Regular maintenance of a rental property is an important part of being a landlord or a property owner. It’s essential you make sure the rental property is up to code and in good condition for tenants.   1. OUTLINE THE RESPONSIBILITIES A good property maintenance plan starts with a signed lease. Make sure you outline what responsibilities you and the tenants have after the move in. Generally, tenants must take care of regular upkeep such as removing trash, changing light bulbs and minor maintenance issues. Landlords and property managers are responsible for major maintenance issues like heating, electrical and plumbing.   2. DOCUMENT THE CONDITION OF THE PROPERTY Before new tenants move in, you should document the condition of the property. Take videos or photos and make a list of anything already damaged. By having photos of what everything looked like you will avoid disputes.   3. CREATE A PREVENTIVE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SCHEDULE Prevention is cheaper than a cure. It applies to a lot of things including property maintenance. By formulating a schedule for preventative maintenance, it will be easy for you to catch the small issues before they become larger costly problems.   4. KEEP LANDSCAPING LOW-MAINTENANCE Landscaping should be kept as low maintenance to ensure that it is aesthetically pleasing year-round. This way neither you nor your tenants will have to worry about taking care of the lawn.   5. STANDARDISE YOUR RENTAL PROPERTIES Whether you are managing several rental properties or just one, it’s very convenient to use the same flooring, paint, hardware and appliances in all of them. This will save you time and effort and avoid confusion in any case.   6. KEEP ALL THE DOCUMENTS & RECEIPTS Owning rental properties is a business in its own right, so there are some maintenance repairs and projects that may fall into the category of business expenses and be tax-deductible. Keep all of the documents and the receipts and write down the time that was spent on repairs. It’s a good idea to work with an experienced tax professional who will make sure that you are compliant with the local laws and regulations.   7. MAKE THE PROPERTY FEEL LIKE NEW All new tenants deserve to live in a home that has been freshly painted and deeply cleaned. Your responsibility is to offer them a property that is move-in ready. You should have carpets sanitised and professionally cleaned. Don’t forget to change the locks after the previous tenants move out.   8. AUTOMATE WHERE POSSIBLE Your tenants may forget to replace smoke alarm batteries so it’s a good idea to invest in batteries that last longer and have fixtures that turn on automatically. Consider getting motion lights or solar lights installed in the front yard and backyard and automatic bathroom fans. It might seem expensive to buy some of these fixtures, but it’s worth it in the long run.   9. HIRE PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTORS As a landlord, you can choose whether you want to DIY certain jobs but some jobs need to be handled by professionals such as plumbing or electrical issues. You are required by law to hire plumbers and electricians that are licenced. Always check that the trades professional you hire, has valid insurance cover.   10. SAVE FOR RAINY DAYS A good landlord is prepared for almost anything; leaks, floods, fires. To quickly solve any problems, have a contingency fund readily available.   If you’d like to know more about Property Maintenance, you can call our expert team at The Rental Managers on 07 4755 1800 and we’d be happy to answer all your questions.

Can you afford to replace an entire roof or install a new hot water system? If the answer is no, you really need to budget better. From regular maintenance to emergencies, make sure you’re ready for the unexpected and save for a rainy day. You need to be proactive and conduct regular inspections to identify imminent repairs before they become a major cost. As the property owner, your responsibility includes replacing items subject to natural wear and tear, outdated locks, bolts and furnishings. While if the tenants cause any damage to your property due to negligence or improper use, you can ask them to pay for the repairs. It’s also crucial to respect and respond to repair requests from tenants promptly.   BUDGET FOR THESE MAINTENANCE EXPENSES Painting Landscaping Plumbing leaks Garden, yard or outdoor area maintenance General cleaning and chemical costs for swimming pool Light bulbs and batteries on smoke detectors Pest control Leaky roof Faulty hotwater systems Appliance breakdowns The good news is that you can claim a tax deduction on many of these maintenance issues, which can help reduce your expenses in the future.   ALLOCATING YOUR MAINTENANCE BUDGET Here are a number of ways you can allocate a maintenance budget; The 50% rule suggests that the total operating and maintenance expenses make up to 50% of the income your rental property generates. For example, a monthly rent of $2,000 may incur about $1000 as maintenance costs. The 1% rule considers the annual property value. It suggests that total operating costs could take up to around 1% of the property value per year. For instance, if the value of your property is $500,000, then your annual maintenance cost may be around $5,000. 5 X rule fuses monthly rental income with annual maintenance costs. Multiply the monthly rent by 1.5 to find the annual maintenance expenses. For example, a monthly rent of $2,000 will present an annual maintenance cost of $3,000. Would you like to know more about Budgeting? Call our friendly team at The Rental Managers on 07 4755 1800 and we’d be happy to answer all your questions.

