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Responsibilities for tenants in government employee housing

Government employee housing (GEH) tenants have a right to privacy, safety and peace and quiet. They also have responsibilities under:

  • The Residential Tenancies Act 1995
  • their tenancy agreement.

Tenant Responsibilities

Key responsibilities for a tenant are to:

  • pay rent on time
  • keep the property and grounds clean and tidy
  • repair damage caused by yourself or guests
  • report any damage, defects or deterioration
  • be considerate of neighbours and observe local government regulations.  For example, pet control or burning rubbish
  • get landlord permission before making modifications or additions.

The cost of repairing any damage, blockage or breakage that is not the result of fair wear and tear is generally the tenant’s responsibility. Tenants may contact a qualified tradesperson at their own expense or complete the maintenance request form.

Tenants can be held responsible for:

  • damage to walls and doors, scarring, wall posters or careless picture hanging or removal
  • damage to toilet pans and hand basins that is not considered fair wear and tear
  • damage to floor coverings, blinds, curtains or furnishings
  • broken fixed glass, unless structural movement obviously caused it or vandalism is proven with a Police Report
  • cost of clearing blocked drains, if it is found that the drains are blocked by tenant misuse
  • electrical fuses or circuits damaged by the tenant:
    • using faulty electrical appliances
    • overloading a power point
  • removing household pests and vermin, except from local infestation
  • damage to water pipes, cables and garden taps caused by the tenant
  • any puncture to underground pipes caused by digging
  • damage to fly screens caused by tenant misuse or pet damage
  • upkeep of lawn and garden areas, including mowing, weeding and watering
  • replacing lost keys or changing locks due to lost keys
  • damage to or loss of any furniture supplied by government employee housing.

Landlord responsibilities

Landlords also have responsibilities under the Residential Tenancies Act 1995.

They must:

  • make sure premises meet health, safety and housing standards
  • provide the premises in a clean and reasonable state, and maintain it to an acceptable standard
  • keep the promises made in the tenancy agreement and supply agreed services.

Pests and vermin

A few spiders or ants are normal in regional areas. But sometimes, infestations can occur and it can be tricky to know who is responsible.

Tenant responsibilities

Tenants must deal with pests that appear during the tenancy.

If tenants cause or allow an infestation and do not attend to it, tenants are responsible for any property damage.

Landlord responsibilities

If an infestation exists at the start of the tenancy, the landlord must manage it. This includes:

  • ants
  • cockroaches, fleas and spiders
  • mice and rats.

Landlords are also responsible for removing and sealing entry points for:

  • birds
  • possums.

During the tenancy, landlords must deal with pests in certain situations:

  • bees and wasps, if in a wall cavity
  • mice and rats, if plague proportions are declared the local council
  • snakes, only if the landlord breaches the agreement, such as leaving piles of rubbish
  • white ants at all times.

Contact us

Government Employee Housing

Phone: 1800 804 713

Email: DIT.GEHadmin@sa.gov.au