Why Choose a Property Portfolio Manager?
Property Management is more than just collecting rent. We at Bushby First National have one of the largest Property Managerment departments in the State. This growth has been built by providing leading service and ensuring maximum return is achieved for you from your investment property and by providing the very best professional service.
We have a dedicated Property Management team of ten to ensure the smooth running of our property management division. Our rental properties are divided into geographical areas and each area has its own dedicated property manager, who is totally responsible for all aspects of their portfolio.
Due to the very complex nature of the Residential Tenancies Act, Strata Titles Act, the Privacy Act, Anti Discrimination Act, constant training for all our staff is vital. Our office is strongly committed to ensuring we all have the knowledge, expertise and personality to handle any given situation with ease and confidence.
How much will it cost for you to manage my property?
Every property is different and most landlords’ requirements are different. Therefore the fees varied based on individual requirements.
The fees charged by Bushby First National are not always the cheapest, but we believe that we provide the very best service. Therefore offering you the very best value for money.
Will I lose control of my property if I give it to you to manage?
You can have as little or as much involvement in the management of your property as you wish. It’s entirely your choice. We will discuss your requirements with you and once agreed, we will focus on ensuring they are met
How long will it take to find a tenant for my property?
We commence marketing your property from the moment we get your authority to do so. Within two days of listing your property it will be placed on the internet. Featuring on websites such as www.bushby.com.au, www.realestate.com.au, www.firstnational.com.au & www.domain.com. It will appear in our rental brochure & will feature in our office window display.
There can often be seasonal factors to consider, as well flacuations in supply and demand, caused by economic forces outside our control. However, we devote all available resources into getting you the most suitable tenant, in the shortest time possible for the highest rent possible.
How do you qualify prospective tenants?
All prospectives tenants must complete an application form, together with 100 Point Identification and credit check report, before we interview each applicant prior to processing applications. Once all completed information is supplied we interview each prospective tenant and ask a series of questions.
We are also continually committed to optimising your rental return. Therefore whilst marketing your property we price range the the rental amount. This enables the prospective tenant to put forward their best offer at the time of submitting their application.
Consultation is made with you, where possible, after applications are thoroughly checked, to discuss relevant details about the tenant and the conditions and terms of the Tenancy Agreement.
Do I have to insure the property or does the tenant do that?
Yes, you must maintain your own insurance cover on the building, contents (floor coverings, light fittings, window furnishings etc), public liability & it is recommended that you also have a landlords policy for loss of rent & malicious damage. If the property is is a strata unit, the Body Corporate insures the building, but you will still require contents & a landlords policy. The tenant is responsible for their own personal effects.
How often do I recieve my rental money?
We process all rental monies on, or as close to the 15th of each month & the last business day of the month. All monies are deposited electronically & the cleared funds are available to you the next day.
How are rent collections handled?
Tenants are required to keep their rent 2 weeks in advance at all times. We offer various methods for payment, such as direct debit from a nominated bank account, credit card payments, EFTPOS, Centrelink payments, deposit book paid into our Westpac Banking Corporation Trust Account and the internet. With such flexability this enables the tenant to choose a means which is of greatest ease to them and thus minimising rental arrears.
What happens if the tenant doesn’t pay the rent on time?
Tenant arrears are reviewd daily. We will contact the tenant via letter, phone call, email, sms and personal visit, advising them of their late rent. We will then seek to have a verbal commitment from the tenant regarding their intention to pay. Should this fail, we will seek the landlords instruction to proceed with a Notice To Vacate (Eviction Notice).
Q: How do I change my property over if it is currently being managed by another agent?
Simple! If you currently have a property managed by another agent and you’re not satisfied with the service you are getting and would like to change over to RENTAL EXPRESS all you have to do is fill out the ‘Other agent termination letter’ (under forms and documents), send a copy of that to us and also to your current managing agent, fill out a new management agreement with RENTAL EXPRESS and we will take care of everything else for you. We will organise for the tenant to be notified and for the keys to be collected from your managing agent. Everything else carries on as usual. Changing your managing agent could never be easier.
Q: How long will it take to find a tenant for my property?
This is a common one and there is no guarantee on how long it takes to rent a property however the better your property is presented, the more realistic the rental amount you are asking and the better the agent whose letting your property, the quicker it will rent out. At RENTAL EXPRESS we have among the lowest vacancy rates in the industry and generally we will have most properties rented inside 1 week of being placed on our rental list.
Q: What happens if my tenant doesn’t pay rent?
We monitor tenant arrears on a daily basis. When a tenant is 4 – 7 days in arrears we will contact them via telephone, email and SMS. On the 8th day of arrears a Notice to Remedy Breach will be issued to the tenant giving them 7 clear days to bring the rent up to date. If rent is still not paid within this time frame a Notice to Leave will be issued to the tenant giving them a further 7 clear days to vacate the property. We will communicate with you throughout this process and a Notice to Leave will never be issued without discussing the situation with you first. It is our intention at all times to minimise any loss to the owner so these actions need to be carried out promptly.
Q: Is an agent’s location important to their ability to manage my property?
One of the most common misconceptions about finding an agent to manage your property is that they need to be located in the neighbourhood. Long gone are the days when prospective tenants went from real estate agency to real estate agency looking for homes to rent in any given area. They simply don’t have the time. Over 95% of all of our tenant enquiry now comes from the internet meaning that we can quickly and easily rent out properties in a very large geographic area. We can also very quickly assess rents in any given area to determine what the right amount of rent is for a particular property. At RENTAL EXPRESS we easily manage properties in over 100 different suburbs in Brisbane and all from 2 office locations.
Q: What do I do if I want to sell my property?
If we currently manage your property and you are looking to sell or even if we don’t manage your property and you are looking to sell, your choice of agent is of critical importance in ensuring you get the best price in the sale. Many of our owners live interstate or out of the area and don’t have relationships with selling agents in the area that their property is located in. We specialise in renting properties but do have a vast referral network so that we can easily put you on to the best agent to sell your home no matter what suburb it is located in. Just call us and will put you in touch with the right people. Our goal is that you get the very best return on your investment and that extends to ensuring that the best possible price is achieved when you want to sell.
Q: Do I need landlord’s insurance?
As with any insurance policy, it is not compulsory to have landlord insurance on your property however we strongly recommend that every investment property owner has a specific landlord insurance policy in place for their property. Landlord Insurance protects you in the event of a tenant not paying rent, departing the property early or damaging the property. It also includes public liability and limited cover for contents (eg floor coverings, curtains). For full policy details please refer to the Landlord Insurance Brochure on our website.
Q: How should I know what my property will rent for?
You will get the best indication of what rental amount you should be getting on your property by closely comparing it to other properties similar to yours that are currently being rented or have just been rented. The best way to do this is to either talk to your managing agent or just log on to realestate.com.au and look at what properties are for rent in your area. Apart from this, market forces will determine exactly what amount of rent you achieve. If you have a very popular property you will get more interest and subsequently a hgher rent. If you have a property that is less rentable, you will find it hard to command a premium rent. RENTAL EXPRESS employs skilled letting consultants who accompany all tenants on rental inspections, similar to a good real estate salesperson, to ensure that all tenants are made aware of the positive features of the property and hence are more likely to pay a higher rent.
