Property Management

We don't like to brag... but we are PROUD!

We are an award-winning team.

Advertising And Finding The Right Tenant For You

  • Real Estate ‘For Rent’ sign placed in front of the property for drive-by traffic
  • Rent list available at three offices with a photo and description of the property
  • Internet listing – www.realestate.com.au & www.NGUipswich.com.au

On viewing of the property, the Property Manager or a Member of NGU Real Estate will always be present to show the property to prospective Tenants. Whilst at the property, the prospective Tenants manner, presentation, behaviour of children etc. is witnessed. This first impression is very important. NGU Real Estate provides a four (4) page REIQ Application Form for all persons 15+ that wish to reside at the property.

All applicants must provide adequate identification (where possible) to support the application. Identification includes:

• Drivers Licence / 18+ Card/ Passport
• Proof of Income (Pay Slips)
• Birth Certificate / Passport
• Bank Card / Medicare Card
• Proof of Current Address (Phone Bill)
• Centrelink Statement

CURRENT and/or PREVIOUS RENTING AGENT:
A fax is sent to their current/previous agent for an Urgent Request for a Rental Reference. This Reference will provide us with information on any Rent Arrears or Breaches the applicant/s may have received and how the property presented at Routine Inspections. A copy of the Tenant Payment Ledger is provided to us also.

APPLICATANT/S EMPLOYER:
We contact the Employers to ascertain if the applicant is a reliable worker; confirm time of employment and income per week.

REFERENCES:
We endeavour to contact all the references, to try and get a better understanding of the type of
person the applicant is.

TICA (Tenancy Information Centre of Australia):
All applicants are scanned on this database and if listed, with your permission the application is immediately terminated. We do not want these Tenants in your property.

Once the application is processed, you will be contacted and all information obtained on the Applicant/s will be provided to you. We will provide information on: number of children, types  & breed of pet/s. Ultimately, the decision to approve an applicant or not is up to you, however, we will offer you our professional opinion and guidance to help you make an informed decision.

Once you are happy to approve an Applicant we will contact the Tenant/s and request that they pay at least 2 weeks rent and/or 4 weeks rent towards the Bond. This proves to us that the applicant is willing to go ahead with the Tenancy.

Once a move in date is confirmed, NGU Real Estate will carry out a thorough FORM 1a – Entry Condition Report (a copy of this report can be found at the back of this booklet). It is always
a good idea to have a professional cleaner attend to the property prior to the Entry being conducted. This is to ensure the property is of a high standard when a Tenant moves in, therefore, at the end of a Tenancy the property is to be left in the same state. This ensures your property is of a high standard for each new Tenancy.

Once returned, if there is any maintenance or discrepancies noted on the report, NGU Real Estate will provide the Tenant with an Entry Notice and attend the property to check the items. If the items noted on the returned report are agreed to, then the Entry Report will become binding. This will then become the Exit Report when the Tenant/s vacate.

Periodic Inspections

Routine Inspections are and can only be conducted four (4) times a year (every 3 months). The Tenants are provided with the required seven (7) days notice (in writing by way of an RTA FORM 9 – Entry Notice advising them of the date and time/s we will be attending. The Tenants are given the option to change the date/time if they wish to be home, however, a Tenant does not need to be present during a Routine Inspection.
If we do not hear from the Tenant/s we access the property with the office set of keys. (This is stated to the Tenant/s on the Entry Notice). If you wish to attend a routine inspection, we welcome you to do so. Please provide adequate notice to us.
The Tenant has 3 days to add any comments or findings to a copy of the Form 1a – Entry Condition Report and return to NGU Real Estate.
periodic-inspections

Lease renewals

Legislation now states that we are to contact each Lessor approximately three (3) months before the expiry of a Fixed Term Tenancy Agreement to obtain instructions on renewing. A letter is sent to you with suggestions to either keep the rent at the current amount due to no increase in the rental market or, a suggested increase if the market permits.
We will require your instructions back within two (2) weeks of you receiving our lease renewal letter in order to give us time to approach the Tenant and provide adequate notice depending on the situation. Legislation was amended on 1st July 2009 requiring a Landlord/Agent to provide a Tenant with two (2) months notice in writing for vacant possession.
This type of notice can be issued at any time, however, if the notice expires after the end of the Tenants Fixed Term Tenancy, the Tenants vacate date becomes the date the notice expires.
rent-arrears

