Renting out a new build
in Perth, done properly.
First time leasing a brand new home? There's more to it than waiting for the keys. From builder handover checks to compliance gaps and landscaping disasters, here's what we wish every Perth investor knew before listing a new build for rent.
Most landlords think the property is ready to rent the moment the builder hands over the keys. It almost never is.
The new build landlord's journey, start to finish.
Check what's actually in your package.
The biggest surprise we see first-time investors get is finding out, mid-build, that something they assumed was included isn't. It's not usually a turn key issue. It's the investors who don't buy turn key and don't realise how much that changes things.
Turn key generally does mean what it sounds like. A genuine turn key package usually includes the letterbox, clothesline, blinds, fencing, landscaping, all the bits and pieces that make the house ready to move into. That's the whole point.
The trouble is, not every investor buys a turn key package. A lot of people buy a standard build package thinking they're getting a finished home, and only realise after handover that none of those items were in the contract. Suddenly you've got a brand new house with no letterbox, no clothesline, no blinds, bare sand for a yard, and a tenant lined up in two weeks.
So the question to ask before you sign isn't whether your builder uses the word "turn key." It's whether each specific item you'd expect to be there is actually listed in your contract. If it's not, it's not coming.
Air conditioning is the big one. Most Perth tenants expect aircon, especially in summer or in the hotter suburbs. A home without it competes for a smaller pool of renters and usually leases for less. We've seen new builds sit empty for weeks because the owner thought aircon was included and found out too late that it wasn't. If it's not in your package, add it before practical completion or budget to put it in before you list. Cost depends on the system and the house size.
Window coverings matter more than people realise. A home without blinds or curtains on the bedrooms and main living areas is very hard to lease. Tenants expect privacy and light control from day one. If they're not in your package, sort it before handover, not after.
| Inclusion | What to check |
|---|---|
| Air conditioning | Often excluded from base packages. Sometimes included in turn key, but with limited zoning. Check exactly which rooms are covered. Ducted versus split system makes a big difference to cost and tenant appeal. |
| Window coverings | Blinds, curtains, or both. Skipped even in premium packages more often than you'd think. Tenants expect them in place at move-in. |
| Side alley paving | Often skipped. You end up with bare sand or limestone down both sides of the house. Looks unfinished, gets muddy, and you'll hear about it from your tenant. |
| Letterbox and numbering | Easy to forget, rarely included in base packages. Has to be there before a tenant moves in. |
| Clothesline | Often left out. A basic rotary or fold-down line is cheap, and tenants expect one. |
| Landscaping and fencing | Sometimes the developer does it, sometimes the builder, sometimes neither. Get it in writing: who's doing what, what's included, and when. |
| Side or return fence | The short fence between front yard and side alley. Often left out even when boundary fencing is in. Without it, the front yard isn't really enclosed, the side alley is exposed to the street, and the house looks half-finished in your listing photos. |
| Side gate from front to backyard | Tenants need to walk through to take bins out, hang washing, and access the back. Often left out of base packages. If the side fence is in but the gate isn't, you've built a wall with no door. |
| Driveway | Usually included, but check the finish. A plain concrete drive looks very different from exposed aggregate or paving, and tenants notice. |
Before you sign your build contract, write your own list of every item you'd expect to be included. Then sit down with your builder and tick each one off the contract line by line. If it's not specifically listed, it's not coming. Get anything ambiguous in writing. This twenty-minute conversation is the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy.
A few more items that get left out or upgraded out of standard packages: side gate locks, soft landscaping (mulch, plants, garden beds rather than just lawn), retaining walls if your block has a slope, shower screens (especially frameless), hot water system overflow trays, internal NBN and data cabling, gutter and downpipe finishes, and external taps. Each is small on its own. Worth running through line by line so nothing surprises you at handover.
Make your home stand out from the cookie-cutter package.
