Ever grappled with the anxiety of a dripping faucet at 2 a.m. or the dread of a power outage just as you're prepping for a cozy movie night? Our latest episode is your guide through the twist and turns of property repairs and maintenance, led by a property management virtuoso with 15 years in the trenches. Together, we dissect the expectations versus the harsh realities tenants face, from the urgency of reporting issues to deciphering why some repairs seem to take an eternity. Plumbing leaks, flickering lights, and the heroes without capes—our handymen—are all on the roster in this critical conversation that stretches beyond the nuts and bolts into the fabric of effective communication between tenants, property managers, and property owners.
The episode takes a somber turn as we recount a harrowing tale of a real estate agent's routine that spun into a half-a-million-dollar disaster, bringing an entire community to a standstill. Through the smoke, we peel back the layers of responsibility and compliance, especially in the charming but often antiquated homes of neighborhoods like Avalon. This poignant yarn isn't just about the nitty-gritty of property logistics; it's a stark reminder of the fragile balance we all juggle between our professional lives and the hearth of home. So, whether you're a tenant, a property mogul, or just someone who cherishes the sanctity of a well-maintained abode, this episode promises to arm you with knowledge, empathy, and a reinforced appreciation for the places we call home.
Ever grappled with the anxiety of a dripping faucet at 2 a.m. or the dread of a power outage just as you're prepping for a cozy movie night? Our latest episode is your guide through the twist and turns of property repairs and maintenance, led by a property management virtuoso with 15 years in the trenches. Together, we dissect the expectations versus the harsh realities tenants face, from the urgency of reporting issues to deciphering why some repairs seem to take an eternity. Plumbing leaks, flickering lights, and the heroes without capes—our handymen—are all on the roster in this critical conversation that stretches beyond the nuts and bolts into the fabric of effective communication between tenants, property managers, and property owners.
The episode takes a somber turn as we recount a harrowing tale of a real estate agent's routine that spun into a half-a-million-dollar disaster, bringing an entire community to a standstill. Through the smoke, we peel back the layers of responsibility and compliance, especially in the charming but often antiquated homes of neighborhoods like Avalon. This poignant yarn isn't just about the nitty-gritty of property logistics; it's a stark reminder of the fragile balance we all juggle between our professional lives and the hearth of home. So, whether you're a tenant, a property mogul, or just someone who cherishes the sanctity of a well-maintained abode, this episode promises to arm you with knowledge, empathy, and a reinforced appreciation for the places we call home.
Speaker 1:
Okay, guys and girls in the rental world, what is normal for repairs for properties for tenants? What are the expectations you should have for a reasonable turnaround for getting stuff done? Stay tuned, we're gonna talk about it with expert property manager of 15 years over the intro. All good. The intro didn't start. What happened?
Speaker 2:
it's got no sound.
Speaker 1:
It says touch the sound but bon, anyway, let's talk about it without the intro. We've repairs, maintenance. This must be the biggest job for a property manager.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it is. It's something that never stops.
Speaker 2:
It's a continuum, continual part of the job definitely more with houses, more with units houses have a lot more preventative maintenance you need to do, and when something needs doing in a house it's usually quite costly, whereas with a unit you've usually just got your, you know, electrical plumbing, your basic things that could you know need fixing, or an appliance. With a house it's much more entailed and especially, you know, when it's bushfire season or it's been extremely wet with flooding and all that sort of stuff, a house can be a lot.
Speaker 1:
Good morning so the number one repair, number one repair person that would visit your properties would be really digging plumber plumber, plumber definitely you've got it.
Speaker 1:
You know you got a rental property. Expect the plumber to be the number one guy that's going to be coming and going. That's. I'm surprised with that number two the electrician for sure number three the handyman okay, that's the order. I like that. And then in the courses you know what would be the repair that you are like and you're probably really casual about it because you've been doing proper management such a long time. What would be the repair that you hear most?
