Selling a property while leased | Investing

We understand that you may want to sell your DHA leased property during the term of the lease agreement. You can sell the property at any time¹, however, the property must be sold with the lease and property care contract (applicable for lease edition 7) in place.

Process for selling your property while leased

The step-by-step process for selling your DHA leased property is provided below.

If you require assistance or have questions about selling your property, please email midleasesales@dha.gov.au or call 133 342.

If you require assistance accessing your online services account, please email lessormanagement@dha.gov.au.

Should you wish to discuss an extension of the lease term for the purpose of selling the property please email midleasesales@dha.gov.au or call 133 342.

If you wish to sell your DHA-leased property, we recommend obtaining a desktop appraisal from an agent of your choosing in the first instance. You can obtain your property information required for this through your Online Services account, via the “Appraisal and Sale” tab.

Please note that DHA does not have a list of agents that we are able to recommend for assisting with selling your property. However, you can search a real estate website with the Keywords of DHA or Defence Housing Australia to view Agents with current DHA listings.

Log into DHA Online Services and click on the Property ID to access your property information via the “Appraisal and Sale” tab.

From here you can download a sales package to provide to your agent.

We recommend providing your agent a copy of the following:

Property photos
Floor plan
A copy of the lease and property care contract (applicable for Lease Edition 7)
Current rent details (available on your latest statement)
A copy of Sales agent instructions - Selling a property with a DHA Lease in place. Please ensure this link is forwarded to your agent prior to them marketing the property for sale.

If you decide to proceed with the sale of your property, you are required to notify DHA that the property is for sale.

This can be done by starting the sale process through your Online Services account, via the “Appraisal and Sale” tab.

This will send a notification to DHA of your intent to list the property.

If you have signed an agency agreement and appointed a real estate agent, you will be prompted to provide your agent details when starting the sale process.

If you are selling the property without the assistance of a real estate agent, please contact midleasesales@dha.gov.au for further instructions.

Provide your agent with a copy of Sales agent instructions - Selling a property with a DHA Lease in place or marketing the property. Please ensure this is forwarded to your agent prior to them marketing the property for sale.
Provide your solicitor with a copy of the DHA Solicitor and conveyancer instructions. DHA will liaise with your solicitor to ensure they have the information necessary for a smooth settlement process.
Please ensure DHA is notified when you appoint an agent to sell the property, contracts are signed/exchanged, and settlement takes place. This can be done via your Online Services account.

In the ‘Appraisal and Sale’ tab you can:

Download a sales package with all the property information recommended to provide to your agent
Start the sales process- this will automatically notify DHA of the listing so we can notify the occupant
Access the occupant details for sales inspection purposes - This is personal information and should only be provided to the listing agent for the purpose of selling your property. The details are not to be provided to third parties and you as the landlord should not contact the occupant directly under any circumstances.
Provide your agent details to DHA
Request a physical visit
Request a maintenance review following a pest and building inspection
Provide notification of exchange (Raise a selling enquiry).
Provide notification of a sale falling over
Cancel sale (Notify DHA that the property is no longer listed for sale)

Once you have started the sales process through your through your Online Services account the occupant details will become available to you via the “Appraisal and Sale” tab. To view the occupant details select ‘Request a Physical Visit’.

This is personal information and should only be provided to the listing agent for the purpose of selling your property. The details are not to be provided to third parties and you as the landlord should not contact the occupant directly under any circumstances.

Our occupant’s privacy and security is paramount. If the selling agent has difficulty contacting the occupant during the inspection process, please contact midleasesales@dha.gov.au as soon as possible so DHA can address any issues.

The occupant must be given at least 72 hours’ notice before inspections are to take place. The occupant (or their nominated representative) must be present at all inspections.

The agent may request to do a virtual inspection. If a virtual inspection is required, the agent must follow the guidelines outlined in the agent instructions. If the selling agent has feedback on the presentation of the property, please contact midleasesales@dha.gov.au

Next steps and more information

log into your Online Services account to begin the sales process
for questions or assistance, email midleasesales@dha.gov.au or call us on 133 342

Rent may be subject to abatement under certain circumstances such as loss of enjoyment or amenity, or breach of lease terms. Rent is paid where the property is habitable. Should a property become uninhabitable during the term of the lease, or lessor breaches the lease terms, the rent may cease or abate and the lease may be terminated by DHA. Guaranteed rent is subject to the terms of the lease. DHA does not take into account an investor’s objectives or financial needs. Investors should always seek appropriate independent advice before making any investment decisions with DHA.

¹Investors should consider their long-term plans and potential changes in circumstances when assessing a DHA long term lease.