Welcome to Talking Property Management the podcast that dives into the untold stories and challenges of property management in Brisbane. Hosted by Samantha Eason, Principal and Licensee of Exclusively Managed, this show peels back the curtain on the not-so-pretty side of managing investment properties and mistakes made in the business.
From tricky tenants, untrained property managers, to unexpected maintenance disasters, Samantha brings her expertise and unfiltered insights to the table, offering listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of property management.
Whether you're an investor, a landlord, or just curious about the industry, Talking Property Manager delivers honest conversations, practical advice, and a touch of humor to navigate the ups and downs of property management in Brisbane's unique market.
Join Samantha as she shares stories, tips, and solutions to help you tackle the challenges and make the most of your property investments.
And who knows, she could be talking about your property manager on the next episode.
Choosing the Right Property Manager for Your Investment
•Samantha Eason•Season 2•Episode 2
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00:00 | 18:24
We have aired an episode like this before. What exactly does your property manager know?
Well, let us tell you exactly what they don't know on this episode.
An property manager or agency lacking in training and competence doesn't mean you have to settle for less—discover why choosing a property manager based on service quality over fees is crucial.
Finally, we address the ever-present challenge of hiring skilled tradespeople, highlighting the importance of a proactive approach to building a reliable team that can meet high expectations without breaking the bank.
Join the conversation, and ensure your investment properties are managed with expertise and care.
If you have any questions or scenarios you would like us to discuss on an upcoming episode, please email samantha.eason@exclusivelymanaged.com.au or visit https://www.exclusivelymanaged.com.au/
Hi, it's Samantha Eason again with another episode. I'm talking property management and I love doing this one because, well, it's fun for me. But it's really frustrating that there are property managers in Queensland that do not know basic legislation and unfortunately it means that the clients suffer when they have someone that isn't experienced looking after their investment property. So this particular person posted does anyone know what the legislation says about smoke alarms? I have a new landlord who has a two-year-old new build certificate and is wanting me to use that. The fire department does say it doesn't need to be done by an electrician, just checked monthly by the tenants. I've tried explaining that we need to get a compliance check annually and when new tenants move in, etc. And I'd like to give the owner actual legislation on this. So, plain and simple smoke alarms must be inspected when a new lease is signed and whether or not it's a two-year-old property, it must be checked with the property having a new tenancy agreement signed, and that even includes renewals. And my favorite part of this post is someone wrote you're kidding, aren't you look it up? And that is the level of experience that this particular property manager has. Who may or may not be looking after your property and here we have another post. Can anyone share their experience for QCAT?
Speaker 1:
Due to dog urine into carpet and causing replacement is required. The carpet is seven years old. Looks completely fine from the photo, apart from the smell is unbearable. You can smell it from the moment you walk into the house, so very easily. If you have property that has like an odour issue, the first thing that you do is report the odour on the exit condition report as the property manager. Then from there you would get a tradesperson to back that up. So whether that is a carpet cleaning company, it is likely that the tenants had a carpet clean organized by a professional. If not, they've completely missed a beat here. And then you would have the carpet cleaning company come out and clean that area right on their invoice, removed um cleaned area where heavy dog urine odor is present odor still present upon second inspection two days later. That's your evidence in court. You can't bring the smell into QCAT unless you literally are replacing the carpet and you bring it in which you know. I think that is also a good idea to express to the owner. This is the carpet but unfortunately, where it is seven years old, it's only got one year left of depreciation when it comes into insurance and QCAT as it is so in this situation, insurance and QCAT as it is so in this situation, the tenant would likely only be responsible for part of it. But you could argue that the carpet is fine on a structural integrity side of things. It's unfortunately the odor and we cannot rent out the property in this condition with this odor present. Therefore, he has not returned the property, or they have not returned the property into the standard of which they were given at the start of their tenancy.
Speaker 1:
This one is a fun one. How much do you think is a reasonable amount for compensation from the tenants? And if they denied it's from them, what chances could we have the amount from the tenant? If it goes to QCAT, it is likely the smallest dent on a garage door and those particular garage doors. They have separate panels and those panels can be replaced and each panel replacement is about $400. So I would go to the tenants and say, hey, you're paying, you're charging $400 for this replacement. If they say no, technically speaking the legislation states that it has to be beyond working order and it is working. So compensation will be tricky on this one, and someone else actually commented here saying that they used a particular person. So if they're in the same area, he charged $259 to pop the panel back and you can do this as well. Very similar with cars you can actually get a dent removed from a vehicle. There will likely still be marks, but it is better than a dented panel.
Speaker 1:
I talk about this all the time, but it is incredibly important for property managers and agencies to have a good list of trades, and I don't mean trades that are their best friends, I mean the list of trades this particular person posted need recommendations for a shower renovation. The shower needs to be completely replaced. I'm in Belimba. You're telling me throughout your whole history as a property manager and I know that this person's been in the industry for a long time that you do not have a shower repair company, someone that you can go to. It's not an uncommon issue. That takes place in bathrooms. It happens to owner occupiers all the time. It would happen to tenanted properties as well. So I find this really odd. Again back to good trades. So unfortunately, this particular property manager started out her own agency, which is really exciting for her. It's fantastic being away from the franchises and she has posted does anyone know a good lawn maintenance guy in or around Deception Bay? Need someone ASAP to attend to a small courtyard that's overgrown. If you're having a property management company, wouldn't the lawns, gardens and maintenance be one of the first trades you would find with your electricians and plumbers and handymen? It is, again, a common thing that we require a trade for, so I find that very, very bizarre. I've just, unfortunately, had to scroll through what appears to be 20. Um, I'm looking for work or we need a new property manager post. So there's the industry right now, and I completely understand it.
