Western Australia Rights and Obligations during Tenancy

Landlords and tenants have various rights and obligations during the tenancy agreement. These include paying for utilities, repairs and maintenance, and security.

What should I do if the other party breaches the Residential Tenancy Agreement?

If the other party breaches the tenancy agreement, you should firstly attempt to resolve the matter by simply informing the other party and discussing a solution. If this does not work, you can give them a breach notice. The notice formally tells the other party to fix the breach. If the breach is not fixed, the landlord or tenant can seek a court order or decide to terminate the tenancy, depending on the circumstances. This is covered in more detail in the Termination Guide. What breach notice you should use depends on the nature of the breach and who is at fault:

• Form 23: Breach of Agreement by Landlord—for tenants to give to landlords who have breached the agreement
• Form 21: Breach of Agreement by Tenant (failure to pay rent)—for landlords to give to tenants who have failed to pay rent on time
• Form 20: Breach of Agreement by Tenant (other breaches)—for landlords to give to tenants who have breached the agreement in any way except for failure to pay rent

Who is responsible for utility fees and other charges?

Various different charges arise during the tenancy for the premises. Generally, tenants pay for utilities like water that are separately metered for their use. Landlords pay for most other charges like land taxes and council rates.

Read more about Fees and Charges

What general rights and obligations do tenants and landlords have?

Throughout the tenancy the tenant and landlord each have a number of general rights and obligations owed to each other. For example, the tenant has the right to enjoy the rented premises without any interference by the landlord. The tenant is also under an obligation to keep the premises clean and to notify the landlord of any damage.

Read more about General Rights and Obligations

When can the landlord enter the premises?

During the tenancy the landlord may need to enter the premises for a particular reason. Importantly, landlords can only enter under a certain number of circumstances. If the tenant consents, the landlord can enter at any time. If the tenant does not consent, then the landlord can only enter for specific reasons like an emergency or to conduct repairs.

Read more about the Landlord’s Rights to Enter the Premises

Who is responsible for repairs and maintenance?

Landlords are under a general obligation to provide and maintain the premises in a reasonable state of repair throughout the tenancy. Therefore it is generally the landlord’s responsibility to conduct or arrange for repairs. Urgent repairs may also be necessary in some circumstances.

Read more about Repairs and Maintenance

When can alterations or additions be made to the premises?

Before the tenant or landlord installs any fixtures or makes any alterations to the premises, they must get the other party’s consent.

Read more about Alterations and Additions

Who is responsible for security?

The landlord is responsible for providing and maintaining the premises at a reasonably secure standard. If the locks need to be changed by the landlord or tenant they should get the consent of the other party.

Read more about Security and Locks

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