"There’s a myth that time is money. In fact, time is more precious than money. It’s a nonrenewable resource. Once you’ve spent it, and if you’ve spent it badly, it’s gone forever."
- Neil Fiore: Author

Think About This

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The Property Management Department of KERRYLEA REALTY is managed by Darryn Harrison, who along with Kerrylea, is devoted to achieving the best result possible for you at all times. 

The following has been prepared to assist you with making an informed decision when selecting the Property Management Team to care for your investment property. 

KERRYLEA REALTY has earned the reputation of being one of Forest Lake's leading agents, offering personalised and professional service.  The Property Management Division was launched as an additional service for our clients after many requests from our VIP's.

When dealing with KERRYLEA REALTY to manage your investment property, you will receive Darryn’s dedicated service, plus the commitment of the principal & licensee of the business, Kerrylea, to the smooth management of your investment. 

KERRYLEA REALTY only list and sells a limited number of properties at any one time and has introduced the same limitation to the number of property managements we take on.  This allows time and energy to be spent on each and every  property.  This ensures maximum, dedicated service for you, our VIP client so that the right tenant is found for your property, and your property is looked after the way it should be, as if it was our own! 

Darryn has been working with Kerrylea for many years, quietly in the background and is a Registered Real Estate Salesperson/Property Manager and a personal member of the REIQ.  He has extensive experience in management having managed several successful business including three sites with over eighty five employees across different states.  He also has extensive dealings in rental arrears and maintaining properties. 

Our office has developed management systems and procedures that ensure effective leasing and management to maximise our client's' investment opportunities.  That's what it's all about - Maximising Our Clients Investment Opportunities

OUR SERVICES ...

• That our Landlords and tenants are assured of the finest service always.

• Our commitment to you is to look after your property as if it was our own.

• Our rental portfolio is deliberately kept small to ensure each property can receive our maximum attention.

• We live here in Forest Lake, and so we often drive regularly past to keep an eye on our properties.

• Advertising on our Internet site free of charge

• Advertising on realestate.com.au free of charge

• Thorough screening of tenants including tenant register screening

• Detailed in-going and out-going inspection reports

• Full property photographs

• Regular quarterly inspections.

• Repairs/Maintenance arranged with companies/businesses who have the necessary indemnity insurance.

• We only act to your instructions as per the Management Agency agreement.

• We maintain complete records of any essential work carried out.

• Full details are printed on your monthly rent statement with a copy of the invoices attached.

• Rent reviews are done on each re-lease and lease renewals - for long term tenants this can be done twice a year if necessary.

• Prepare all tenancy documentation and collect bond monies.

• Complete a detailed condition report together with internal and external photo’s.

• Constant monitoring to ensure rental arrears are kept to a minimum.

• As a member office of The Real Estate Institute of Queensland, we use of all REIQ documentation covering all legal requirements

• 24 hour assistance

It is important that your property is listed for rent at a price that is as close to the current market value as possible to avoid delays in finding a suitable tenant. To do this we take into consideration the following:

• General demand for similar properties

• Rent obtained for similar properties currently leased

• Rent asked for similar properties currently available

• Who would it suit? Renter profile

• Unique attractions (pool, views, land etc.)

We have a great deal of success with advertising properties on websites.  Many interstate and overseas prospective tenants have commented on the convenience of being able to logon to the internet and browse through the properties that are available to rent in the suburbs of their choice prior to their arrival.

“You can't sell something if you're going to keep it a secret", is also relevant to advertising your investment property when it comes to finding your new tenants.

• Impressive digital photos - Our Compliments

• Your property will appear on realestate.com.au - Our Compliments

• And also kerrylea.info - Our Compliments

• Courier Mail advertising (if required) - Our Compliments

• For Rent sign (if required) - Our Compliments

• All inspections of your property are done via an open inspection or by a private appointment. 

• These are conducted in the company of the Property Manager, as we believe that handing out keys compromises the security of your property. 

• By accompanying all potential tenants personally, ensures the utmost security and helps us to sell the best features of your property to the best tenant and solve any problems on the spot. 

• This is not the easiest of policies but it is definitely worth it! 

Our main objective is to find the best tenant for your property, and our criteria for finding suitable tenants is strict and we make no apology for this approach.  Our stringent selection process looks for: stability in employment and capability of the tenant to pay required rent.  We also screen all prospective tenants by checking through tenancy databases and confirm all references.  We will do everything possible to ensure your property won’t be vacant long.

• Once a prospective tenant has been shown through your property all applicants complete the REIQ application form which asks all questions the Privacy Laws will permit and proof of identity is required.

