With shorter days, less sunshine and windows often kept closed during winter, windows and walls can become traps for the presence of mould. The question is, who is responsible to fix the problem – the landlord or the tenant? Inadequate ventilation in a home is the main cause of mould. If there is a high…
The End of Financial Year is almost upon us. As with most time consuming exercises, the key is to be well prepared. Discover how a growing number of property managers nationally are reducing EOFY stress in their offices by working smarter, not harder. It’s no secret that the role of property manager is a busy…
You all know the saying, ‘you get what you pay for’. But that’s all well and good until you are faced with an owner who has been offered a discounted property management rate by a competitor down the road and asking you to lower yours. How often has this happened to you? How should you…
Sub-letting is becoming increasingly popular in Australia, particularly as the cost of rent and living rises. While sub-letting is legal in most Australian states and territories, things can become unclear if the property is damaged, someone is hurt or the rent is not paid on time. For this reason, most landlords and property managers are…
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…
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…