A Gold Coast family that unwittingly lived as tenants in a house riddled with toxic levels of methamphetamine is currently planning to take their former real estate agency to court. After testing, it was discovered that the house had been contaminated with the drug by previous tenants. The managing agency was ordered to pay the…
Legislation generally requires that tenants leave a property ‘reasonably clean’ when their lease ends in order to receive their full bond back. But how do you define something as subjective as the term, ‘reasonably clean’? Those of you with teenagers will appreciate that not everyone will agree on the definition of cleanliness. While you could…
A national safety warning has been issued this month on four gas heater models following a tragic death from carbon monoxide poisoning in Victoria. With winter just around the corner, this is an issue all property managers must be on top of now. The four models in question all failed safety tests, prompting the national…
We all know how important it is to keep meticulous records in property management. From ingoing, routine and outgoing inspection reports to maintenance and repair requests, you can’t have too much information. But in any busy role, it’s easy to let things slide from time to time. In property management however, failing to keep complete…
Taking time off from a busy job like property management isn’t always easy. With with long to-do lists, ingoing and outgoing inspections that seem to take longer and longer, compliance to stay on top of and unanticipated problems to solve, the lines between work and home can become a bit blurred. Having time off (real…
Two real estate agents in NSW were recently ordered to pay a tenant $330,000 because they allegedly failed to respond to requests made via email to fix a broken light. The five owners of the property and the agents all denied responsibility when the tenant slipped down the building’s common stairwell in the dark and…
There’s no denying that the role of property manager is a busy one. The daily to-do list can be demanding and that’s before any unexpected requests come through. No matter how diligent you are at getting things done and documenting them, when you get busy, things can slip through the cracks and details are often…
A verbal agreement might be fine with family and friends, but in property management it’s never sufficient, even if you have a good long standing relationship with a landlord. Without clear communication and proper documentation, you could be left footing the bill. Let’s say you have a landlord who owns more than one investment property,…
According to recent research, more people today are turning away from traditional business communication in favour of good, old-fashioned word-of-mouth recommendations and reviews. This is true for both sales and service-focused industries. Real estate salespeople are advised to request a testimonial from every happy buyer and seller they serve and there are many online tools…
A watch zone is currently in place in Far Northern Queensland from Cape York to Cape Grenville and Cape Flattery to Cape Tribulation, including Cooktown and adjacent inland areas, as Tropical Cyclone Trevor continues to intensify. Currently classified Category 1, Tropical Cyclone Trevor is expected to intensify to a Category 2 before crossing the eastern…
It doesn’t matter what industry you work in, asking your boss for a pay rise is never easy. For most people, this is true no matter how long they’ve worked for the company. In property management, pay rises go to those who ask and prove their worth daily. This article reveals some best practice tips…
New tenancy reforms for victims of domestic violence in NSW commenced on February 28, 2019. Designed to improve protection for tenants and/or their children living in a domestic violence situation, the new law allows the tenant to terminate their tenancy immediately, without penalty, if they or one or more dependent children are experiencing domestic violence…