Property inspections back on for Melburnians
Take a deep breath, clean that spare room and thank your lucky stars, Melburnians can now legally host in-person inspections for potential flatmates.
Getty Images
The Vic Govt made big changes to the the lives of Victorians on Sunday arvo, easing restrictions, dropping curfew and bringing forward some dates from proposed the Roadmap to Recovery. One such change, is the allowance of private residential inspections. This is huge news for our Melb Flatmates community, as viewing a property before you move in is critical to ensure your safety but also to suss if the vibes of the home suit your vibe.
Housing update: Private residential property inspections are permitted from Monday September 28.
What’s changed
Whilst this announcement was really targeted at property managers and landlords hoping to fill their empty rentals, it’s also great for people living in share houses who might have had their house dynamic affected by Covid-19 (a flatmate had to move back home as they couldn’t afford the rent or the house is desperate to rent out that spare room to earn a bit extra cash), either way, it’s all legal now.
Premier Dan Andrews, a man of the people, promised if Melburnians stuck to the rules and were all good girls and boys, the State Government would consider bringing forward the dates of the roadmap. True to form and due to the low case numbers Victorians have been experiencing over the past month, private rental inspections have been brought forward from its original plan of Oct 26th. Yay!
Why do you need to view a property before you move in?
Ok so you might have already chatted to this person online, you’ve done a Zoom call, they’ve sent pics of the inside of the home and you’re happy. Why can’t you just move in already?
This is a big no-no. It’s super important you always view the property before handing the money over, for a few reasons:
- You might hate the place. Good editing and certain angles can make a broom cupboard look like a palace.
- There might be issues hidden from photos. Growing mould, broken toilet seat, faulty lights switches etc.
- You might not like the people living there. It’s biology y’all.
- It could be a scam. Flatmates.com.au have a full time moderation team to ensure the safety of our community but sometimes the wrong people slip through the cracks. Unfortunately there are some nasty people out there who want to take advantage of people in difficult situations - like those who are desperate to move into a new house.
So please, ALWAYS view the property in person before handing over the cash. You can read our article on how to stay safe online for more .
What’s allowed
The Premier did not comment on real estate restrictions at his Sunday press conference, but government documents show 15 minute private property inspections would be allowed with one agent and one prospective tenant, along with their household or intimate partner. So if you’re living in a share house this would mean you and your household can show a single potential flatmate around your home at a time.
At this stage, we do not know if this means you can travel outside of your 5km radius to view a property, stay tuned.
Keep your home Covid-safe
As always, our Covid-safe home steps should be followed:
- Wear a mask
- Maintain 1.5 metres distance
- Only invite you best prospects around after a video tour and video chat
- Read our article on how to find a flatmate during Covid-19
Respect your flatmates
With the easing of restrictions, it’s important that people living in a share house remain respectful of their flatmates. Not everyone will be thrilled with the changes and the oncoming loosening of rules may fill many with added anxiety. Communicate and let your flatmates know your plans and social outings while social distancing laws are still in place.
