Newsletters

How will the proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act affect landlords and tenants?

Thursday, October 24, 2013

The Bill amendment to the Residential Tenancies Act SA was passed in May 2013 and it is expected to come into operation early 2014. But what impact will the more than 100 changes mean to Landlords who have their properties managed by a specialist Property Management Company?

The short answer is: if we are managing your property, nothing much is changing for you. Most of the changes in the act relate to notice periods that have to be given to tenants prior to inspections, repairs and when they can be carried out and notice periods for break of lease and intention to sell the property. It also requires Landlords to keep records of all receipts under the agreement. This includes bonds, rents and other receipts such as water payments. While we will have to adjust to new notice periods, the notification of tenants prior to inspections and repairs being carried out is already part of our normal management practice and will not affect our Landlords.

NOTICE OF BREACH OF LEASE

Monday, July 15, 2013

No matter how careful a property manager is with your tenant selection, there is a reasonable chance that you will have a circumstance where your tenant breaches the terms and conditions of their lease during your lifetime as a landlord.

In those cases, proper procedure must be followed to ensure compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and well as making sure you achieve the best outcome for you and your property. read more »

The True Cost of Property Maintenance

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

As an owner of an investment property and as a landlord receiving rental income, the last thing you want is to spend money on your investment unnecessarily.
As property managers with over 25 years’ experience, we have seen and heard pretty much everything to do with property maintenance issues. This is certainly one area where years of experience pay off and property knowledge is vital. Many landlords do not understand their obligations under the act or their legal obligation to maintain their property so that it is not a risk to their tenants and a financial or legal liability for you the landlord.
Property maintenance can be divided into three different areas:

read more »

This month's Giveaway

Monday, May 14, 2012

This month we are kick starting our new Q&A sessions for current and prospective Landlords. If you already own an investment property, are thinking about managing it yourself or thinking of buying your first investment property, we would like to hear from you.

A REAL STORY

Monday, May 7, 2012

Landlord agreed for the tenant to fix the roof and pay the tenant $1,000. Tenant had a fall and became a paraplegic. Tenant makes a workers comp claim and on appeal the NSW tribunal found the tenant to be an employee of Landlord for the purposes of workers compensation because Landlord agreed to pay the tenant.

The higher rent lower income paradox

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Many investors embarking on leasing out their first rental property hold out for the highest rent possible before letting the property, thinking the sky is the limit in a competitive rental market. Many do this even if this means losing several weeks rent. What does this mean for their overall return on the property?

Rental Appraisal 101

Monday, April 2, 2012

If you are in the process of investigating or bring up to date how much rent you can get for your investment property, an expert appraisal is the best way to go. But what should you expect to receive from a rental appraisal and how to evaluate if you have received good service or the property manager is sweet-talking you giving you inflated rents just to get the management of your property?

Pet Friendly Rentals

Monday, February 20, 2012

Some of the best tenants are those with pets. They understand the importance of excellent references and exemplary conduct.

Have you ever considered renting for pet owners? Conventional wisdom suggests you might want to think twice about that. Obviously there’s the potential for marked walls or garden damage.

New research suggests perhaps not. Research also shows that tenants with pets pay substantially more per week for their property.

Responsible pet owners typically work hard to ensure their pets don’t annoy neighbours and don’t do damage to their rental property. They know that one black mark against their name means it may be much more difficult to rent in future, or worse, they may have to surrender their pet to be euthanised, if they can’t find a suitable property.

Managing Risk

Monday, February 20, 2012

There are three main areas which we consider are pertinent to reduce the risk exposure when leasing a property. These are; to have and maintain the property in good and reasonable condition, to appoint a property manager and take out a comprehensive landlord insurance policy.

Insurance is an expense that some landlords try to avoid in order to reduce costs. You don’t get anything when you pay the premium, the true value of course is realised when you have a claim and you have the security of knowing you won’t have to worry about where the money will come from to cover the loss.

Our prospect for 2012 in Property

Monday, January 9, 2012

If only we had a crystal ball to find out what the future holds for us...

While we can’t be certain that it will all be a smooth ride, more than 25 years experience in the Real Estate market gives us a very good foundation to do some futurology.

Rent trends for 2013

Monday, January 9, 2012

A little bit of history: since 2003, national dwelling commencement numbers have either decreased or remained stable every year except for 2010 when a 15 per cent increase was recorded (152,000 commencements). In 2003 there were approximately 163,000 residential dwelling commencements compared to 132,000 in 2009. The increase in 2010 was attributed to the government stimulus package introduced following the fallout from the Global Financial Crisis.

But one year of growth does not result in supply levels surpassing on even stabilising demand levels. According to the National Housing Supply Council, the estimated supply gap is approximately 178,000 dwellings nationally.

Australian housing snapshot

Monday, December 5, 2011

A shortage of housing stock and rising rents will encourage investors and first-home buyers back into the property market, according to the latest Australian Housing Snapshot from ANZ Research.

The report shows that while housing market sentiment has softened and prices have drifted lower in most capital cities, the strength of the Australian economy will bolster a recovery.
read more »

The psychology of property investment

Monday, December 5, 2011

As as an old year gives way to a new one, forward planning is on the agenda over the holiday break. As property investment owners review their investment portfolio, they sometimes get dissatisfied with their current returns.

Your Investment Strategy

Monday, December 5, 2011

The best way you can ensure that you can cope with the psychological pressure of making the best financial decisions not only for your future, but for your family as well, is to have a plan and stick to it. Don’t attempt to be the best, just the most balanced and disciplined.

According to a study published by Frank H Knight, people dislike uncertainty more than risk particularly when the odds are unknown. It is not uncommon for investors without a strategy to react to uncertainty by selling. They can cope with the risks of owning an investment property, but not with an uncertain Real Estate market. And if right now you feel this way, it's only human nature.