If you're building in a new estate, chances are dozens of other homes are going up at the same time using the same builder package. They'll all hit the rental market within weeks of each other, with the same kitchen, the same flooring, the same fittings, the same bare lawn. The ones that lease faster, for higher rent, are the homes that invested in a few smart upgrades to lift them above the standard inclusions list.
If we had to pick just two, we'd put the money into the kitchen splashback and the landscaping. Those two have the biggest visible impact in listing photos and at home opens, which is what actually drives how fast it leases and for how much.
The handover checklist for new build landlords.
Before you accept the keys, run through this with your builder. Whatever gets missed here becomes your problem the moment settlement happens.
Always check whether your package includes the letterbox, clothesline, and side alley paving or landscaping. These are the ones we see missed at handover most often. If they're not in the contract, they're not coming.
Collect and register every warranty at handover.
Your builder has to hand over warranty documentation for every appliance, fixture and major system in the home. This is the part of handover landlords most often skip, and it costs them later when something fails and the warranty's lapsed because nobody registered it.
Walk through it with your builder on the day. Don't accept a vague promise that the paperwork will be emailed later. Get it in your hands, check everything's there, and put anything missing in writing.
| Warranty | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Electrical safety certificate | Issued by your builder's licensed electrician. Required for new connections under WA electrical regulations. Keep it on file permanently. |
| Trade commissioning certificates | Aircon, hot water, gas, plumbing, anything else commissioned. Each trade should give you a certificate confirming the system was installed and tested properly. |
| Appliance warranties | Oven, cooktop, rangehood, dishwasher, microwave, ceiling fans. Most manufacturers want you to register online within 30 to 90 days of installation to activate the full warranty. Installation alone usually doesn't do it. |
| Hot water system | Easy to overlook because it's out of sight. Warranties run 5 to 10 years depending on the brand, but most need registering. Grab the model number and register direct with the manufacturer. |
| Garage door and motor | Often forgotten. The door and the motor are usually separate warranties from different manufacturers. Both need registering. While you're at it, make sure remotes are programmed and tested, and that you've got the manual override keys. |
| Air conditioning | Check it's been tested and commissioned. Register with the manufacturer using the serial number. Set a calendar reminder for any required annual servicing, because skipping it can void the warranty. |
| Solar and battery | If installed, panels, inverter, and battery each have their own warranty. Register all three. The inverter usually has the shortest warranty and is the most likely thing to fail first. |
| Roof and structural | Covered by WA's six-year statutory warranty, but ask your builder for any specific manufacturer warranties on roofing, waterproofing membranes, or treated timbers. |
Make one folder, digital or physical, with everything in it. Certificates, warranties, registration confirmations, manuals, serial numbers. When something fails three years in and your tenant calls at 9pm, you don't want to be hunting through old emails for the paperwork.
New builds aren't automatically rental compliant.
This catches a lot of first-time new build landlords. Your home was built to construction code, but rental properties need to meet additional safety and security standards under WA tenancy regulations.
Here are the gaps we commonly see when we assess new builds for tenancy compliance. This is general guidance, not a full audit. Confirm what applies to your specific property with your property manager, or check the current WA Consumer Protection guidance.
| Gap | What it means |
|---|---|
| Blind cords | Builders often install blinds with cords that don't meet child safety regulations. They need to be replaced or fitted with cord cleats before tenancy. |
| Garage shopper door | The internal door from the garage to the house functions as an external door for security purposes. WA tenancy regulations require certain external entry doors to be fitted with a deadlock or equivalent secure locking device. Builders usually don't install a deadlock on this door, so check before tenancy and consult your property manager or a locksmith if you're unsure whether your fitting meets the standard. |
| Window locks and security | WA tenancy regulations set minimum standards for window security on certain windows. Builders meet construction standards, but the specific tenancy requirement is a separate thing and should be verified before listing. Your property manager can tell you what applies to your property. |
| Smoke alarms and RCDs | Need to be tested and certified before tenancy starts. Builder certification covers installation, not the ongoing rental obligation. |
The biggest issue nobody warns you about.
