How to List a Property on Granny Flat Rental

Posted on November 26, 2021

How to prepare your granny flat for lease to find a tenant

Make sure the garden is well presented, neat & mowed, ready to photograph
Make sure any paving/decks are in good condition & any hoses wrapped neatly
Check the fence & gate are in good working order
Make sure all stairs are secure and that railings are to building codes
Professional clean & sanitise ready to show
Present the property with some furniture & styling (sheets on the bed, flowers, fruit bowl) for the best photos (we give a handy guide to photographing your property yourself here)
If you don’t believe you can take or enlist someone you know for help in taking good photos that will show the value of your property, it’s probably worth using a professional photographer - we can put you in touch with one in your area

How to advertise to find a tenant

To advertise your property on GrannyflatRental.com.au click here.
Listing on Granny Flat Rental can advertise your dwelling to anybody with the internet, plus we already have prospect tenant members waiting for your listing.
Contact us if you have any problems uploading your property via our 'List a Property Form' button on our home page or click here.
If you’re interested in a quote to further your exposure and get more leads via one of our Facebook ads contact us at service@grannyflatrental.com - make sure to have followed our steps to taking good property photos or hired a professional
Listing on our site gives you the potential of featuring as a Granny Flat for Rent of the Week or Weekend, which we dedicate posts to across our social media platforms, making your property stand out to thousands. Your photos must be of high quality to be considered, Do you have an interesting story or unique small home, if so we would also love to feature you in our blog.

What to do once you think you have found a tenant

Check out your potential tenants with a past tenancy and police check through TICA or NTD (link below in Links to Help section)
Ask for 100 points worth of ID (read our help document on 100 points of identification)
Once leasing if you're hesitant to lease to potential tenants with a pet, ask for a Pet Reference (either from a past landlord, a vet or groomer can give you a good indication of an animals behaviour). With over 66% of potential granny flat tenants owning a pet, we encourage pet friendly properties at building or reno time by appropriate flooring and fenced areas. With the additional pet clause signed for these tenants, risks are lowered, and carpet cleaning is a must on departure. Any damage should be covered anyway by the bond & the additional clauses stating the property pet care required throughout the tenancy.. We still recommend you meet the pet prior to signing a lease if possible, so you can feel more comfortable that both your tenant and their furry companion are just right for you and your property.
Cats: ask the tenant if their cat will be indoors at night and how they are with birds if you have a lot of fauna in your area
Dogs: ask if it is walked regularly and how it is when left home alone
Make sure prospect tenants agree to cleaning up after their pets in the garden and signs the additional pet clause around carpet cleaning/damage, etc.
 

Prepare a tenancy lease agreement & collect a deposit & a bond

You can ask for a one week holding deposit which will come off the first weeks rent once you have approved them for the property.
Write up a lease - Here is the NSW Tenancy Agreement pdf that you may want to use as a basis below in the links section are the other tenancy agreement links for each state.
Add any additional clauses that are not mentioned on a standard lease specific to your property on a separate page & make sure the tenant signs this additional clause page.
Additional clauses might include:
- No smoking
- If a pet is accepted carpets must be professionally cleaned on vacate; cleaning after the pet in the garden areas;  dog must be walked regularly, are some examples
The bond should be lodged with your states Rental Bond Board (link below in Links to Help section)Make sure you and your tenant read the Rental Guide for your state - links in Link Section

 

Agent or self-advertised & managed?

We can send a professional agent in your area to appraise your property and help you prepare; just fill in our Find a Property Manager form here.
Otherwise follow our help list above, and check out our blog for further articles. Make sure you or your agent list on www.grannyflatrental.com.au, the best place to advertise a secondary rental, as we have many prospect tenants already signed up for a property alert. You also gain social media opportunities when listing on our rental site. Get your agent to touch base directly with us so we can help set them up a realty agent account with easy listing options.

Benefits of using an agent to find a tenant and setup the lease

- Agents will have a pool of prospect tenants on their books
- Agents will conduct all the necessary checks & reference checks for prospect tenants
- Agents setup leases daily so will be experienced
- Agents can help provide advice on the appraisal value of the rental & anything needing to be done to lease the property

 

Benefits of using an agent to manage your granny flat or studio


Besides the above benefits of using an agent to find a tenant & setup the lease:
- Agents can collect the rent & keep it up to date or chase any arrears (uncomfortable position if renting privately on the same block)
- Agents conduct regular inspections & know the legislation around your property upkeep
- Agents can oversee the maintenance & any service providers (ie smoke alarms, trades)
- Agents will keep an eye on any legislation changes
- Agents know how to prepare for tribunal if anything goes wrong
- Agents will have good paperwork on the tenancy to aid you

Links to Help
https://www.tica.com.au/police-checks.php

https://www.tenancydatabase.com.au

NSW
https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-property/renting
https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-property/renting/new-residential-tenancy-laws

https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/608382/Tenant-information-statement.pdf

https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/nswgovdirectory/rental-bond-board

QLD

https://www.rta.qld.gov.au/

https://www.rta.qld.gov.au/before-renting/tenancy-agreements

VIC

https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing

https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/renting/starting-and-changing-rental-agreements/different-rental-agreements/residential-rental-agreements

https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/renting/starting-and-changing-rental-agreements/resources-and-guides-for-renters/renters-guide

WA

https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/publications/rent-agreement-form-1aa

https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/atoms/files/rtagreeform1aa.pdf

SA

https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/housing/renting-and-letting/renting-privately/forms-and-fact-sheets-for-private-rental-tenancies

https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/housing/renting-and-lettinghttps://www.sa.gov.au/topics/housing/renting-and-letting

TAS

https://cbos.tas.gov.au/topics/housing/renting/beginning-tenancy/leases

https://cbos.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/467535/CBOS-rental-guide2019.pdf

Author Lisa de Ruyter

 

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Disclaimer: Any information is of general help & not deemed as legal or financial advice. GrannyFlatRental.com.au Pty Ltd is not held responsible for any compensation from this general help.