notice. This notice must be in writing or email an can be given up to and inclouding the last da of the fixed term.

AFTER the Fixed Term (Periodic Lease)

If you want to end your tenancy after the fixed term has ended (and you have not signed another agreement), you will need to give at least 21 days' notice. This notice can be given at any time and does not have to line up with rent payment cycle. You must pay the rent up to and including the day your notice ends and you vacate.
 

Vacating the Premises

On receipt of your written notice to vacate, we will endeavour to organise an appointment for the final inspection with you, wherever possible. If this is not possible, a final inspection will be carried out within two (2) working days of you returning your keys of the property to our office.

You will be required to provide us with your account details for the refund of your Bond. To ensure this goes as smoothly as possible, provide us with your account details at the same time you hand in your keys and vacate.

Vacating Notice - Tenant-Vacating-Notice
Vacating Cleaning Checklist - Vacate-Checklist
 

NSW Fair Trading Tenant Fact Sheets.

NSW Fair Trading

www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au

Call 13 32 20 (8:30am - 5pm, Monday to Friday)

All fact sheets listed below can be accessed on the Fair Trading website.

Starting a tenancy, information for tenants

This is a collection of fact sheets for people who rent on topics related to starting a tenancy:

• New tenant checklist
• Tenancy databases
• Discrimination when renting
• Residential tenancy complaints

During a tenancy, information for tenants:

This is a collection of fact sheets for people who rent, on topics hat may arise during a tenancy:

• Privacy when renting
• Getting repairs done
• Safety and security
• Rent increases
• Paying water charges
• Falling behind with your rent
• Asking to make an alteraton
• Sharing a rented home
• Domestic violence in a rented property
• Mortgagee re-possession
• Natural disasters
• Pests and vermin
• Residential tenancy complaints

Ending a tenancy, information for tenants

This is a collection of fact sheets for people who rent, on topics related to ending a tenancy

• Breaking a lease early
• Getting your bond back
• Retrieving goods left behind
• Residential tenancy complaints

If you have found a property you would like to rent, the next step is to complete an application form. The application form is your way of showing the landlord and agent that you are the best candidate for the property, that you are able to pay the rent and that you will look after the property as specified in the tenancy agreement. Your application is reviewed against all the other applicants so making sure yours stands out is important. There are a number of documents that are often required to accompany your application, therefore before you go house hunting it's worthwhile ensuring everything is up to scratch. By being able to produce this information promptly when required can prove to be the clincher in a rental race.

What should be included in the rental application:

Rental Resume

To help save time and to show you are super keen to rent the property, consider compiling a rental resume and bringing a printed copy to the viewing.  Make sure you include your personal details, your education, current employment details, salary, rental history, references and contact details.  Making a good first impression with a document such as this may help your application.

Photo Identification

This may be one of the more obvious pieces of paperwork, but it's also one of the most important. Put yourself in the landlord's shoes - would you allow a tenant to live in your home, despite having no way of proving they are who they say they are?

Your driver's license or passport will normally suffice.

Reference Letters

Any reference letters you may have had from past landlords and employers are suitable. Having positive feedback straight from the horse's mouth can really sway the decision in your favour.
 

Pay Slips

Significant scope is placed on your ability to pay rent, as most often landlords will prefer tenants that have a constant and reliable source of income.

Adding a few recent pay slips and bank statements to your application will not only show proof of employment, but should also allay any fears a landlord may have over missed payments.

Rental History

Rental history is information on your past rental arrangements, which includes former addresses, late rent payments and evictions, as well as criminal history, your credit score and other data to help a landlord judge whether or not you're a good fit as a tenant.   This information is to renting what your credit score is to getting a finance for a loan.  If you have a good rental report you are more likely to be approved for a rental than if you have a poor rental history report.

With your permission landlords and agents can access this information quickly and easily and assess whether or not you are suitable tenant for their property.  Make sure you understand what is in your rental history report so you are not faced with any surprises.  Download and review it and be prepared to discuss any issues it may highlight.

This can be a crucial addition to your application.
 

Cover Letter

If you really want to put off a good first impression, you should attach a cover letter to your application form.

Not only will this differentiate you from other applicants, but the piece of paper detailing your application and supporting why you should be considered will add a more professional feel.

Just like a job interview, wearing your best clothes and getting a new trim for the inspection might help too!

Follow up

If you have submitted an application and have not heard anything 48 hours later, we recommend following up with the agent either via email or via phone.  Let them know you are super keen to rent the property and ask if they need any more information from you.   If they receive a pleasant message from you it may help you be approved.

Are you a First time Tenant and Need a Reference?

You have spent all week poring over homes for rent in your area and then arrive at the open for inspection to find 40 other people as keen to rent the property as you are.

The agent greets you at the door and asks for your rental history, but what do you do if this is your first rental home?  Firstly don't panic, fortunately, every tenant has been a first-time renter at some point and there are a number of things you can do to strengthen your application.

An agent or property manager will be mainly concerned with an applicant's ability to pay the rent, as well as their ability to take care of the property and comply with the terms and conditions of the lease.  While references from previous landlords are requested, there are other ways you can demonstrate your trustworthiness, that you can pay your rent on time and take care of the property.

The information you should supply will vary depending on your previous circumstances - for example, if you were previously living in student accommodation, you may wish to provide the details of the person who was in charge of managing the complex.

If you previously owned your own home and have sold the property, the agent who handled the sale may be able to act as a reference for you.

And if you are currently living with your parents, you will require personal references. In some situations, you may also choose to have a parent co-sign your lease with you.

Examples of documentation you can provide that will help a property investment manager make these decisions include:

• Verification of employment
• Verification of income
• Reference from employer or fellow staff member
• Reference from neighbour/teacher/business person/doctor/accountant
• Photo identification driver's licence/passport/student ID
• Three personal references - these should not be from relatives
• Last gas/electricity/phone bill or rates notice

Build a relationship with the agent

Spend time getting to know the agent - visit them at their office,  talk to them at the viewing and always look presentable.  They want to ensure the tenants they place in the property they are managing, are reliable and easy to deal with - so show them that you are.  Ask them what you should put in your application as they assess it before it goes to the landlord having built up their trust may help you get approved.


CLICK HERE to go to fill in our online tenancy application forms

CLICK HERE to download our tenancy application forms

CLICK HERE to visit our 100 points of ID system, to see what is required when completing a tenancy application.