29 November 2011

Sharehousing logistics - adding tenant to agreement

| Cyph
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What are the steps for adding a housemate onto an existing tenancy agreement in Canberra?

I note that the Residential Tenancy Agreement (72) states that: (1) The tenant must not assign or sublet the premises or any part of them without the written consent of the lessor; (2) Consent may be given at any time.

If this is the case, then how should I go about adding a tenant to the agreement? Run interviews with potential housemates first, then contact agent saying I’ve found someone suitable? Or should I tell agent upfront that I’ll be looking to share with someone in the near future (seeing as I’ll be applying for a 2 bedder on my own)? Will that decrease my chances of being approved for a place?

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Thanks everyone. It turns out the agent is quite okay with me co-tenanting – apparently landlord was also in same situation, looking for new housemates every year, so was expecting that I’d add someone to the lease. And I hope I don’t have the same dramas as you, Betto!

I did this. Got a two bed place, told agent I would be looking for a suitable housemate and moving them in. Got a lecture about picking someone suitable, reassured them I didn’t want to live with drug dealers. They said that was fine, they just had to be cleared by the agent. I signed the lease, making it clear I was happy to take full legal responsibility for the property.

Then when I found someone (an upstanding citizen) a week later and submitted their details to the agent for them to check them out, it was like I was doing something completely surprising and unexpected. It ended up being quite a saga, even though the person had glowing references, money etc. Eventually it all worked out, took about two weeks of arguments and whatnot, but yes, Canberra agents can be very fussy and hard to figure out. It just depends.

It depends who the real estate agent is – some, like Independant and LJ Hooker insists that everyone in the house must be on the lease.

I got a place on my own and flagged at that time that I would be looking to find a housemate. My application was approved and I had found someone by the time came to sign the lease.

When I changed housemates I made the new housemate complete the application form, sent it to the agent and they prepared a new lease. I’m not sure what would happen if they didn’t want to sign a new lease.

JonahBologna11:48 am 29 Nov 11

My agent doesn’t care who my partner and I share with: we are on the lease and we are the ones that are liable. The only reason they even want the third person’s name is so that they can call up the agent to get the place unlocked in case they get locked out.

Just a letter from the agent saying you have permission to sublet is enough. They don’t need to be added to an agreement.

I have permission to sublet (4×2 house) and the agent was happy with this.

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