The Residential Tenancies Act 1997 was put into place for people in Australia who took houses on rent. This Act was passed to safeguard the interest of both the lesser and the lessee by making sure that the house was checked for asbestos used and also the conditions of the asbestos. The Act stated that the lesser would get the house checked by asbestos certifiers, especially for any renovation he may have done after the purchase and once he got the certification of zero risk then he would hand the house to the lessee and show him the documented proof of the survey that was conducted. A certified copy of the survey is kept with the lessee while the lesser keep the original.

According to the Act, the survey conducted about the house needs to document the following–

• How much asbestos is present and where

• What type of asbestos is used in the house and its current condition

• If the asbestos is not in good condition, are the fibers released in the air beyond the specified safety limit

• Which asbestos material in the house can be replaced with safe material

As the certifiers conduct the test, a bill is produced to the lesser for the asbestos articles that have been replaced and the house is Act passed, once the bill is paid. The Act then requires the tenant, in case any construction work arises, to use safe material. The tenant will stay for his period of time and before he passes the house back to the lesser, the lessee is then bound by the act to conduct a survey on any work he may have done on the house. If it is found that asbestos was used, causing a potential risk to the future lessee, then work is conducted on the house to remedy the situations as per the standards of the asbestos certifiers and the bill for this is deducted from the deposit kept with the lesser.

The Residential Tenancies Act 1997 was therefore planned this way because houses that are normally on lease are not maintained as they should be.