FAQ’s
What are your fees?
Like everything we do our fee structure is transparent.
At the appropriate time we will provide you with a Fee Schedule that simply and clearly outlines our fee structure.
There will be no confusion as to what is included in our fees and what is not.
Fees are separated into Standard Fees and Fees for Service.
Standard Fees cover the everyday management of your property whilst Fees for Service cover the one off | occasional | as required type of service like renovations.
As an example our industry standard Management Fee is 8.8% including GST and our Let Fee is 1 weeks rent plus GST.
For privacy reasons we prefer to discuss our fees with you in person.
Are your fees negotiable?
We realise there are lots of discounters in the market place and if cheap fees are what you really want then we are not the property managers for you. Keep in mind cheap fees are generally a reflection of the service offered. Your cheaper fees can look like a bargain right up until the time you need your agent to respond to any number of issues that can arise at your investment property like maintenance, arrears, disputes, drugs, domestic violence etc. Low priced agents simply cannot afford to pay/attract experienced staff who can deal with these issues.Additionally the discounters are more often than not Sales agencies adding managements as a future ‘selling pool’-it’s not really their business model to do a good job with your investment property because their goal is to sell your property down the track.
Added to this are huge portfolios of properties (200+) and low staff numbers, resulting in a revolving door of stressed out staff.
Pets
Whether or not you allow your tenant to have a pet is at this stage still your decision. Keep in mind a majority of tenants these days have a pet so not allowing pets will restrict the number of tenants who will apply for your property.
Landlord Protection
We simply will not manage a rental property that is not covered by Landlords Insurance-and more particularly landlords insurance from either Terri Scheer or EBM.
We have lodged many claims on behalf of landlords over the last decade (some in excess of $50000) so we get to see first hand what insurance companies will pay for and what they won’t.
We cannot give advice here but we can talk from experience and it is always to your advantage to deal with insurers who specialise in rental properties rather than general insurers (or worse your mortgage lender/bank) who have no real understanding of the rental property space.
Most of the ‘add-on’ style policies simply do not respond in the landlords favour.
As a minimum read the fine print or just contact Terri Scheer or EBM.
How do I move my property to you?
Generally the process is simple and you really do not have to contact your current manager other than to ‘formally’ terminate the current Management Agreement in writing.
Notice periods may range from 0 to 90 days depending on whether you signed a P O Form 6 or an old PAMD20a agreement.
We will liaise with your previous managers and once the notice period is complete we will collect all relevant documentation/keys from their office and then notify your tenants.
How quickly can you find a tenant?
Many factors impact this.
Like:
- Asking rent
- Suburb
- Condition of property
- Features of property
- Proximity to facilities
- Competition
Generally speaking tenants can be found quickly for competitively priced well located properties in good condition.
How do you market my property?
We can take photos of your property but we always recommend professional photography with a floor plan-these can be used for multiple tenancies.
We write your advertising copy and load this (with the photos) to the following sites/portals:
Prospective tenant enquiries are then managed via http://www.inspectrealestate.com.au/ at times that are suitable to the enquirers.
Who chooses the tenant?
Once the application process is completed we will present to you the most suitable applications. We will make recommendations where necessary but ultimately it will be your choice.
Unless of course you authorise us in writing to make the most appropriate choice based on your instructions.
How and when will I receive my rent?
Your rent will be electronically transferred to your nominated bank account at mid and end of month.
Repairs and Maintenance
Probably (along with poor communication) the number one bug bear for many landlords.Finding unauthorised extra charges on their monthly statements can be both frustrating and annoying for many landlords.
We get it.
But the solution is not always so clear cut as we are bound by the legislation to ensure your property is safe, habitable and that certain maintenance (emergency repairs) is carried out promptly.
That said we will always let you know any maintenance/repairs that are required at your investment property.
But you need to trust us!
Many times these issues occur out of hours or at times when you are not contactable. Be assured we will always act in your best interests.
We prefer to use our ‘time tested’ tradespeople who we trust to do an excellent job at a fair price.
We can generally give you a price for many everyday maintenance items like tap repairs/replacement but where the maintenance is uncommon our tradespeople are given a price range to work in and they have to contact us if the price falls outside that range.
Much of this type of work is built on trust-trust between us and the landlord and between us and the tradesperson-it’s why we prefer to use trades people we know.
Interested in a realistic rental appraisal of your investment property?
CALL US NOW
(07) 3135 9080