Q: How much is the Bond?

Bond is payable, equivalent to 4 weeks’ rent, except where rent is $350 per week or more, the bond will be equivalent to 6 weeks’ rent, and is payable to the State Government Authority. In Melbourne the authority is the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority.

Q: What is a Condition Report?

When you pay a Bond, we must prepare a ‘Condition Report’, which records the property’s general condition, including fittings and fixtures, and present you with 2 paper copies of this Report when you come to collect your keys. Review and, if necessary, add your comments to the ‘Condition Report’. You must return the report to UniLodge within three business days of moving in and you should keep a copy of the ‘Condition Report’ until the end of the tenancy. The ‘Condition Report’ is a very important document, as it can be used as evidence if there is a dispute about who should pay for cleaning, damage, or replacement of missing items, particularly at the end of a tenancy. You may want to take photos of your apartment at the start of your tenancy to further show the condition. The owner may claim some or all of the Bond for cleaning, damage, or replacement of missing items at the end of your tenancy. If the ‘Condition Report’ stated that the work was required at the start of the tenancy, or the items were not listed, it can help you prove the bond should be returned to you.

Question 1

How do I reserve a room at College Square on Lygon?

Accepted Answer

Complete the online application.
	Once we have received your application, we will contact you within 72 hours by email to confirm the details of the lease agreement.
	If you agree with the terms of the lease agreement you will be required to pay a fee which includes first months rental and Bond.

Question 2

What kind of contracts does College Square on Lygon offer?

Accepted Answer

12 months lease. Short term leases may also be available.

Question 3

What does my rent include?

Accepted Answer

Rental in a self-contained apartment at College Square on Lygon includes gas cooking. This means all gas for cooktop cooking is free! Your water and electricity usage and connection is an additional charge to your rent.

Question 4

Why is the rent not 4 times the weekly rental amount?

Accepted Answer

Rental is per calendar month. The weekly rate is multiplied by 52 weeks as there are 52 weeks in a year, and it is then divided by 12 months to get the monthly rate.

Question 5

When do I pay my rent?

Accepted Answer

Your rent is due on the 1st day every month.

Question 6

What is a Bond?

Accepted Answer

A Bond is an amount of money that you need to pay that can be used by the apartment owner if you do not meet the terms and conditions of your tenancy agreement. Examples of this include: If you fail to keep the property clean, cause damage or are in rent arrears, the owner of the property may claim some or the entire Bond only when the tenancy ends.

Question 7

How much is the Bond?

Accepted Answer

Bond is payable, equivalent to 4 weeks&rsquo; rent, except where rent is &#36;350 per week or more, the bond will be equivalent to 6 weeks&rsquo; rent, and is payable to the State Government Authority. In Melbourne the authority is the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority.

Question 8

Paying the Bond?

Accepted Answer

All rental bonds for properties in Victoria are lodged with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) a state government body. Payment must be made payable to the RTBA (not UniLodge). We ask that you provide us with a bank cheque (a bank cheque is a cheque issued by the bank under their name, you can purchase one of these from any Australian Bank). Alternatively, a money order (Available from Australia post) is acceptable. Remember the cheque/Money Order must be made payable to the &lsquo;Residential Tenancies Bond Authority&rsquo;. Bring the bond cheque/money order with you when you are collecting your keys. At this meeting, you will complete and sign the official &ldquo;Bond Lodgement Form&rdquo;. We will forward this to the RTBA and then the RTBA will send a receipt to you direct. Contact the RTBA on 1300 137 164 if you have not received a receipt 15 business days after paying your bond. The ANZ Bank at Melbourne Airport is open from 4:30 am until 11:45pm 7 days a week making it easy for you to obtain a bond cheque. You do not need to open a bank account with them &ndash; you just need to have the amount of the bond and the Banks fee which will be between &#36;10-&#36;15.

Question 9

What is a Condition Report?

Accepted Answer

When you pay a Bond, we must prepare a &lsquo;Condition Report&rsquo;, which records the property&rsquo;s general condition, including fittings and fixtures, and present you with 2 paper copies of this Report when you come to collect your keys.

Review and, if necessary, add your comments to the &lsquo;Condition Report&rsquo;. You must return the report to UniLodge within three business days of moving in and you should keep a copy of the &lsquo;Condition Report&rsquo; until the end of the tenancy.

The &lsquo;Condition Report&rsquo; is a very important document, as it can be used as evidence if there is a dispute about who should pay for cleaning, damage, or replacement of missing items, particularly at the end of a tenancy.

You may want to take photos of your apartment at the start of your tenancy to further show the condition.

The owner may claim some or all of the Bond for cleaning, damage, or replacement of missing items at the end of your tenancy. If the &lsquo;Condition Report&rsquo; stated that the work was required at the start of the tenancy, or the items were not listed, it can help you prove the bond should be returned to you.

Question 10

I am vacating, can I use the Bond for my last months rent?

Accepted Answer

No, your Bond and rent are separate payments.

Question 11

What happens when I vacate?

Accepted Answer

You need to leave your apartment clean and tidy, and ensure all personal items have been removed, report any damage that may have been caused during your tenancy. This allows for a speedy Bond resolution.

Question 12

How do I receive my Bond back?

Accepted Answer

At the end of the tenancy we will provide you a Bond Claim Form for completion. Please ensure you sign the form with the same signature as you used on the &ldquo;Bond Lodgement&rdquo; form at the start of your tenancy. The RTBA will match signatures and will only process your claim if they match. We will lodge the bond claim form once we have the owner and your signed agreement, it then takes another 2-3 business days for the RTBA to process, it repays the bond directly into the nominated bank account on the form, If you have not provided valid bank account details, but have provided a forwarding address, the RTBA will send a cheque. If the RTBA is unable to do either of the above they will retain your money, you will need to contact them via phone on 1300 137 164 to organize for your refund to be released to you.

Question 13

Why are you claiming my Bond?

Accepted Answer

The Owner is entitled to compensation if you have failed any terms or conditions in your tenancy agreement or breached the Residential Tenancies Act (Victorian State Government Law covering rental issues). Please note that the owner cannot claim for wear and tear of items or fittings in the apartment. At UniLodge the vast majority of these sorts of issues are resolved by agreement between the owner and the tenant. If there is no agreement then the Owner may decide to ask the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) to hold a hearing to finally decide on the issue. Please note if the matter goes to VCAT than the resolution of the bond will exceed the time frame mentioned above as we must wait for a hearing date from VCAT.

Question 14

Do I need to organise my own Contents Insurance?

Accepted Answer

No this is included in your rental payments. To view the UniLodge Contents Insurance Product Disclosure Statement - Click Here.