Internet/phone line for tenants

[r3ckless]

Hi All,

Moving into my new PPOR and looking to set up Telstra phone line connection and internet. After 6 months will be moving out and renting out.

Questions:

1 - Worth it to keep phone line/internet for tenants with extra in rent?
2 - should I just keep a phone line - worth it?

Discuss/opinions?

Alex

 

[Peter_Tersteeg]

It's still a general expectation that the property will have a phone connection available. It's seen as an essential service. If a tenant requests it you pretty much have to supply it.

If you're not going to use it, perhaps wait until it's on the rental market, you'll be able to claim (slightly) more of the connection cost at that point.

You're not going to get extra rent for having a phone line.

 

[SamL]

Depends where the property is. The rental property I am in does have a phone line but I have no idea if it is connected or not in the exchange. We don't run a home phone and with the NBN FTTH have no need for a phone line for the Internet.

 

[albanga]

When you say "keep a phone line" are you referring to a phone line with an associated number so they can move in and start making calls?

If so, I do not think that is a good idea? The phone will be under your name, regardless if the tenant is in a renting contract. It is like having utilities connected, they should all be under the tenant so they have the responsibility.
What is to stop the tenant from racking up an enormous phone bill and simply not paying it?

If however you are just referring to having the connection available for the tenant so they can arrange their own line then this is just standard. There are exceptions to this such as when i rented in a block of 6 townhouses. I tried to get internet connected and was informed only 3 lines were ran to service all 6 properties. Now because they had already been used by other tenants I had to pay for a new connection ($300!). I thought the developer was required to run a line for each property, but turns out they don't??

Same goes with internet. I personally would not want a tenant using internet that was in my name. Who knows what weird and wonderful things they are going to be looking at and doing.

I guess what I am saying in summary is, YES most definitely a phone line "connection" should be available to your property, BUT if the tenant wants phone or internet then it should be their responsibility to organise it. Exactly like they do with water and electricity.

 

[eXc]

Physical phone line is needed, but I expect you would disconnect when you move out and tenant pay connection fees (that's what I had to do as a tenant and then also when i bought my PPOR)

Internet usage is a rather personal topic. As a bit of a nerd, I would want to choose my own provider.

You also don't want your name attached to a provider if (when?) they go over their limit or download material that the government may (will?) be monitoring...

 

[Terry_w]

Hi All,

Moving into my new PPOR and looking to set up Telstra phone line connection and internet. After 6 months will be moving out and renting out.

Questions:

1 - Worth it to keep phone line/internet for tenants with extra in rent?
2 - should I just keep a phone line - worth it?

Discuss/opinions?

Alex

I would say no for the internet for 2 reasons

1. Potential crimes committed such as paedophilia, frauds etc on your connection

2. Connection problems - they will be asking you to fix the connection all the time.

 

[SamL]

Physical phone line is needed,

A typical physical copper phone line is not required/needed if the property is on the NBN.

 

[albanga]

A typical physical copper phone line is not required/needed if the property is on the NBN.

See that is what i thought but as per my previous post I once rented in a block of 6 and the copper was only available for 3 of the 6. I thought by law each property had to have a connection but was told otherwise and that it would cost me $300 to connect it!

The catch was that my wife and I were renting from her parents who were our landlord and giving us very cheap rent. We did not want to push our luck by asking them to pay $300 but i would imagine if we were renting the property normally that the landlord would have to pay this???