Speaker 1:
It is incredibly difficult to keep up with everyone's expectations, and this is pretty like understandable as well. We're going through a very big issue and I was saying to a client yesterday the one thing that wrecks marriages is money disputes like that's pretty common. If you're fighting about money, it unless you're being able to get ahead of that. It is difficult to break away from that in a relationship, especially in marriage. So if we have a massive population of people that are looking for ways to save money and everything around them is increasing, their frustrations are going to just come out Like it's going to come out at everyone, and that is really difficult because it's not something that you can just solve like just by clicking your fingers. It's a really tricky thing. So I can understand why there are so many people looking for work and there are so many agencies looking for property managers or assistants, but it is really frustrating that that is where the industry has come to because of it.
Speaker 1:
This is another good one. So, hey guys, can an owner revoke a renewal offer for any reason, and this comes down to poor procedures and processes within the office. When you are doing lease renewals, best practice is that you provide tenants with the lease and you give them seven days to sign. You then advise the tenants in that signing that they will have the previously sent notice to leave enforced and the lease retracted if it isn't signed. Obviously, on the seventh or the eighth day, you'd contact the tenants and just give them a quick reminder. But that's a very easy way to revoke a lease renewal offer. And also, if you have actually presented the tenant with the lease, without that, you can't revoke the lease. You need that seven days highlighted because you've not given them an end date to complete their signing, and that was something that the REIQ discussed last year in their training. So again, this anonymous member posting in our group obviously is not well aware of the training and whatnot. And then this is also a fun one.
Speaker 1:
Just a quick question, as I'm not 100% sure on this one Does an admin have to have a registration to sign entry notices on behalf of the property manager? And if you're working in real estate, you do need to have your registration, especially if you're signing documentation. But my favorite part of this is where this allegedly incredibly experienced property manager wrote in real works, you can select any signature that is on the system, if that helps. So you're encouraging people to work in the industry without their registration. That is what is untrustworthy within our industry. It is people like this who will go out of their way to bend the rules or find little gray areas to suit and please themselves. Does anyone have an email template they'd be willing to share for requesting the necessary documents from a property manager when taking over a management? This person posted anonymously and no one responded to them, and I would probably say the reason why is because one if you are in the industry, you would know what documents are required when taking over in management. If you're grabbing a management from someone, you're obviously better than that person who's lost the management in some sense. So there is something that you have done better. If that is the case, you would know that list of documents. How is it that this person is getting a management from another agency without knowing one of the first things you're taught when you're doing prospecting or new owners and managements? It's that list. What are the important documents that you require? I find this one really odd, very odd indeed. This is another fun one, wanting general opinion please.
Speaker 1:
Dishwasher failing. The technician comes out. They found broken glass that caused a blockage. Tenant or owner no one has put in this post how long has the tenant lived there? Because you can't say owner unless the owner was in the property over the last three months. So, generally speaking, if there is a piece of broken glass in a dishwasher, it will wash through the next wash. That's it Like, generally speaking. There might be an instance where it's two washes. So unless the tenant has just moved in, it would be the owner's responsibility. But this is a hundred percent in from what I can see, understanding that this owner hasn't just moved out and the tenants just moved in. This is the tenant's responsibility to pay. And everyone in the comments writes I'd say owner. And everyone in the comments writes I'd say owner, owner, all maintenance is the owner's responsibility. That's not accurate. It can be proven that it is the tenants. You're telling me if that tenant's been in the property for 12 months, let's assume they put their dishwasher on 12 times, um like once a day over that 12 months. You're telling me that through those 300 or so washes that the tenant didn't break one glass. That's unrealistic and probably the last one for today's episode.
Speaker 1:
The owner has said we trust you to make the right decision and she's given an option with these two applications. No owner like you make the decision. It is your property. I'm not making the decision on this tenancy. Do you like this application or do you not like this application? Why would you hand over your property manager to make the decision on this? The property manager's responsibility is to vet the application, provide all the information to the owner and let the owner make the decision. The reason why we do this is because it is the owner's property. And what will happen in 12 months time if something goes wrong? You put that tenant in. I would never make that decision for the owner. My job as the property manager is to go in and say, hey, these are the applications that we received. My preference is these people because of this reason, or they're all fantastic applications. You take the pick, that's it.
Speaker 1:
I love doing these sorts of episodes because I want investors to know exactly the level of incompetence that is in our industry, the lack of training that these agencies and senior property managers or business owners are receiving or getting, and it's just absurd that there are so many investors out there that do not understand who is managing their property. Are you asking these property managers or these business development managers questions? When you're looking for a new property manager, what exactly are you doing when it comes the time that you're changing? If you're changing for fees and lower service? I can completely understand if these guys, if one of these people that I've spoken to you about today, are your property managers because you pay for what you get and I get it. It's not a fun episode, probably for you guys, but if you're listening and you're being managed by me currently, you're probably going. I'm really thankful we have Sam, but these people and I just do not get how it could be so difficult especially when majority of this is basic property management.
Speaker 1:
Like stuff to know, especially the smoke alarms, like that is on the RTA's website. It's directly in the legislation. You're telling me that you've got someone managing your property that doesn't understand the legislation that they're meant to be working in. That makes absolutely no sense to me. And the issues with trades why would you start a property management agency without having the best trades in your hands? You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:
Like it makes no sense to me that someone would go out of their way to start a business and then go. I'll find the trades later, even if you lose a gardener and you need a new gardener as an example. You'd always be constantly looking for a gardener. You don't know when you will need him. It could be literally tomorrow. I do not understand how difficult it is and I just do not get why these agencies are keeping people within their portfolio and within their company who are subpar. That is it for me for today, so thank you very much for listening to this podcast in this episode. If you need any assistance with your investment property, please reach out. I'm Samantha Eason from Exclusively Managed, and this is Talking Property Management.