Rent Arrears

Rent Arrears are carried out on a daily bases so that Tenants can be informed of their rent being behind. Only if a Tenant falls eight (8) days behind in rent, is it legally declared a debt and we can contact them for payment.
Below is an outline of our procedure as per the Residential Tenancies Authority.

3-5 Days Behind:
Tenant/s are given a courtesy reminder either by phone, e-mail and/or SMS to advise they are behind in rent

8 Days Behind: RTA FORM 11 – Notice to Remedy Breach issued to the Tenant/s advising amount of monies due and payment to be made in full within nine (9) to our Office. (The nine (9) days allows two (2) days for postage).

17 Days Behind:
(Failure to Remedy Form – 11 NTRB)
(by this stage you have been contacted and advised the Tenant/s are now due for a Form 12 – Notice to Leave)
If you agree, the Tenants are hand delivered a FORM 12 – Notice to Leave and have seven (7) days to vacate.

This outlines to Tenants they have seven (7) days to pay their rent up to date or they MUST vacate at the expiry of the FORM 12 – NTL. If a Tenant does pay the monies up to date, again, you will be contacted for your instructions. You may choose to retract the Notice to leave or proceed with the eviction.

Landlord insurance

Many of our Lessors choose to add Landlord Insurance to their current Building Policy, however
many main stream Insurers do not offer optimum cover for Landlords when a claim is made or, will
only cover under certain circumstances or scenarios.

The majority of our Landlords choose to insure with companies who specialise in Landlord Insurance.
They may cost a little more than mainstream insurers but will cover you in most situations where
you are required to make a claim.’


Attached to the back of this booklet are brochures for two (2) providers of Landlord Insurance for
your consideration.


*** Public Liability MUST be included with the Insurance or, entered into separately.
NGU Real Estate cannot accept the property without Public Liability Insurance ***

landlord-insurance-image

Maintenance

NGU Real Estate endeavours to contact all Landlords in every case of maintenance from minor to emergency work. Under no circumstances will NGU Real Estate authorise for a contractor to carry out work without your authorisation, unless in the case of an emergency and you are not contactable. In this instance we are required to act.

Following is a list of emergency repairs as an example of issues where we are required to act if reported.

• Burst water service or a serious water service leak
• Blocked or broken toilet
• Serious roof leak
• Gas leak
• Dangerous electrical fault
• Flooding or serious flood damage
• Serious storm, fire or impact damage
• Failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply to the property

• Failure or breakdown of an essential service or appliances on the property for hot water, cooking or heating
• Fault or damage that makes the property unsafe or insecure
• Fault or damage likely; To injure a person, damage property or unduly inconvenience a tenant of the property
• Serious fault in a staircase, lift or other common area of the property that unduly inconveniences a tenant in gaining access to, or using, the property

If any of these instances occur, you do however have the option of listing a preferred plumber, electrician or handyman that we can call on if you cannot be contacted.

Ending A tenancy - Notice REquired

Fixed Term Tenancy
TENANT – The Tenant may issue you with fourteen (14) days notice in writing before the expiry of the Fixed Term Lease and vacate the home.

LESSOR – The Lessor is required to supply the Tenant with two (2) months notice in writingmbefore the expiry of the fixed term lease.

Periodic Tenancy
TENANT – The Tenant may issue the Lessor with fourteen (14) days notice in writing anytime and vacate the home.

LESSOR – The Lessor is required to supply the Tenant with two (2) months notice in writing if vacant possession required.

FORM 13 – Notice Of Intention To Leave
TENANT – The Tenant has the option to break a lease through their Fixed Term Agreement by
signing an “Agreement To Terminate Fixed Term Tenancy”.