Speaker 2:
A leak or taps leaking. There's a leak somewhere under my sink. There's something to do with leaks. You know it's very, very common, and then we go through a process of elimination. You get the plumber there A lot of the time it's the shower and then, following that, it could be something more entailed, like a shower repair center needing to go there and seal the tiles. Where is the water going? How long has it been leaking? There's a lot of questions and it's sometimes not as easy as just changing a tap washer and, having deepened, going in and out and it's done.
Speaker 1:
The number one piece of advice that you would give to a tenant when they want to repair, like what's cringe-worthy. When you see repair coming and you're going, oh god, how come they're like what?
Speaker 2:
do you recommend?
Speaker 1:
the tenant to do.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, sometimes tenants report maintenance after it's been happening for a long time and then they basically I know everyone gets busy, but they report it a week later and at that point it's urgent for them but it might have been something that wasn't so urgent a week or so ago. And then they call and they go. Oh well, you know.
Speaker 2:
I've had no hot water for four days but we only just heard about it now, like if you called us four days ago, you know, or you just thought it might have been a one-off thing, I get it, but we need to prepare. There's a process. You have to get the owner's approval, you have to do the work order, you have to book in the trade, like. Sometimes it's not and we do strive to have people that have the same day when it's something to do, leaks, electrical, all that sort of stuff. But yeah, if you're a tenant and you know of an issue, report it early and then expect that it might take a few days to transpire as opposed to right now. I've had, I've been dealing with this for a whole week now, but I want it done now.
Speaker 1:
So jumping on it really, really quickly and yeah, and then it sort of becomes too late by the time they do jump on it. Is there anything? When people are getting repairs done to properties, why does it take time to get the tradesperson out there, For example? My expectation would be, my unreasonable expectation would be that I something goes wrong, I pick up the phone. I think the person should be there the same day. Is that reality, or what is reality?
Speaker 2:
To be fair, our trades are amazing that we use and we do, you know, for simple jobs we can get them there the same day and we do usually pick up the phones straight away. In the event that it's a repair that may cost the owner more than the expenditure limit say $350, then it may possibly be that you have to wait longer. We can't get in touch with the owner, so it may take a couple of days, especially for new hot water system needs to be done. Things like that we can decide to approve on the spot. We do have that authority if it's an emergency and something that needs to be done, but we do also like to get the guidance of the owner.
Speaker 2:
I had this one job many years ago when I first started, and it was in Cottage Point and the hot water system was this big, gigantic tank and it burst and it almost flattened the house in front and I was thinking how much water can this be Like, what kind of hot water system? Anyway, when I spoke to the porma, he's like, yeah, we're going to need a crane to get the new tank there Like it was. It was the most nuts. It took over a week, you know, okay, oh you guessed.
Speaker 2:
I've been found.
Speaker 1:
So repairs, maintenance, make sure, and these days, um, you have to be in writing email. What how's the preference for a property manager out there how they like to receive a repair request?
Speaker 2:
um, it sounds like you've been breached I know I have. I've I've forewarned everyone. It's every Thursday morning, but it doesn't always get a plan london has fallen.
Speaker 1:
London has fallen. London has fallen I know.
Speaker 2:
So I'm like, oh, what the hell? Um, yeah, and she's stubborn, she's not gonna stop, so I'll try and be quick. Um repairs and maintenance in writing, and if it's within the 14 day period for non-urgent repairs, that's what we strive for. Um appliances can be a longer turnaround, especially dishwash lines um dryers. Oh my god, it's carnage. I'm so sorry viewers no, it's, it's beautiful.
Speaker 1:
Do you want to bring her in? It's reality do you want to bring it's reality show. Do you want to?
Speaker 2:
bring her.
Speaker 1:
Let's bring her in and ask her what she thinks about repairs and maintenance.
Speaker 2:
Oh my god she'll be so cranky um makeup.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, no, no she'll be raw red, oh, straight out of halem I know no glare at a content, um, but yeah, definitely in writing.
