When it comes to being a Landlord there are can be many responsibilities and considerations to address. One common question that owners of rental property grapple with is whether they need to provide a clothes dryer for their tenants.
Given that Rightside is based in the Norther Beaches of Sydney in New South Wales, so this is for NSW Landlords as other Australian States have different residential tenancy legislation.
Let’s explore how to answer this question!
Houses
If your rental property is a house, then put simply the answer is: No as a Landlord you are not obligated to provide a dryer to your tenants. For tenants that rent unfurnished homes, often they already have all their own furniture and appliances, and this often includes a washing machine and a dryer.
Strata Units
It is possible that under the strata regulations of your building, a dryer must be part of the unit. In this instance a dryer should be included with the property, however this is not due to any residential tenancy legal requirement.
So, while as a Landlord you are not obligated to provide your tenants with a dryer, the next question you may be asking yourself is, should you?
Some appliances are highly desirable to tenants, in particular heating and cooling facilities and a dishwasher however in our experience the dryer is not often at the top of the ‘must have’ list for tenants when they are searching for their new home.
It is also important that as a Landlord, you remain mindful that if the dryer was present and working at the start of the tenancy and included in the lease agreement, then you are obligated to repair it if something goes wrong.
Naturally if a tenant brings their own appliances, they are completely responsible for repairs plus any damage that their appliance may cause to your property (like water damage from a leaking washing machine).
If you are a Landlord and have any other questions that you would like answered, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
