Our service philosophy

Our service philosophy is simple – to provide you with a premium Property Management service. This means always selecting the best available Tenants, achieving the highest market rental and ensuring your property is maintained in excellent condition at all times.

You can relax because we don’t

Property Management requires a committed, professional approach and a sharp focus on customer service.  Our knowledge of the legalities and day-to-day demands of Property Management provides our Rental Providers (Landlords) with their best chance to enjoy trouble-free tenancies.

Personalised service

We appreciate that you or your property may have unique requirements, in which case we ill be happy to discuss how these can be incorporated into your service.  From the outset your personal Property Manager will look after every detail, helping prepare your property for lease to maximize it rental potential.

Ongoing commitment and communication

Tenancy applications are reviewed and references checked before they are presented to you.   Once approved by you, we will then prepare the lease agreement and detailed condition report and lodge the bond.

Once the tenancy commences, we conduct regular property inspections and report back to you with any maintenance issues   At your request we can arrange to have maintenance work carried out by reliable tradespeople.  We will monitor Renters’ payment schedules to ensure they pay their rent on time.   We will also review the rental amount periodically and arrange lease renewals in a timely fashion.  In short, we will work hard to ensure your investment works hard for you.

Choosing the right estate agency to manage your investment property is one of the most difficult tasks you will face as a landlord. 

No two properties or landlords are the same so it is vital that your property's features, and your individual needs are considered. 

Whilst we appreciate that fees may play a part in your decision making process, it is also very important to consider the systems, processes and experience that underpin the strength of the agency that you select to manage your financial future.

Property Management

Property Management is more than simply collecting rent and hoping for a good outcome.  Property Management is the skill of increasing the worth of your investment whilst maximizing your income and minimizing your expenses.

Skill Set

Your Property Manager is an intermediary between the parties of the tenancy- Rental Provider (Landlord) and  Renter (Tenant), maintaining a respectful relationship between the two is integral to achieving the best outcome.  As the interests of both parties are not always aligned, your Property Manager is trained to look after your interests with tenacity and diplomacy.

Service Standards

Whilst we are commercially competitive, we will not compromise on training, systems equipment or standards that enable us to assure selection of quality tenants, timely rental payments and minimal vacancies.

Legislation

Residential and Commercial Tenancies are subject to legislation and sometimes disputes can occur.  The strategic advice we provide, should a circumstance arise, is based upon invaluable experience- something money just can't buy.

The professional management of your property is our priority. The following services represent the work we will undertake to provide you with absolute peace of mind, that your property is being well managed and looked after. 

 The schedule will commence immediately after the successful leasing of your property or upon transfer of management.

 Prepare a property file which will include a fully executed copy of all documentation, including the Tenancy Agreement, Condition Report, Bond Lodgment form, tenant and landlord information.

• Assist with all relevant Compliance checks and keeping record of required compliance certificates.
• Commence monitoring rental payments and disburse funds in accordance with your instructions.
• Where requested make payments on your behalf i.e. Body Corporate fees, rates etc.
• Provide regular statements of transactions that occur and an annual financial report of transactions relating to your property.
• Arrange appropriate quotes and maintenance as required.
• Manage and monitor the status of repairs and maintenance.
• Conduct regular routine inspections to ensure the property is being maintained to the appropriate standard.  Provide a written report and photos of same. 
• Conduct regular rent reviews in accordance with current market conditions.
• Complete appropriate Notices as required under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997.
• Monitor lease expiries and re-negotiate lease terms in accordance with your instructions.
• Maintain accurate records of events relating to your property, whilst keeping you informed of any events that may arise.
• When necessary, attend tribunal hearings on your behalf.
• Provide assistance with insurance claims if required.
• Liaise with Body Corporate or other relevant parties on your behalf.
• Conduct a final inspection of the property upon your tenant vacating the property.
• Finalise the Bond Claim in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act 1997.
• Continue to keep you updated on property and tenancy related matters, by way of information, advice or recommendations.

First National D & K recommends that every landlord take out the appropriate Landlord Protection Insurance against their investment property.

