Setting your rental price is one of the most critical decisions you will make as the owner of an investment property. Your Kollosche Property Manager is best placed to assist with setting the rental price. There are a few factors to consider, including the location and condition of the property – are the paint and carpet in good repair – and the overall appeal.

Once your property is advertised, Kollosche will hold open homes and book private inspections to show people through your property. Applications can be made after viewing the property. Once processed, each application is sent to the owner for consideration and a final decision on your preferred applicant.

There is no set time frame for finding a tenant. However, the sooner advertising begins, the sooner Kollosche can commence the process of finding a suitable tenant for your property. In order to advertise your property for lease, our team will work with our suppliers to prepare photography, copywriting and floor plans to present your property in the best light. 

If your property is water efficient and separately metered, the tenant is responsible for water usage charges. The tenant will have 30 days to pay the water invoice to reimburse you for the usage charges.

Rent payments are generated weekly. Landlords receive a statement at the end of every month, and you will have access to view your account any time via the PropertyMe portal.

Kollosche can manage any and all of the expenses relating to your rental property including landlord insurance, council rates, water rates, maintenance invoices and any other invoices related to your property. Expenses are paid from the rent funds we collect on your behalf. 

Pest control falls under the general responsibility of both tenants and landlords to maintain the premises in a state of reasonable repair, safety and cleanliness. Responsibility for removing or exterminating pests or vermin during a tenancy depends on whether:

• Pests or vermin were already a problem when the tenant moved in.
• A problem with the property has allowed the pests to enter or an infestation to develop.
• The tenant contributed to the problem.
• Other factors that could determine who is responsible include the property history, what is recorded in the condition report, and if there were factors beyond the tenant’s control.

The choice is entirely up to you unless your property is in a strata/ body corporate complex which has a pet clause in the by-laws. Keep in mind that an increasing number of quality tenants are looking for a pet-friendly rental property.

It is a landlord’s responsibility to ensure smoke alarms are installed in accordance with state legislation and regulations. Smoke alarms must be installed in every bedroom of a home. All smoke alarms must be powered by either a 240 volt or a 10-year lithium battery. All smoke alarms must be interconnected. To assist with this, Kollosche uses Smoke Alarms Integrity to service the property for each new tenancy to remain compliant.

In general, it is the tenant’s responsibility to maintain the lawns and gardens supplied with the property. However, you can choose to include lawn and garden maintenance with your property and have someone attend to these regularly. This cost is then included when setting the rent price or you can ask the tenants to pay this as an additional expense. 

We recommend that you have your property checked for termites annually to ensure the property remains structurally sound and safe for the tenants. Please note that termite damage is an automatic exclusion under all building insurance policies. Please let us know in writing if you would like to have your property checked for termites by a professional pest control company (each time you would like to have this done) and we will arrange this service.

Keeping your tenant on a fixed-term agreement provides security for both landlord and tenant. Three months before a lease is due to expire, we will conduct a rent review on your property to see if a rent increase is required to remain in line with current market conditions. If a rent increase is justified, we will contact you to seek approval for the rent increase and to confirm the offer of a new lease. 

Once the tenant notifies us in writing or at a routine inspection of any repairs required, we will contact you to seek approval for the repairs to be carried out. In the case of urgent repair, we will attempt to contact you but if immediately unsuccessful, we will arrange for the repairs to be done. We ask that you do not complete your own repairs for legal, license and insurance reasons.

Kollosche maintains a zero tolerance for late rent. However, should the tenant fall behind, we will continuously contact them to ensure payment is made. We will also keep you updated throughout this process. We will discuss with the tenant ways to catch up on the missed rent. They can make a one-off catch up payment or go onto a payment plan (if necessary). 

The following procedure can be implemented to handle late rent:

• Days 1-7: Tenants receives a text, phone and email correspondence daily.
• Day 8: Breach notice issued, providing 7 days for the tenant to pay all monies owed.
• If the tenant does not remedy the breach, at the owner’s discretion, the tenant can be sent a notice to vacate the property within 7 days.

If you would like to move back into your property, we will need to give the tenant (on a non-fixed term lease) 60 days’ notice to vacate the property. If the tenant is locked into a fixed-term agreement, then the lease is guaranteed to them, and you cannot move back in unless they agree otherwise. Usually, compensation is required and negotiated between you and the tenant should this occur.

If you would like to sell your property, we will need to give the tenants 30 days’ notice before it goes on the market. If your tenant is still in the first two months of their lease, they will only have to give 14 days’ notice to vacate unless they were informed of the sale prior to signing their lease. If you need advice about selling your property or a market appraisal, our sales team can assist you.

For legal and security reasons, we are unable to issue keys early, or grant access to the property any earlier than the allocated tenancy start date. Tenants often ask for early access to move boxes into a garage or bedroom, or to give a removal company access. We appreciate your understanding that under no circumstances will early access be granted.

Sub-letting is not permitted without written approval from Kollosche. This includes assigning the tenancy over to a third party or allowing other occupants to move in without our express permission. Permission usually involves a formal application being completed and submitted by the prospective tenant / occupant.

Should an emergency repair be required after hours then you need to contact the necessary tradespeople listed in your lease agreement and lodge the repair through the PropertyMe portal. Should the emergency supplier not be available, please speak with your property manager first before calling an alternative supplier. Please note: if the repair is not considered an emergency and you have someone attend, you may be responsible for some or all of the repair cost.

Pool/spa cleaning and maintenance is the tenant’s responsibility, unless it is agreed that the landlord will be supplying a regular cleaning and maintenance service as per your tenancy agreement. Please note that if regular cleaning does not occur by the tenant, costs can be incurred by the tenant to bring a pool back to its original clean state. It is also the tenant’s responsibility to ensure that the pool/spa is kept topped up with water and you must not empty the pool/spa without written approval from us.

Routine inspections are carried out to ensure the property is well cared for by you, and to check if there are any repair, maintenance, health and safety issues. We will conduct your first routine inspection at the property within approximately two months. Your routine inspections will then be conducted approximately every 16 weeks.

Rent reviews occur at lease renewal time and are adjusted in accordance with market conditions and in line with legislation. Rent reviews may also be conducted at any time while you are on a periodic lease agreement and in accordance with legislation.

If you believe you may be late with a rent payment, you must notify us in writing at least three working days beforehand so we can inform the landlord who will need time to make arrangements to cover their own mortgage payments and costs relating to the property. 

When we are not advised of a late rent payment, the process is as follows: 

• Day 1: Tenant is sent a text message.
• Day 4: Our team calls and emails the tenant.
• Day 8: Our team will call, email and issue a Form 11 Notice to Remedy Breach
• If rent arrears remains outstanding on the expiry date of the Form 11, a lease termination notice is issued
• If property is not vacated on the expiry date of the notice to leave, termination will be lodged with QCAT.

Should you wish to leave during a fixed-term lease, we require your notice in writing. In the case of breaking a fixed-term lease, the following costs will be incurred:

• Rent until a tenant approved by the landlord takes possession, or the lease expires (whichever occurs first).
• Reletting fees and marketing costs to relet the premises. This is payable as: 110% of weekly 19 Introduction and Guide to Renting rent & advertising costs (advertising costs will be calculated at the time of advertising as these vary from time to time).
• Should the premises be vacant before a new tenant is secured, it is also your responsibility to ensure the grounds are watered and maintained for this period and you remain responsible for the property until a new tenant takes possession.
• Cleaning and normal exit costs associated with returning the property back to its original state when you moved in.