You must know your rights when renting
shanelle.prasad@fijitimes.com.fj
AS a consumer you must know your rights when renting a property. The Consumer Council of Fiji has advised that there should always be a written agreement prepared by the landlord and signed by the new tenant.
“It is crucial that the tenant must be given the time to read and understand the tenancy agreement before he or she is asked to sign,” the council said.
“Additional terms may be added to the agreement so long as they do not breach any provisions of the residential tenancy laws.
“Any such terms are not binding or enforceable, even though the tenant may sign the agreement.”
The council said tenants should always take photos of the premises they intend to rent prior to moving in as it would assist them in gaining back the rental bond refunded when vacating the premises.
“If there are any repair work that needs to be done by the landlord prior to the occupation of the premises, the tenant must note down those repairs and get it signed by the landlord.
“In addition, a written notice of approximately 30 calendar days must always be given to either party if a tenancy agreement is to be ended.”
The council said the notice of the termination must be in writing, state the address of the premises, be signed and dates, allowed a required period of time, provide the date on which the tenant intends to or requests to move out and provide reasons for ending the agreement.
“It is important to take note that the notice period is counted from the day the notice is served and the tenant can also write to the landlord for extension of stay before the 30 days’ notice expires.”