Landlord insurance was designed to provide cover for many of the unique risks that can be associated with owning an investment property and gives investors peace of mind that their most valuable investment is protected in the unlikely event of damage, rental loss or any other unforeseen circumstance that may arise.

Various levels of cover are available through many reputable insurance providers. From our experience Terri Scheer will be one we recommend but we will leave that to your personal preference.

We care for your property as if it were our own ensuring it is looked after every step of the way!

We have a zero-tolerance policy for tenants who fall behind in rental payments and procedures in place to minimize any loss of income to the Rental Provider. In accordance with the law, our office makes phone calls, sends SMS notifications and issues the appropriate notices. Our office maintains strict arrears management to ensure Renters are made aware of their responsibility to pay rent on time and the consequences of non-payment. Should a renter fall behind in their rent, all relevant steps are taken as per the legislation to ensure the rent is paid. If the rent arrears reaches 14 days, on day 15 we are entitled to serve a 14 days' notice to vacate followed up by the VCAT application in case the payment is not made.

Currently, the legislation allows renters to have 5 strikes of the same 14 days' notice to vacate in the  12 months from the initial start of the lease.

* It should be noted that as we are monitoring the situation daily, it is very rarely we have to go to the final stages

Regular routine inspections are essential to effectively manage your investment

- Regular inspections are performed throughout the year

- A report is emailed to you highlighting any areas of concern, recommendations for maintenance & suggestions for improvement inclusive of photos

We acknowledge good renters(tenants) and recognize their value to our agency and our owner, by leaving thank you cards and chocolates to good renters at inspections as well as rewards of movie passes to select tenants who exceed expectations consistently!

As many of you may be aware, the new rental laws that outline the 130 changes came into effect on the 29th of March 2021. The changes span the lifecycle of a rental agreement, from before a rental agreement is signed until the agreement ends. 

We conduct a basic compliance inspection of your property and advise you of the outcomes. Please note, we are not qualified to assist with the full minimum standard report such as structural condition of the property, mould/dampness inspection but here are companies that can carry out the full inspection and provide the report for that.

 If you think that your property does not comply with any of the new government legislation requirements, you will need to address those issues as soon as practicable to ensure your property meets the minimum requirements.

We highly recommend that you make sure your property meets the new requirements to ensure a secure lease and minimise any potential liability for you as a rental provider.

Please note each property must have GAS and ELECTRICITY checked by a qualified/authorized person every two years, and  SMOKE ALARM checks must be conducted annually. For each compliance report, they will issue a certificate of compliance. All required compliance inspections and reports can be arranged through our office.

Please contact us for any clarification as these changes are now part of the legislation.

You can find out more about the law changes by clicking the link below or entering it onto your web browser to access the Ebook we have prepared for the changes to the Residential Tenancy Act. https://rta-amendments.fnebooks.com/

Schedule of fees and costs

Leasing fee

Amount (to initial or to new tenant): 1.92% of the annual rental plus GST, which is equivalent to 1 Weeks rent plus GST.

Lease renewal fee

Amount (to existing tenant): 0.96% of the annual rental plus GST. which is equivalent to half week plus GST.  

Management Fee

Amount: 6% of the weekly rent plus GST.

Marketing fees

Advertising (internet): $249 incl. GST

Property photography: Complementary

Virtual 360 tour of the property: Complementary

'For Lease' board: $190 Incl. GST

Additional costs

Digital Condition Report: Complementary

Key cutting: as per cost

Tenant credit check: Complementary

Administration fee per statement: $5.50 incl. GST

Financial year summary report: $33 incl. GST

Payment by cheque:$15 incl. GST

Conducting routine inspection and report:$33 incl. GST

Tenancy assignment fee: Complementary

Organizing maintenance: Complementary

Preparation of VCAT application: Complementary

VCAT application fee: as per cost of the application determined by VCAT

Representation at VCAT hearings: $110 per attendance incl. GST

Registered post: $6.05 incl. GST

Purchasing Warrant of Possession: as per cost of the application

Executing Warrant of Possession: Complementary

Insurance claim preparation and processing: $150 incl. GST

Please note: These fees are correct at the date of signing however they may be modified with written notice to the rental provider.