I firstly would like to express the joy I have had to date dealing with the team at The Rental Managers. I have found the whole team to be very understanding an a pleasure to deal with. The communication levels are remarkable they are willing to discuss any issues that arise an rectify in a prompt and professional manor. On saying that all the staff deserve a 5 star rating as well including the business. Very warm, helpful and understanding an I have no hesitation in recommending The Rental Managers as a landlord from a tenants point of view.

Naomi is our property manager an we cannot fault her. Naomi is so professional in her job also she make her visits warm like a friend coming to say g’day, she takes close notice to any issues large or small an has an uncanny way of making you feel great when the issues are not our fault. If I was to give a star rating for Naomi out of 5 it would be a 6. I feel she is a major asset to the business and the owners of the properties Naomi manages.

Thanks Naomi.. You have been amazing.. I’m so super impressed with you....

Major work such as tree lopping is usually carried out by the lessor/agent as part of their obligation to keep the premises in good repair. Generally, this type of work is not carried out on a regular basis and is more likely to require specialist knowledge or equipment, such as ladders. Lessors/agents and tenants should discuss the pruning of trees and shrubs. Major pruning would generally be the responsibility of the lessor/agent, whereas the tenant would generally be responsible for straightforward pruning, along with other general yard jobs such as mowing, edging and weeding. Tenants are not required to have any special knowledge about gardening and this should be considered when the garden is in an above average condition or contains plants that require special care (e.g. hedges). Lessors should ensure that any special arrangements about the maintenance of gardens and lawns are listed in the tenancy agreement.

Selecting the right tenant is not as simple as it may seem. As a property management agency with many years’ experience, we have learnt that there are some tenants who try to work the application process and sneak under the radar of the application screening process. Making the wrong decision from the outset can cause long-term issues of rental loss and property damage. It is better to have a vacant property for a short period of time than to lower your selection standards. When selecting the best tenant for your property we take into consideration the following: How long they have rented their previous property and how long they wish to rent the property. Long-term tenancies reduce wear and tear on a property and reduce your outlays of advertising, as well as reducing loss of rent during tenancy changeovers. Can they afford the rent? We use a similar formula to the banks. The 30/70 rule. 30% of the household income for rent and 70% for living expenses. The references provided by previous landlords/agents, employers and personal references. Have they been listed on a national tenant database for a tenant breach? Do they have pets? Sometimes a tenancy without pets can cause less issues. How many people wish to reside in the property? The more people in a property can impact on greater wear and tear. What is their character? During property inspections and the interview process we ask important questions to determine if they are genuine. We are hard to please in the tenant selection process and will always short-list the best tenant based on the above criteria.

Each year, around 50 children fall from windows or balconies in Australia, which is almost one a week. Many suffer serious injuries and sometimes these falls are fatal. Children aged between one and five are most at risk as they are too young to judge the potential danger. With this in mind it is important for landlords to be aware of window locks when considering presenting your property in a safe condition for the tenants to reside. Legislation states that landlords must provide and maintain locks necessary to ensure that the property is reasonably secure. While it is not a legal requirement for landlords to provide window locks, our agency strongly recommends that every property has these installed to protect you in times of potential litigation should there be an injury. This small, tax-deductible expense can save lives. If you would like our agency to organise this on your behalf, please feel welcome to contact our property management department.