Useful Information

Port Hedland is a dynamic town located in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia. The original inhabitants, the Karriyarra, call the place Marapikurrinya for the hand shaped formation of the tidal creeks coming off the natural harbour.

The town is primarily a mining town with a somewhat transient population. Many residents work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. The lifestyle is relaxed and open. The town's location on the ocean provides for a variety of aquatic leisure activities including superb fishing. Whales and nesting flatback turtles can be seen in season. Millstream and Karijini National Parks are within easy driving distance while Broome and the Kimberley are also within easy reach.

The two main residential centres are Port Hedland and South Hedland. Each has a range of community services including cultural, recreation and shopping facilities. Branches of major banks are located in Wedge Street Port Hedland, while Commonwealth and State Government offices are mainly located in the South Hedland CBD. Wedgfield Industrial Area contains a variety of light and service industry premises.

Population:     Approximately 15,000

Area:     11,844 square kilometres

Distance from Perth:     1763km via North West Coastal Highway. 1660km via Northern Highway

Local Industries:     Iron Ore Export, Salt, Tourism, Pastoral, Light Industrial

The answer to this question depends on a lot of circumstances. Perhaps the most important facets is whether or not the price advertised appears to be appropriate and fair for what you have inspected. The second most important issue is dependent upon the state of the market. If properties are selling slowly, start the process with less than the asking price and commence the negotiation process. If the market is volatile, you may need to offer the asking price or even greater if there are several buyers vying for the property. Remember, it’s not the first offer but the best offer which may win.

Whilst the best policy is to establish your borrowing capacity prior to submitting an offer, most contracts have an integral section detailing the conditions associated with finance and whilst you should read these conditions, generally they specify that the offer is subject to you getting your finance.

It is advisable to have independent experts provide you with a building report and a pest inspection on the property you are interested in buying. These inspections can be organized by the purchaser or assisted by the real estate agent on the purchasers behalf. These inspections would normally be organised once the purchasers finance has been approved.

Our property management staff work hard at finding the best tenant in the shortest amount of time. Once an application has been submitted, tenant checks are performed including checks through REIWA's National Tenancy Database and all rental references are carefully followed up.

Once the Property Manager has reference checked all prospective tenants, final approval is then sought from the owner.

An initial inspection is carried out after 6 weeks of a new tenant moving in. Ongoing inspections are then conducted every 3 months. A full quarterly inspection report is submitted to both the owner and the tenant detailing the condition of the property and noting any maintenance which may need to be carried out. We have access to a reliable network of tradespeople who carry out repairs.

There are 2 types of water charges. An annual service charge or "water rates" which are payable by the owner(s) for the supply of water and for sewerage and drainage services. The second is water consumption. This is determined by the meter reading and is normally the responsibility of the tenant. The tenant can be required to pay 100% of water consumed however some landlords offer to pay a percentage of the bill to cover the cost of maintaining lawns and gardens. Any such arrangement will be made in writing as part of the tenancy agreement.

There are several types of insurance that owners should consider for all rental properties including Building, Contents, Public/Legal Laibility, Strata Insurance and Landlord Protection Insurance. Details on all these types of insurance and their benefits can be obtained from our property management team.

Yes. The climate in Port Hedland means that all rental properties need to have functioning, well maintained airconditioning throughout. Jan Ford Real Estate are not able to manage any property which is not adequately airconditioned. The harsh climate in Port Hedland often means that the lifespan of airconditioning units can be limited compared to other areas. We strongly recommend that airconditioners are serviced on a yearly basis and that all airconditioning maintenance issues be attended to as quickly as possible to avoid a small issue becoming a large one.

Once you have viewed a property you would like to rent you are required to fill in an application form and submit to our office together with a copy of photo identification for each applicant. Each application is then processed, reference checked and presented to the owner who will select a tenant. You will be contacted within a few days to advise if your application has been successful.

Before you move in to your new rental property you need to pay the equivalent of 6 weeks rent. For example, if you were renting a property for $500 per week you would pay:

• Two weeks rent ($1000)
• A Security Bond which is equivalent to 4 weeks rent ($2000)

We are not able to release keys for any property until all monies have been paid.

Rental agreements are either fixed term or periodic .

A fixed term tenancy is an agreement in which a tenant rents the premises for a set period with a specific start and finish date.

A periodic tenancy has no pre-determined finish date but continues on with the same terms and conditions until giving the appropriate notice terminates it.