Consumer Protection

20 May 2019

Scammers can hack property transaction emails

Your buyers are ready to make a deposit for the property they’re purchasing. They receive an email from your agency advising of new deposit bank account details and transfer the funds as directed. While they excitedly anticipate owning their new home, the funds disappear into a scammer’s hands.

In this scenario the scammer hacked the real estate agency’s email systems and impersonated an agency representative.

Think this can’t happen to you? Think again.

All incorporated associations are required by the Associations Incorporation Act 2015 to provide for the Schedule 1 items in the rules (often called the constitution).   After 1 July 2019 if an association’s rules fail to address a Schedule 1 matter, the relevant provision of the model rules will be deemed to apply.  The purpose of this guide is to identify the sections of the model rules that may apply if a Schedule 1 item is missing from an association’s rules.  

29 April 2019

Hot tip to avoid costly bond lodgement failures

Did you know? Approximately 30-40% of bond lodgement failures are the result of invalid direct debit account types provided on lodgement forms. Online bank accounts, popular with both lessors and tenants, are commonly used. However, banks prohibit Consumer Protection from direct debiting online bank accounts as well as:

29 April 2019

Hot tip: Avoid costly bond lodgement failures

For long-stay tenancy agreements, park operators are legally required to lodge bonds within 14 days of receiving the funds.  Bonds must be lodged with either the Bond Administrator or the funds are to be deposited into a separate tenancy bond account with a financial institution where the account held in the names of both you as the park operator and the long-stay tenant and entitled “tenancy bond account”.

April 29 2019

RCDs reminder – stay current with requirements

Residual current devices (RCDs) save lives! New legislation came in November 2018 that requires all electrical installations in new residential builds after 1 January 2019 to comply with new wiring rules. For existing residences, at least two RCDs must be fitted to protect all power and lighting circuits but the new law does not require RCDs on final sub-circuits.

29 April 2019

National safety alert reminder – gas heaters

In case you missed it, a national safety alert was issued last month for four open-flued gas heaters that, under certain circumstances, may produce too much carbon monoxide – potentially causing serious health risks to users.

If the home you're renting has one of the following gas heaters, stop using it immediately and notify your landlord or property manager:

April 24 2019

Dealing with foreign buyers? You should know this.

Effective 1 January 2019, certain acquisitions of residential property by foreign buyers in Western Australia are subject to an additional 7% duty. This includes transfers of property. 

The person liable to pay duty is generally the purchaser, transferee or person receiving the dutiable property.

You should communicate this information to foreign buyers as a material fact. 

24 April 2019

Dealing with foreign buyers? You should know this.

Effective 1 January 2019, certain acquisitions of residential property by foreign buyers in Western Australia are subject to an additional 7% duty. This includes transfers of property. 

The person liable to pay duty is generally the purchaser, transferee or person receiving the dutiable property.

You should communicate this to foreign buyers as they are now potentially liable for this in addition to regular duties and fees. 

April 15 2019

Family and domestic violence tenancy laws now in effect

Tenancy reforms to assist Western Australian renters affected by family and domestic violence started on 15 April 2019. On Monday afternoon Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Simone McGurk joined Consumer Protection Commissioner David Hillyard and REIWA President Damian Collins to commemorate this historic event.