• All applicants’ names are put though a tenancy Data base TICA (Tenancy Information Centre Australia) which allows us to protect our landlords from tenants who may have a history of rental defaults.

• Applicants’ current /rental history is checked.  In addition to confirming the length of tenancy and the rent paid we also ask questions about the overall care of the premises, their track record in paying rent on time and any other pertinent information.

• Some applicants may not have rented in recent years but could have sold or are in the process of selling their home.  In that event we do check with the selling agent about the overall presentation of the home.

• Employment details are confirmed and we do ensure that the income earned qualifies them for the amount of rent on the home they are applying for. 

• If self employed, accountants will be contacted and if new to the country sight of bank   statements with sizeable deposits and balances will be called for as well as email/internet verification from their previous homeland.

• Personal references are confirmed and verified.

DISCRIMINATION …

• An application may not be rejected on the grounds of discrimination or because of any personal prejudices.

• Applications can only be declined if there are valid and plausible reasons such as poor rental references, insufficient income to justify the rent payment etc.

• If caught engaging in discriminatory practices severe legal consequences apply to both agent and landlord.   

Once an application has been approved the following steps are taken:

• We will prepare the Residential Tenancy Agreement in accordance with your instructions. 

• A comprehensive condition report is completed before keys are handed over to the tenant. The tenant is then given three (3) days to check, sign and return the report.

• An inventory is taken of all items remaining in the property also noting their condition.

• A bond, calculated at four times the weekly rent, is collected before keys are released and is held in our Trust account.

• We will then lodge the bond with the Residential Tenancies Tribunal.  This bond is held there until the end of the tenancy when a final inspection is conducted and the bond is released accordingly.

• The Residential Tenancies Act requires that each tenant named on the lease is provided with 1 set of entry keys.  This means that if 3 people are named on the lease agreement as tenants, 3 sets of Entry keys must be provided. 

• In addition the tenant has the right to have at least 1 key for every lock. 

• Please also remember that we as the agent also require a set of keys to access the home for maintenance and inspections. 

• It would therefore seem prudent to provide us in the beginning with 3 sets of entry keys as most tenancies have 2 named tenants.  In the event there are more than 2 tenants we can arrange for additional keys to be cut. 

• Please provide remotes for the total number of vehicles that can be parked in the garage. 

• Our preferred method of rental payment received from tenants is by Direct Debit.  This is made from the tenants bank account, directly into our trust account, which we operate from our office on the day the tenant nominates, paid in advanced fortnightly.

• This is a free service and most tenants welcome it as a simple and fast way of paying their rent.  It also obviously cuts back on the likelihood of rental arrears.

Human nature is not quite what it used to be and the increase in claims against landlords for injuries sustained within rental homes has been phenomenal which is probably why Legal Liability Insurance is mandatory in Qld. 

In addition, both Landlord and Building Insurance are optional extras we do strongly recommend our landlords have.  The Landlord Insurance covers you in the event of a defaulting or absconding tenant and The Building   Insurance for damage to the home as a result of fire, water etc.

Please remember that many of your homes’ features such as carpets, curtains, dishwashers, hot water systems etc can be regarded as contents and are not necessarily covered by building insurance in the event of damage or ruin. Most landlord policies do have a contents cover within. 

Listed below is an example of just some of the cover provided by the policies offered:

• loss of rent

• malicious damage

• unscheduled tenant departures

• content insurance

• Tenants are entitled to be able to insure their contents. 

• Should their insurance cover be declined as a result of a failure of the home to meet an average insurance company’s security requirements, the landlord would be obliged to upgrade the level of security. 

• In most instances and dependant on the dollar value of cover the tenant requires, this most likely refers to a requirement for dead locks on external doors and windows.

Entry Inspection:

• Prior to the tenant taking occupation of the home we conduct a very thorough written report on the overall condition of the home.  This report can be challenged by the tenant, so honesty and accuracy are important.  This is then referred to at the end of the tenancy to ensure that the tenant's rental bond is accurately disbursed.

• Any damage to the premises such as marks, stains etc. must be noted as well as the cleanliness of the home.  Every area must be looked at  including: window and tracks, blinds and curtains, stoves, range hoods  and filters, dishwashers, walls,  showers, toilets,   inside and outside of cupboards and drawers, wheelie bins, gardens, tops of door frames, ceiling fans, air-con filters etc. 

• Digital photos are taken to assist landlords and tenants with the ingoing inspection report. This is done at the beginning of each tenancy and when an exist report is completed on the conclusion of a lease.

