Renters – don’t get blacklisted

Most renters understand that if they don’t pay their rent, or if they make irreparable damage to a property, it’s not going to end well. But did you know that as a renter, you can appear on a national database of tenants that potential landlords can check at any time?

That’s right – landlords have the power to ‘blacklist’ you, but only if:

The amount you owe them is not covered by the bond; or a possession order has been made against you. Tenant databases are run by private companies who collect information about tenants and share it with landlords for a fee. The largest tenant and public record database is the National Tenancy Database (NTD). Used for both residential and commercial property, the NTD contains basic tenant information that is vital for landlords when reviewing a rental application, including public record files and tenant history files.

As a renter, what else should I know?

I’ve come across some renters that haven’t paid phone bills for months and months. If you can’t afford to pay your phone bill, you’d struggle to pay rent. However, things have to be pretty extreme for a third party to lodge a complaint. The amount you owe a landlord – in rental payments or damages – must exceed the amount of your bond. The complaint must also be presented to you in writing before being lodged with a tenancy database.

A lot of the tenants on the database are repeat offenders, but most tenants do the right thing.

If you would like more information regarding property management please phone our friendly staff at Dowling Mayfield on 02 4960 0499