What Actually Happens When Something Breaks at Your Rental

If you own an investment property, you have probably had a property manager tell you they are proactive about maintenance. The problem is you cannot see what actually happens behind the scenes unless something goes wrong, or someone tells you.

Here is what proactive maintenance looks like

One landlord in Toowoomba came to us frustrated after a poor experience with his previous managing agency. He works fly in fly out, so he never really had the time to oversee his own property day to day, and had trusted it was being looked after properly. It was not.

One of our team arranged to meet him at the property in person and walked it with him. Between them they found overhanging branches, a hedge growing up into the gutters, trees pushing into the timber fencing and starting to cause damage, a noxious weed taking hold in the back yard, a wisteria vine coming away from its support on the fence, and grout and sealant deteriorating in the bathroom, leaving it exposed to water getting in.

We explained why we catch things like this early, and recommend fixes before small issues become bigger, costlier ones. It is backed up by regular routine inspections with reports and photos, so owners always know exactly where their property stands.

He was genuinely taken aback. What stuck with him most was the thought that if he had not changed agencies, none of it would have been picked up. It would have kept going until it became a much bigger, more expensive problem.

Spending a bit to get a lot back

Not every job is an urgent repair. Sometimes it is a landlord agreeing to a modest refresh before a property goes back on the rental market, a tired kitchen or bathroom brought up to standard, a coat of paint, whatever will genuinely lift it.

That is not us being flashy with someone else's money. It is a straightforward case for spending a little to protect the return, and it only works if the property manager is willing to make that case to the landlord instead of just relisting the property as-is.

Questions worth asking your property manager

If you are wondering whether your property is actually looked after or just quietly managed, these are the questions that get a real answer, not a marketing one.

• How often is the property actually inspected, and do you get to see photos, not just a report?
• What is the process the moment something is reported? Who gets contacted, and how fast?
• Are maintenance issues documented in a way that would hold up with your insurer if you ever needed it?
• If a property is falling short on presentation, will you be told, or will it just get relisted as-is?

A few common questions