This is the single biggest issue we see with new build landlords. Settlement happens, you get the keys, and you find out landscaping and fencing are still weeks or months away. Now you're trying to lease a home with a sandpit for a front yard, no fences, and nothing for the photographer to work with.
The knock-on is real. Listing photos look unfinished, prospective tenants drive past and keep driving, and you sit empty while paying a mortgage on a house nobody's living in. We've seen new builds sit unleased for six to eight weeks purely because the outside wasn't done.
If your developer's doing the landscaping, the onus is on you to book it early. Every Perth developer we deal with says the same thing when you chase them about landscaping: "we're booked out months in advance, you should have called sooner." And they're right. Developer landscaping crews work across hundreds of lots and they go in booking order. Don't assume you're queued up automatically just because landscaping was in your land package. Call them the moment you've got a build timeline and lock your window in, in writing.
What to do. Book landscaping and fencing as early in the build as your developer or builder will allow, and don't accept delays. If it's in your land package, push your developer for firm dates and hold them to those dates. If it's on you, get quotes locked in well before practical completion so trades can start the day you settle.
The watering exemption and your first water bill
If your builder or developer installs the landscaping, they'll have your reticulation running multiple cycles a day to establish the lawn. Expect a big water bill during that period and budget for it. You may also need to credit your incoming tenant for water usage while the lawn establishes, since they can't stop watering without killing it.
List with finished landscaping, or don't list yet
It's almost always better to delay listing by two weeks and photograph a finished home than to list early with patchy lawns and no fences. The premium you get on a properly presented new build usually more than covers the extra fortnight of vacancy.
Get a building inspection at practical completion.
This one's non-negotiable. A qualified independent building inspector at practical completion catches defects before you sign off, while the builder still has skin in the game to fix them. Skip it and you'll find out about those defects six months later, when they're now your problem to repair.
One important thing. Your property manager can collect the keys from the builder at handover, but they can't do the building inspection for you. Building inspections need a qualified, registered building inspector. Different professional service entirely.
Understand the defects liability period.
The defects liability period is the most underused protection in residential building. Most landlords let it expire without ever doing a proper inspection. Here's how it works.
In WA, the defects liability period is usually around four months from practical completion under the Home Building Contracts Act. Some builders offer longer (six or twelve months). The exact period is in your build contract, so check what your builder's agreed to. This is the window during which your builder generally has to come back and fix minor defects: sticking doors, paint touch-ups, grout repairs, loose fittings, doors and windows that don't close properly.
Beyond that, WA also has a six-year statutory warranty for residential building work under the Building Services Act. It covers faulty and defective workmanship for six years from practical completion. Complaints go through the Building Commission, and the six-year window is firm, so don't sit on issues.
Why this matters more for landlords. If your property's tenanted, your tenant is living in it day to day and they'll notice things you never would. Doors sticking in summer humidity, taps starting to drip, hairline cracks above doorways as the house settles, grout shrinkage, loose tiles, paint defects. These are exactly the kinds of issues the defects liability period exists to fix, and they're exactly the kinds of things your tenant will report.
What to do. Set a calendar reminder for two weeks before your defects liability period ends. Do a thorough walkthrough with your property manager and send a consolidated defects list to your builder in writing before the deadline. If a tenant's in the property, ask them to flag anything bothering them so you can include it in the same submission. Always put defects in writing with photos and dates.
This is general information about WA building consumer protection. For advice specific to your contract or situation, contact Building and Energy at the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, or get independent legal advice.
Defects liability period: usually around 4 months from practical completion, sometimes longer depending on your contract. Covers minor defects, builder generally has to rectify. Statutory warranty: 6 years from practical completion. Covers faulty and defective workmanship, complaints go through the Building Commission. General information, not legal advice.
The in-construction support partner.