• It is therefore critical that your home is handed to us in the cleanest condition it can be in.  Should we have to record any area of the home as being dirty even if only slightly so, we have no recourse against the tenant at the end of the tenancy if they have left the same area dirtier.  The Residential Tenancies Act does not make provision for degrees of dirt.

Routine Inspections:

• Included in our management fee are (4) four inspections of your property per year.

• Should these inspections highlight any areas of concern, written notice will be given to the tenant identifying the problem areas and requesting them to rectify them before a second inspection is conducted.

Exit Inspection:

It is essential that the following steps are taken to ensure swift reletting of your property and to make sure the condition of your property is maintained:

• Accompanying our written acknowledgment of a tenant’s intention to vacate a property, is a copy of the final inspection guide. This guide has been prepared to assist tenants in preparing a property for the final inspection. This inspection is completed and compared with the original ingoing report and photographs.

• Contact is made with you immediately.

• A review of the rental price is done.

• Marketing and promotion begins immediately for a new tenant.

• The inspection is often done in the presence of the outgoing tenant, allowing them the time and the opportunity to remedy any problems noted before an application is made for the release of the Bond.

• The bond is refunded to the tenant only when we are satisfied with the condition of the property.

• After the tenant has vacated the premises, we conduct a thorough inspection for any necessary work and to assess the bond return.

Maintaining your rental property in good order makes sense, both for your rental income and your investment.

It is our recommendation that Landlords authorise us to attend to minor repairs and maintenance up to the value of one weeks rent.  This allows us to respond to maintenance issues quickly.

Should the cost of any maintenance work required exceed the specific amount as per the agency agreement and is not of an emergency nature, prior approval is sought from the landlord before any work is commenced.

Urgent situations that arise outside of business hours are dealt with at the discretion of the Property Manager.

We have an excellent database of qualified and reliable tradespeople whom we recommend for all repairs and improvements which are cost-effective and carried out with a minimum of fuss.   Their prices are very competitive, however, we are happy to use a contractor of your choice, should you prefer to do so.

• We have noticed a significant increase in the number of tenants who have pets.  A blanket refusal to consider applications with pets most certainly reduces the target market of potential tenants.  Being open minded on the subject may well give you the leading edge in what has become a very competitive market place. 

• We do obtain references on the pets where possible and do explain fully to tenants their responsibilities.  We have experienced very few problems that have arisen as a result of pets and these have all been resolvable

• Please consider the option of allowing pets, and if so, what type of pet is allowed, eg. cat, dog, fish, bird and how many?

INSTRUCTION MANUALS …

• Please provide us with instruction manuals for any appliances including stoves, dishwashers, air-conditioners, and security alarm and irrigation systems. 

• Tenants are not always able to figure out timers on stoves, different setting on air-conditioners etc and this would then require a callout (at your expense) from a professional to explain.

WATER …

• As of the 1st April 2008 the tenant can be charged for water usage as long as the following criteria is meet:  The premises are individually metered for the supply of water or the water is supplied to the premises by delivery by means of a vehicle; and the agreement states the tenant must pay for the water supplied to the premises. The property must be water efficient. If the property is not water efficient as describe under the Act. then the lessor must pay for a reasonable water usage. See Water Charging Fact Sheet from RTA.

GARDENS …

• A tenant is only obliged to mow, weed, water and edge.  (Subject to water restrictions)

• Tenants are not required to prune, cutback or attend to any maintenance in areas that may be onerous/dangerous to access. 

• In addition tenants are not obliged to nurture any newly established landscaping. 

• Landlords therefore may be well advised to budget for the cost of pruning and providing maintenance for areas such as steep embankments or narrow areas above retaining walls/rock features. Irrigation systems are great, if not essential for lavish or newly established gardens. (Subject to water restrictions)

CARPET CLEANING & FUMIGATION …

• Our lease Agreement requires the tenant to have the carpets professionally cleaned at the end of their tenancy.

• In addition if pets have been kept at the premises, the home must be deodorised and sprayed for fleas.

• We however cannot enforce either of the above if this was not done for the tenant prior to the start of the lease.  It may be prudent to supply us with a copy of the carpet cleaning and flea-spraying invoice (if applicable) to keep on file.  That way if the tenant ever queries or disputes their need to clean/spray we are able to solve the issue almost immediately.

PEST CONTROL …

• The Owner (usually at a tenants request) pays for the rental property to be sprayed for cockroaches, silver fish, spiders and ants.

