Moving house can be a stressful, and an expensive time for renters. But a recent decision by Tasmania’s residential tenancy commissioner could take at least one task off the to do list.
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00:00When you move out of a rental property, you'll often be asked to get all the carpets cleaned and to pay for it as well.
00:10But in Tasmania, is that really the renter's responsibility?
00:14One renter in Burnie moved out without getting the carpet cleaned, so their landlord arranged it instead, then billed them $200.
00:23The renter took this matter to the Tenancy Commissioner and won.
00:28The Commissioner says a tenant is not responsible for carpet cleaning performed as a matter of general practice, as opposed to any real need or genuine failure of the tenant.
00:39There was a small stain on the carpet, so the tenant was only required to pay $25 to get that fixed.
00:46Professional carpet cleaning clauses in lease agreements are invalid and inconsistent with the Residential Tenancy Act.
00:54Most real estate agents use a template tenancy agreement provided by the Real Estate Institute of Tasmania.
01:00It has a clause that says, when a tenant leaves, they must have the carpets professionally cleaned.
01:05But the Commissioner found the Act overrides clauses in tenancy agreements.
01:10The Residential Tenancy Act says nothing specific about carpet cleaning, but what it says is you must return the condition of the premises the same as you got it in, save for reasonable wear and tear.
01:24So if a clause has no standing in the law, it doesn't necessarily apply.
01:29The Real Estate Institute of Tasmania declined to comment.
01:33The Real Estate Institute of Tasmania was not responsible for placing the
01:44Fourty Leading Commission on the
01:51Threety Leading Commission on the