Speaker 2:
We like photos, especially if it's something weird, um that we've not dealt with before. You know, sometimes tenants have troubles, um, you know, expressing what, what the issue could be, especially when it might be mold related, that's structural, you don't know where or what.
Speaker 1:
We need a quiet, yeah ongoing stuff is, you know, can be frustrating for a tenant. Um, with what's the a bit of fun out of this one? The craziest repair? Well, it would be that water, that, that water tank that had a fall of that and what else, what, what else would you have?
Speaker 2:
crazy oh crazy, we talked about this one time it wasn't mine, but you know the the truck smelling a jar and the tenant brought it in because the drain was smelling. And you got, she brought in this jar with the smell and opened it for a fact so you could smell, smell. Um, we've had some. We've had tenants bring in the parts. Like come into the office, you went what the hell is this? It's like a half mixer tap that's rusted and broken and they bring it in and leave it in reception before we do. You're just like, okay, like we've had.
Speaker 1:
We've had bad repair. Bad repair is needed where the tenants burned down the property yes, one of my firsts actually.
Speaker 2:
I had two at this this year, two this year. I had a kitchen where the tenant went away and the cat trod on the stove top, activated the stove. There was something near. Then it burnt the whole side of one part of the kitchen and then the fire is putting their reporter. That was the cat, most likely the cat and then I know, I know that's wild and it was a new kitchen.
Speaker 1:
I was talking to a mate last night around dinner and he was saying they've got baboons in South Africa and now they've learned during the doorbell oh my god, that's so freaky you can imagine opening your door like oh so repairs, maintenance. Oh, by the way, if it's a fire, whose fault would that like if that's a big repair? But whose fault would that be? And who pays that insurance wise?
Speaker 2:
in both instances, which it was both times. I've not dealt with it before it was handled completely through the strider and building insurance. So the internal one for the one with a gas bottle burnt in the bedroom. It exploded and everything was handled through strider and the strider even paid the insurance excess, which was $2,000, all through the building insurance, regardless of whose fault it was. So the same with the kitchen. That's all being dealt with with strata. We had to provide them a report from the handyman that did the kitchen initially and how much it would cost, and Then also the insurance is being paid.
Speaker 2:
Now I've had another property where the leak that was caused in the apartments flooded the whole like common area and that, and they're wanting the insurance access to be paid by the owner. And Having had this fire Insurance, I'm like why? Why they paying the excess when it's covered under the strata? And strata manager said well, that's up to the committee. And I'm like I'm not buying that, like I want more Information. Like where does it say it's the lot ability to pay the excess for the insurance? So these things can take a bit of time.
Speaker 2:
Yeah especially the big jobs. Okay, I'm coming to.
Speaker 1:
I'm talking too much.
Speaker 2:
Do you want to come see my mom quick?
Speaker 1:
I've got.
Speaker 2:
I've got Zeno Neymar junior here. Oh yeah, the sock. He's gonna soccer who's match tonight? He's gonna walk around.
Speaker 1:
Play Lebanon yeah that's gonna be stick any.
Speaker 1:
Okay, well, I think, yeah, that's interesting. Who pays for that water? Yeah, I did you hear about the real estate agent that burnt the place down in nothing Terrible for I like, and if you've been watching the news, guys and girls but then bit left to send it from repairs. But yeah, the real estate agent went into sell to present the property better because they were doing an open house. They moved some furniture, some a sheet around in the bedroom, touch the light, light caught on fire, burn down the whole house. Real estate agent responsible 850 grand, that is just.
Speaker 2:
I don't even know how like you could sleep at night knowing something like that could happen.
Speaker 1:
It's just a big shock to our industry.
Speaker 2:
Huge, huge, and I would be wondering whether that home has a Compliancy with electricals and some of those older homes in Avalon that you know don't have an upgraded Safety switches on there. You know electrical boxes and all that sort of stuff, and whether that played a part. You'd want to get into it for sure.
Speaker 1:
Unbelievable Cleo. Thank you so much. Thank you Sorry get to those beautiful kids. Thank you, see you.