• Rats and mice also pose a problem from time to time and if unattended to can result in electric wiring and cabling being gnawed at potentially resulting in fires and expensive repair work.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS …

• Features of your home (especially timber floors) may require cleaning with specific products or special methods. 

• Please ensure we have been advised of any special requirements.

We will provide you with a detailed, easy to read statement, showing all income and expenditure.  Each month we will forward a monthly rent statement.  The statement will detail rent collected and any expenses paid on your behalf. Your monies will be either electronically deposited into your account or a cheque will be attached with your statement.

Your statement includes:

• Gross rent collected and the rent period covered.

• Less any deductions which are listed (fees, repairs/maintenance, rates etc)

• Balance due to you.  Funds are transferred directly into a bank account of your choice any where within Australia on a  monthly basis.

• A detailed statement is then forwarded to you at the end of each month.

• Also included will be any reports, copy of leases etc.

As a part of our service to you we are able to make payments for the following at your written request:

• Rates

• Land Tax (where applicable)

• Insurance premiums

• Creditor accounts (for repairs and maintenance carried out)

• Payments into mortgage accounts

• Body Corporate levies

• Special requests

Extreme care is taken when selecting tenants for the properties under our management.  By rejecting applicants who are unable to meet our strict criteria our rental delinquency rate is almost zero, however, even the best screening methods can sometimes fail.  A tenant’s situation may change which could alter their ability to maintain payments:

• We follow the legal procedures within the Residential Tenancies Act.

• We are linked to our bank via an online facility, which allows us to see deposits made into our account, which enables us to easily manage the arrears daily.

• Whilst most tenants do pay their rent on time you do get some (usually the same ones every month) who can be somewhat tardy.  Non-payment of rent is a breach of the tenancy agreement.  There are legal procedures within the Residential Tenancies Act governing arrears control and our compliance with this is essential.

• Tenants receive an SMS or a phone call when rent is not paid on time.  If the rent is still in arrears after seven days, then on the eight day a Notice to Remedy Breach (Form 11) is delivered giving the tenant seven days to remedy the breach.  If the rent still remains unpaid, we will contact the landlord and discuss the options that are available, which may mean issuing a Notice to leave (Form 12) that the tenants must move out. 

• During this time we continue communicating with the tenant and try to discuss and work out a solution with the tenant to amicably resolve the issue.

Whilst market trends vary, there are often times when there are more homes available to rent than there are tenants.  At these times tenants are able to pick and choose from a number of homes and those that have been attractively presented in most cases are the winners. 

Give your home the leading edge -  Prior to any formal marketing of the home commencing, attend to any unkempt gardens, dirty walls, poorly hung curtains or any areas that look stale and tired.  Not only will this assist in reducing your vacancy rates, it will maintain the rent your home can achieve but most importantly will determine the quality of your tenant and their overall attitude to your home. 

The following are ideas for you to consider to help you maximise the potential of your investment property in readiness for your first open inspection for prospective tenants.  Please remember that these are suggestions only and may not necessarily apply to you.

• First Impressions are Lasting Impressions - Check that your property looks attractive from the street or you may find it difficult to get decent tenants in the front door.

• Spring Clean - Tidy up, hold a garage sale and get rid of anything you don’t need.

• Light - Light houses rent well, open curtains and turn on lights before inspections.

• Smell - Have carpets cleaned and open windows before inspections. Fresh air smells the best.

• Kitchen and Bathroom - The most important rooms in the house.  Squeaky clean they must be.

• Gardens - Prune trees and shrubs to a manageable state. Overgrown gardens give the impression of being too difficult to look after.

• Outside - Spruce up the exterior by washing down or repainting. Clean guttering, brush away leaves and cobwebs.

• Little Things - Fix all those “little things”, the loose doorknob, the screen that won’t close or that leaky tap.

• Cupboards - Clean out cupboards - storage space is a definite letting feature.

• Choose The Right Management Team - Yes, it really does make a difference.

OUR FEES & CHARGES …

• Please call or email for details of our Property Management Fees.

• This website is always on line and is updated daily with information.  It allows online applications, detailed descriptions and photos of each rental property available, maintenance requests, plus valuable information for tenants and owners.

APPOINTING KERRYLEA REALTY AS YOUR MANAGEMENT TEAM …

• We are unable to commence any work on your behalf unless the instruction to do so is in writing in the official document being PAMD 20a.  The document instructs us to perform certain services for you and outlines your specific instructions to us, such as where and how you wish the rent paid, special instructions regarding maintenance etc.

• Please call or email Darryn for your PAMD 20a form to be forwarded to you via email, fax or mail.