If you take one piece of advice from this whole guide, take this one. Hire a building inspector who reviews your home at every stage of construction, not just at the end. Most landlords get one inspection, right at the end. We're talking about something different. An in-construction support partner is a registered, independent building inspector who turns up at your build site at each key stage, reviews the work, photographs it, raises any issues directly with your builder, and signs off before you make the next progress payment.
Why it works
Builders tend to finish to a higher standard when an independent inspector's checking each stage. It's not about catching them out. It's about creating accountability, and good builders tend to welcome it.
More affordable than you'd think
Most people assume this costs tens of thousands. It doesn't. It's a tiny fraction of your build budget, and a lot cheaper than fixing a structural defect six months after handover.
The long-term payoff
A home checked at every stage holds up better. Fewer defects at month four. Fewer maintenance call-outs in year two. Fewer disputes when you sell. For a rental, that's real money.
Not the same as your property manager
Property managers can't do this. Building inspections need a registered building inspector. Different qualification, different professional service.
When to appoint your property manager.
Most landlords wait until after handover to find a property manager. By then they've already missed the most valuable parts of having one. Our transparent fee structure and pre-build appraisal service is built for exactly this situation.
Get a pre-build rental appraisal
Understand what your finished home will rent for in the current market. Helps you calibrate your build choices and confirm the investment stacks up before you've committed too far.
Get a mid-build market update
Markets shift. A check-in halfway through your build keeps your expected rent grounded in current data, not last year's figures.
Appoint your property manager
Lock them in during the final few months of construction. They can prepare your listing copy, book the professional photography, and have a marketing plan ready to go the day landscaping finishes.
Property manager collects the keys
Your property manager can collect the keys directly from the builder, do a compliance walkthrough, and kick off the leasing process. You don't have to be there.
Final appraisal and listing
Just before listing, your manager confirms the final rental figure based on the finished home and live market. You go live with confidence in the number.
The $300 nobody mentions.
New builds usually attract a $300 NBN new development fee that someone has to pay before the property gets internet. We recommend landlords reimburse this to the tenant once they move in, since a modern home should come with a working internet connection.
How to handle it. Ask the tenant to pay the fee at connection, get a copy of their first bill showing the charge, and confirm the connection's active before you reimburse. Protects you from paying for a connection that never happened.
Order your tax depreciation schedule.
Once your tenant's in and the property's earning, there's one last task before your first tax return. Get a depreciation schedule done.
A tax depreciation schedule is a report prepared by a qualified quantity surveyor that lists every depreciable asset in your property and the deductions you may be able to claim each year. It usually covers the building itself (capital works) and the fixtures and fittings inside (plant and equipment), with a write-off value and useful life assigned to each.
Why new builds are advantaged. Brand new homes generally get bigger depreciation deductions than second-hand investment properties. Federal legislation changes in 2017 mean second-hand investment properties can't claim plant and equipment depreciation in most cases, but new builds usually still can. Actual deductions depend on the specific property, what it cost, and your personal tax position.
When to order it. Once your tenant's moved in and the property's producing income, contact a quantity surveyor and get the schedule done before tax time. The cost of the schedule may itself be tax deductible, depending on your situation.
This is general information only, not tax or financial advice. Talk to a registered tax agent or your accountant to confirm whether a depreciation schedule's right for you and what you're actually entitled to claim.
Build your new home with the lease in mind.
A free, no-obligation pre-build rental appraisal from an award-winning Perth property manager. No lock-in contracts. No pressure. Just an honest conversation about what your new build could achieve.
This guide provides general information for Perth investors building or buying a new investment property. It is not legal, tax, financial or building advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances.
For legal questions about WA tenancy or building law, consult a qualified solicitor or contact Consumer Protection WA. For tax and depreciation questions, speak with a registered tax agent or your accountant. For building defects and warranty matters, contact Building and Energy at the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. Information is current as at the date of publication and may change. Always confirm compliance and contractual requirements specific to your property before listing.