As a tenant you will receive an important Information Statement following every inspection of your home
From time to time your property manager will require us to attend your property to assess, service, install, fix, or replace smoke alarms, safety switches and/or
corded window furnishings safety devices and warning labels.
When we receive a maintenance order from your Property Manager we will either send you a Form 9 (Entry Notice) or we will call you.
The laws in Queensland apply to Tenants as well as Property Managers and Landlords.
What you need to do:
- Replace the batteries in your smoke alarm/s if they become flat or nearly flat during your tenancy.
- Do not break, remove, or tamper with any of the smoke alarms and safety devices.
- Clean (by vacuuming and/or dusting) and test your smoke alarm/s at least once every 12 months.
- Do not remove warning tags or labels from corded window furnishings.
- If you find problems with these devices at any time during your tenancy report them to your property manager immediately.
Our obligation to your Property Manager or Landlord includes information relating to any damage or tampering of these devices. Please be aware that your
Property Manager may either issue you with a Form 11 – Notice to Remedy Breach and/or require you to pay for any damage you have caused.
Common questions answered here
1My smoke alarm goes off at 2:00am?
The most common cause for a smoke alarm to sound in the early hours of the morning, whether it be an intermittent chirp or prolonged warning siren, is due to insect and/or gecko activity inside the smoke alarm.
Smoke alarms provide a warm ‘nest like’ environment that attracts insects and geckos, and it is during the early hours of the morning that they are most active and can disrupt the sensor inside.
The quick solution is to vacuum or remove and ‘tap and shake’ the alarm to disrupt, dislodge and remove any insects or gecko eggs from inside the alarm.
Following this it is recommended to clean (Spray N Wipe) the area around the alarm to reduce the likelihood of the insects and/or geckos returning.
DO NOT SPRAY THE ALARM ITSELF WITH INSECT SPRAY OR DETERGENTS.
Avoid wet cleaning the alarm itself, as the use of water and/or detergents can damage the alarm and render any warranty void.
2I don't want anyone entering my home when I'm not there
Although we most certainly welcome tenants to be present during inspections, unlike general tenancy inspections conducted by your Property Manager, our inspections must be completed within strict time frames set down by law.
The guaranteed successful completion of these inspections within the strict legal time frame will always take precedence, as your landlord has paid us to meet their legal obligations on their behalf.
Form 9 Entry Notices are issued by post, email or hand delivered to ensure this.
As detailed in the RTA Conditions of Entry and Privacy, provided the correct notice has been given (Form 9), entry is permitted whether the tenant is present or otherwise.
Your Property Manager will facilitate access to your property on the day of the inspection to ensure it is completed.
Please ensure that all levels and all rooms at the property are accessible, and that both the electrical meter and sub mains (fuses and switches) are accessible also – these are sometimes in separate locations.
Animals at the property should be either removed or restrained on the day of the inspection.
Kindly ensure that any minors must have a person aged 16 years or older at the home.
Due to the nature of our inspections and the volume of inspections completed daily, and in accordance with the RTA Conditions of Entry and Privacy, we are not required to and do not specify a two hour time frame on the day of the inspection.
If you receive a Form 9 Entry Notice and have extenuating circumstances, please immediately call our office to discuss entry.
In many cases and provided we have the scope to do so, we are happy to accommodate those tenants with special considerations.
3I cannot reach my smoke alarm
In Queensland, under the NCC and BCA, alarms must be situated on or near the ceiling.
Tenant maintenance of alarms is viewed no different to that of light globes (bulbs) in the home. If a light globe blows, it is the responsibility of the tenant to replace the light globe, even if it is out of reach (whether due to ceiling height or tenant disability).
If as a tenant you are unable to reach the alarm, it is your responsibility to engage a friend, family member or professional to do this on your behalf.
You can engage us at our low Once-off Service cost.
In the same way it is not the responsibility of the landlord to attend to replace light globes during a tenancy, it is not the responsibility of the landlord to fulfill the legal responsibilities placed on the tenant under the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 (Qld).
This includes replacing batteries and cleaning the alarms during a tenancy.
In fact, the law prohibits the transfer of legal obligations between landlords and tenants under QFESA1990 Division 5A Section 104RJ(2).
However, in the interest of safety, for physically disabled and elderly tenants of properties under our landlord annual service plans, we are happy to pop by to change flat batteries during a tenancy at no cost, provided that a new battery is supplied and it is at a time suitable to us.
To a maximum ceiling height of 3.8 metres.
4I don't like the warning labels on my blinds
Recent laws now require that blinds and curtains that are operated by hanging cords or chains must be fitted with child safety devices and warning labels.
Although warning labels can appear ‘ugly’ to some, they are required by law and are a fixture of the home.
Removing them and/or not taking adequate care to prevent damage to them when operating the blinds or curtains is a breach of both your General Tenancy Agreement and the Internal Corded Window Coverings legislation.
At Complied, we install only the highest quality and most durable warning labels available on the Australian market that meet with the standard.
They are smaller than most, discreet, sun, water and tear resistant.
In accordance with industry best practice recommendations, warning labels installed by us are installed using cable ties.
This ensures that the warning labels never fall off or tear off, but also serves to allow the warning labels to move more freely on chains, which minimizes the warning labels becoming caught in tensioners.
5My smoke alarm beeps once every minute
A single beep (or chirp) once a minute, every minute continuously more often than not indicates that the battery is near flat.
As soon as is reasonably practicable, the tenant must immediately replace the flat or near flat battery in the alarm.
This is a legal requirement placed on the tenant under QFESA1990 Division 5A Section 104RE(3).
If after replacing the battery the alarm continues to chirp once every minute, please refer to Question 1 above and troubleshoot those steps.
If the problem still persists, please contact us and we will investigate the fault further at no cost to you (the tenant)
– available to tenants of properties that are serviced under a current Complied annual service plan only.
6I'm unsure how to open my smoke alarm to change the battery
If you are unsure how to correctly open your smoke alarm to change the battery, please call us.
We keep a complete photographic register of all alarms at your property.
This means we can identify the brand and type of alarm whilst you are on the phone and advise how to safely and correctly remove the alarm, replace the battery and re-install the alarm, reducing the risk of you accidentally damaging the alarm otherwise.
