If you’ve ever stood in a rental property arguing about whose job it is to fix a broken tap or clean the oven before handover, you already know the real problem: most people don’t actually know where their responsibilities end and the other party’s begins. It’s not because tenants and landlords are unreasonable, it’s because Western Australia’s rental rules are spread across legislation, prescribed forms, and Consumer Protection guidance that nobody reads until there’s a dispute in front of them.
This guide breaks down tenant and landlord obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (WA), including the changes that have rolled out since 2024, so you know exactly what’s expected of you whether you’re renting a unit in Fremantle or managing an investment property in Joondalup.
The Legal Framework: Residential Tenancies Act 1987
Every tenancy in WA is governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 1987, and since mid-2024 that Act has been going through its biggest overhaul in a decade. The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 introduced changes around pets, minor modifications, rent increase frequency, and how bonds are released and a second phase of reforms is already in progress, covering things like tenancy application processes and pre-lease disclosure.
Every written agreement now has to use the prescribed Form 1AA, which was itself updated again in March 2026. If you’re working from a lease template you downloaded a few years ago, it’s worth double-checking you’re using the current version using an outdated form can cause real problems if a dispute ends up with Consumer Protection or the Magistrates Court.
Landlord Obligations: What Owners and Property Managers Must Do
1. Provide a Property Condition Report
Under Section 27C of the Act, landlords must prepare a Property Condition Report (PCR) and give the tenant two copies within seven days of them moving in. This isn’t a formality it’s the single most important document in any bond dispute. The tenant then has seven days to mark up any disagreements and return a copy. No response within that window, and the report is taken as accurate.
If you’re a landlord, this means the PCR needs to genuinely reflect the state of the property, including cleanliness, at the start of the tenancy. It’s the benchmark everything gets measured against at the end.
2. Maintain the Property in a Reasonable State of Repair
Landlords are required to keep the property reasonably fit to live in, respond promptly to urgent repair requests (think burst pipes, electrical faults, or no hot water), and meet current safety and health standards. This includes things like smoke alarm compliance and structural maintenance items tenants can’t reasonably be expected to fix themselves.
3. Handle the Bond Correctly
Bond money doesn’t sit with the landlord or the property manager; it has to be lodged with the Bond Administrator. A landlord who fails to lodge a bond correctly, or who tries to hold onto it directly, is in breach of the Act and can face financial penalties.
The bond release process was also streamlined in 2026: any party tenant, landlord, or agent can now apply for the bond to be released, and landlords must specify exactly which categories they’re claiming against (cleaning, damage, unpaid rent, and so on) rather than making a vague deduction.
4. Respond to Pet and Modification Requests Within 14 Days
Landlords can no longer issue a blanket “no pets” policy. If a tenant requests to keep a pet, the landlord has 14 days to respond, and can only refuse on limited, prescribed grounds for example, genuine risk to a co-tenant, or strata restrictions. If there’s no response within 14 days, the request is automatically approved. The same 14-day logic broadly applies to requests for minor modifications, like installing childproof latches or hanging picture hooks.
5. Respect Rent Increase Rules
Rent can only be increased once every 12 months, and landlords must give at least 60 days written notice before an increase takes effect. This applies to both fixed-term and periodic tenancies.
6. Allow Quiet Enjoyment
Landlords and agents can’t turn up unannounced or interfere with a tenant’s use of the property. Entry generally requires proper notice, except in genuine emergencies.
Tenant Obligations: What Renters Are Responsible For
1. Pay Rent on Time
This one seems obvious, but it’s worth stating clearly: paying rent on time, in the manner specified in the tenancy agreement, is the tenant’s core obligation. Persistent late payment is one of the most common grounds for a landlord to take formal action.
2. Keep the Property Reasonably Clean
Tenants are required to keep the property in a “reasonably clean” condition throughout the tenancy and, critically, to return it in that same condition (fair wear and tear excepted) when they move out. This is where most bond disputes actually happen. “Reasonably clean” at the end of a lease generally means the kind of clean a new tenant would expect to move into: floors, bathrooms, kitchen (including inside the oven and range hood), windows, carpets, and outdoor areas if applicable.
This is exactly the standard a professional end-of-lease clean is designed to meet, and it’s a big part of why so many tenants in Perth choose to book one rather than risk a bond dispute over a missed detail like a grimy oven tray or mould in the shower grout.
3. Report Damage and Faults Promptly
If something breaks or malfunctions a leaking tap, a faulty smoke alarm, a reticulation issue, tenants are expected to notify the landlord or property manager as soon as reasonably possible. Sitting on a problem can shift responsibility for any resulting damage back onto the tenant.
4. Don’t Use the Property for Illegal Purposes
Tenants must use the property lawfully and avoid disturbing neighbours’ peaceful enjoyment of their own homes. Repeated noise complaints or antisocial behaviour can be grounds for termination.
5. Seek Permission Before Making Changes
Tenants can now request minor modifications changing locks, mounting a TV bracket, installing childproof fixtures but permission still has to be sought first, and the property generally needs to be restored to its original condition at the end of the tenancy unless otherwise agreed.
6. Stick to the Property Condition Report
Whatever condition the PCR records at move-in is the baseline for move-out. If a tenant disagrees with anything in that report, the time to raise it is within the first seven days not on the last day of the lease when the bond is on the line.
Shared Grey Areas: Where Disputes Usually Happen
A few areas cause more arguments than anything else, and they’re worth calling out specifically:
- Reticulation and garden maintenance: Landlords are generally responsible for structural repairs to pumps and irrigation systems, while tenants are expected to monitor day-to-day performance, mow lawns, and report leaks. Lease agreements often spell this out in Part C, so check the specifics of your own agreement.
- End-of-lease cleaning standard: “Reasonably clean” isn’t defined item-by-item in the Act, which is exactly why disputes flare up here. A landlord can’t demand a property be returned in better condition than it was rented in, but a tenant also can’t hand back a home that’s visibly dirtier than normal wear and tear would explain.
- Bond deductions: Since the 2026 changes, landlords must categorise any claim against the bond rather than take a lump sum. If a claim is disputed, it goes to a Commissioner determination rather than automatically to court.
What Happens When There’s a Dispute
If tenants and landlords can’t agree, WA has two main pathways:
- Consumer Protection WA (Commissioner determination) used for specific issues like pet requests, minor modifications, and disputed bond claims.
- Magistrates Court used for broader disputes under Part III of the Act, including compensation claims and terminations.
Both pathways rely heavily on documentation: the Property Condition Report, photos, receipts, and written communication. This is exactly why keeping paperwork, including a receipt for a professional bond clean, matters so much more than people expect until they’re in the middle of a dispute.
Making the Move-Out Process Easier for Everyone
Most tenant-landlord friction isn’t about bad faith, it’s about mismatched expectations at the one moment that matters most: the final inspection. Tenants want their bond back in full. Landlords want the property handed back the way it was received. A thorough, professional end-of-lease clean closes that gap for both sides: it gives tenants a clean record against the PCR, and it gives landlords a property ready for the next occupant without a dispute eating into everyone’s time.
If you’re approaching the end of a lease in Perth and want the cleaning side of the handover sorted properly, the oven, carpets, windows, and all the detail a property manager will actually check Perth Bond Cleaning can take that part off your plate, so the only conversation left with your landlord is a good one.
