Inspections

Housing inspections

At some point during your tenancy we will need to access your residence in order to:

  • carry out repairs and maintenance work
  • provide periodic access for the lessor (if the property is leased)
  • organise the sale or valuation of the property, or
  • check the property prior to you vacating it.

Typically, you will be provided with at least seven days notice prior to an inspection but at a minimum, you will be given 72 hours notice. During these inspections, please ensure your dogs are restrained.

A Welcome Inspection occurs prior to you occupying your property. The purpose of this inspection is to welcome you to your new home and explain key information such as your rights and responsibilities as the occupant. It is a requirement that the Defence member signs the Tenancy Agreement and Ingoing Condition report (ICR) upon acceptance of a property.

A pre-vacation inspection (PVI) occurs prior to you moving out. Defence Housing Australia will contact you to arrange a suitable time. It is a requirement that the Defence member is present at the PVI so you understand your obligations for maintenance and any potential tenant charges.

If you are unable to attend your PVI, you may appoint someone to attend on your behalf. This person may be your spouse, partner or a representative. Login to Online Services today to appoint an Agent.

In order to maintain and monitor the quality of housing we provide, we conduct periodic inspections of your property during business hours. The inspection is carried out by a Property Manager and arranged by Defence Housing Australia, should you need to change the date/time of this inspection please contact Defence Housing Australia on 139 342. The purpose of the inspection is to identify any maintenance requirements and any non-fair wear and tear. Read about how we define non-fair wear and tear and the standards of repair required. We may conduct additional periodic inspections of the property to help maintain the quality of our housing.
If you are residing in a property which has recently constructed/upgraded as a part of Defence Housing Australia’s program of provisioning housing stock, a defect or structural inspection may be required during your tenancy to identify any defects and facilitate the necessary repairs that may exist on your property prior to the defect or structural warranty period.
The owner of a leased property is entitled to reasonable access if they are to on-sell or have their property valued. They must first contact us and where possible, we will combine a lessor inspection with a periodic inspection to minimise inconvenience.
We sell some of our properties to private investors. If your residence is to be included in this program, we will notify you and arrange for prospective investors to view the property at a mutually convenient time.
  • The prospective purchaser will be accompanied through the property by a contracted Sales Consultant, or Defence Housing Australia staff member, and will remain with the Defence Housing Australia representative at all times.
  • No photos will be taken.
  • No cupboards, drawers etc. will be opened.
  • Additional inspections may be required by the prospective purchaser for the purpose of building/pest inspections and bank valuations. These will be coordinated with you at a mutually convenient time.
  • Please note the Defence Housing Australia representative attending the inspection is a sales representative. If you need to discuss matters about the property, please call Defence Housing Australia on 139 342.
  • Photos may need to be taken to assist the company with its report.
  • Inspections may be required by the purchaser for the purpose of a building, pest, or bank valuations. These will be coordinated with you at a mutually convenient time.
  • If you need to discuss matters about the property, please contact Defence Housing Australia on 139 342.

If you are unable to attend a scheduled inspection at your property, you may appoint an agent to attend on your behalf. This could be your partner or another chosen representative.

Please note, your appointed agent cannot attend a welcome visit on your behalf. If you are unable to attend your welcome visit you can:

  • Raise an enquiry in your Online Services using the ‘My Account’ link, or
  • If your face-to-face welcome visit is within the next 72 hours, you will need to contact us on 139 342.

More information on welcome visits, including self service options can be found under the 'What is a welcome visit' FAQ under the 'Applying for a Service Residence' section above.

What can they do?

Your appointed agent can:

  • Accept full responsibility for standard carpet cleaning expenses and any non-fair wear-and-tear items identified
  • Accept actual or potential cost details as explained on the signed Inspection Condition Report (ICR)
  • Accept all aspects associated with return/acceptance of the property to Defence Housing Australia
  • Allow access to the property in the event of an emergency when the tenant is unavailable.

An appointed agent does not have the authority to perform all functions in online services which relate to you as a Defence member unless they have also been appointed as a delegate. If you would like to appoint a delegate to your Online Services account, please see the 'How do I appoint a delegate for Online Services' FAQ in the drop down directly below.

How to appoint an agent

You can appoint an agent through Online Services.

  • Go to 'My Account', 'My Profile' and then 'Manage Agents'
  • Click ‘Appoint an Agent’
  • Follow the prompts to enter the relevant contact details*
  • Read and accept the confirmation before selecting ‘Appoint as Agent’
  • Once created, it will sit in pending status until the agent responds to the automatic email notification to accept or reject the request.

*Please note, if you are asked to enter a confirmation key, this will be your chosen mix of numbers and letters (e.g., 1234). You will need to provide the confirmation key to your nominated agent for them to use when accepting your request, noting it is case sensitive.

How will I know if it’s been accepted or rejected?

You will get an email notification letting you know if the appointment of agent request was accepted or rejected.

If accepted, the appointed agent will have their own username and password to log in to Online Services.

What can my appointed agent see in Online Services?

The appointed agent will only see the below if they have been added as an attendee to any inspections (future and past inspection dates):

  • Tenant 
  • Inspection Reason
  • Inspection Date and Time 
  • Property Address
  • Completed inspections.

Can I remove an appointed agent?

Yes, you can remove your appointed agent at any time in your Online Services account. In the ‘Manage Agents’ section select the bin icon and follow the prompts.

You can arrange delegate access to your Online Services account for another person. This could be your partner or another chosen representative. A delegate can perform all functions in Online Services which relate to you as a Defence member. 

What can they do?

Your delegate will be authorised to perform the following tasks in Online Services on your behalf:

  • Current Housing Solution related actions (e.g., view and select available Service Residences)
  • Modify postal address and contact details
  • Rental Allowance related actions (e.g., Apply for Rental Allowance, complete Rental Allowance Reviews, apply for Rental Allowance Advances)
  • Apply for LIA.

Please note, a delegate does not have the authority to attend an inspection on behalf of a Defence member unless they are also appointed as an agent. If you would like to appoint an agent in your Online Services account, refer to the 'How do I appoint an agent to act on my behalf?' FAQ in the drop down directly above.

 

How to appoint a delegate

You can appoint a delegate through Online Services:

  • Go to 'My Account', 'My Profile' and then 'Manage Delegates'
  • Follow the prompts to enter the relevant contact details*
  • Select ‘Create Delegation’
  • Once created, it will sit in pending status until the delegate responds to the automatic email notification to accept or reject the request.

*Please note, if you are asked to enter a confirmation key, this will be your chosen mix of numbers and/or letters (e.g., 1234). You will need to provide the confirmation key to your nominated delegate for them to use when accepting your request, noting it is case sensitive.

 

Can I remove my appointed delegate?


Yes, you can remove your appointed delegate at any time in your Online Services account. In the ‘Manage Delegates’ section select the bin icon and follow the prompts.

Before you vacate

When you vacate your Service Residence it is your responsibility to ensure that it is cleaned to the cleaning standards as agreed to between DHA and the Department of Defence.

In order to minimise associated costs for extra cleaning which have not met the required standard, you should pay particular attention to certain aspects of your final clean. For example, make sure the oven and grill have no burnt-on grease or carbon deposits and ensure mould, mildew or soap scum is removed from bathrooms.

We will complete a thorough cleaning and maintenance check (including a professional steam clean of the carpets) after your departure in preparation for the new tenants. Carpet cleaning charges will be automatically deducted from your salary.

After uplift you do not need to clean the area where your large appliances or pieces of furniture were positioned during your tenancy.
You must ensure that:
  • You continue to water all gardens and lawns until the day of uplift, subject to local water restrictions
  • All garden beds, lawns and paths are weed free
  • Shrubs and trees are trimmed back from the house, gutters, clothesline and pathways (if required)
  • Lawns are mowed and the edges trimmed
  • Garden clippings and house-hold rubbish are removed
  • Wet grease and oil stains are to be cleaned off the driveway and parking areas
  • Arrangements are made for the collection of any skips and trash packs etc
  • Rubbish is removed and the bins are cleaned and secured in the garage or garden shed
  • The residence and grounds are free from pest infestations stemming from pets
  • The garage is swept out, and
  • You clean all gutters that can be reached with a standard 1.8 metre step ladder (contact your local regional office for assistance with high set gutters).
  • Clean all mould from windows, sliding doors, window and door tracks, blinds, pergolas and fences
  • Pressure clean all staining and dirt from external paths, driveways (take care if painted), fences and patio slabs.
You are required to:
  • Vacuum all carpeted floor areas
  • Sweep and mop any non-carpeted floors
  • Remove all rubbish from the Service Residence and surrounding grounds
  • Clean heating and cooling filters
  • Replace all blown light globes, and
  • Replace batteries in smoke detectors and all remotes.

You do not need to re-clean the floors after your uplift.

Wet areas

As close as possible to your uplift, you are required to clean all wet areas thoroughly, removing mildew and soap scum. On the day of uplift you must ensure that the toilet and shower areas are clean.

Kitchen

You are required to remove food residue and grease from sinks, splashbacks and bench tops. The hot plates, oven, grill, range hood and filters must be cleaned before uplift to remove all burnt on deposits and grease. Place sink plugs under the sink to ensure they are not packed at uplift.

The Pre-vacation Inspection cleaning standard is intended to be a reasonable starting point for us to prepare the property for the next tenant. Your Property Manager is available to discuss these cleaning standards with you at any time.


It’s important to know that when you’re relocating at your own expense as a Defence tenant you are not eligible for a Defence funded clean when vacating an SR and you are responsible for cleaning the residence to the Defence standard. The above cleaning checklist is not to be used for own expense relocations.

DHA will provide and offer you access to our contractors for cleaning if requested and you will be required to pay the full costs of the clean and any additional cleaning charges. 

If you have any concerns or questions please ensure to discuss these matters with your Property Manager at the time of your Pre-vacation Inspection or submit an enquiry via Online Services.

View the Self move cleaning checklist (PDF 79 KB) to assist in the requirements needed when you have decided to conduct a self-move.

Note: The Self move cleaning checklist is not to be used when conducting a government funded removal, please refer to the Tenant Handbook (PDF 1.4 MB) when this is occurring.