Tenant Breaking Tenancy
This form outlines all the fees and responsibilities of the Tenant in this instance.
NGU Real Estate will then notify the Lessor and proceed to find a replacement Tenant to take
over the lease. The Tenant is required to pay rent and maintain the home until a new Tenant is
found. The Tenant is also required to pay the letting fee of one weeks rent + GST that the Lessor
would normally pay. In this case, the Lessor is not liable for any costs as the costs are forwarded
onto the Tenant.

Compliance

Smoke Alarms

There’s a house fire in Australia every 26 minutes, causing more than 3000 injuries and 80 deaths each year. Under the Fire and Rescue Service Act 1990, administered by the Queensland Fire & Rescue Service, both Tenants and Lessors have responsibilities for smoke alarms in their rental properties.

TENANT/S
• Have obligations for cleaning, testing and replacing batteries for alarms during a tenancy but only once every twelve (12)months.

LESSOR/S
• Landlords must ensure that their property is fitted with the required number of working smoke alarms complying with Australian Standard 3786-1993 and installed as per the Building Code of Australia Part 3.7.2.3.

• A landlord or agent must test and clean each smoke alarm within 30 days before the start of a tenancy, which includes tenancy renewals. In addition, a landlord must replace, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, each battery in the smoke alarm that is flat or that the landlord is aware is almost flat within THIRTY(30) days before the start of a tenancy.

• The landlord must also replace the smoke alarm before it reaches the end of its useful life. If the smoke alarm reaches the end of its service life, the landlord must replace it immediately.

YOUR LANDLORD INSURANCE POLICY MAY BE NULL AND VOID AND YOU COULD RISK PERSONAL LITIGATION IF IT IS FOUND TO BE NON-COMPLIANT.

You may complete the checks yourself in the time frames set above and provide our office with a letter to confirm that this work has been done each time it is required and where the smoke alarms and located and the expiry dates of all the units.

Otherwise, for an annual fee, we can suggest a company such as Smoke Alarm Solutions OR Smoke Alarms Queensland to attend and they will make sure the property is compliant and provide you with a Compliance Certificate.

If any alarms are required or have expired they will notify us.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for further information regarding your rights and responsibilities or alternatively, visit the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service website www.fire.qld.gov.au or call them on 1300 369 003

Curtain & Blind Compliance

The Curtain & Blind Laws commenced on 1st January 2015.

LESSOR/S
All Landlords are required to take responsibility of ensuring that their rental property is compliant with the ACC Blinds & Curtains Safety Laws. All landlords will have to ensure and demonstrate the presence:

1. Make sure children cannot reach any blind or curtain cords.
2. Make sure the bottom of any blind or curtain cord is at least 160 cm above the floor.
3. Move children’s cots, beds, high chairs or playpens away from windows with blind or curtain cords.
4. Make sure a child cannot climb on furniture and reach blind or curtain cords.
5. Wrap blind cords securely around a hook attached high on the wall.
6. Install a cord tensioning device for vertical blinds.
7. When installing new blinds, seek advice from the supplier about products that use ‘wands’ instead of cords to operate the blinds.

Are killer cords in reach of little hands at your house?

Many parents, grandparents, friends and carers do not realise that blind and curtain cords have the potential to injure or strangle babies and children. A child can place their head in the loop created by a blind or curtain cord. If the child then tries to sit or falls down, they can hang themselves in the loop. Cord-related injuries and deaths are very easy to prevent. In 2006, the Queensland Government introduced a mandatory safety standard for the supply of new blinds, curtains and shades. Although the standard ensures all new window coverings are safe, there are many unsafe blinds, curtains and shades still in Queensland homes. Is your home safe? Safety tassels, which join the ends of blind cords together and split when pressure is applied, are available from hardware stores. You can also get hooks and other devices that will keep your home safe. For more information on product safety, visit www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au or www.productsafety.gov.au

Putting Your Property On The Market To Sell

selling

If you have your home currently on the market for sale and you wish to Tenant your home, this can be done providing prospective Tenants are made aware that the home is listed for sale on the advertising material. However, if you do Tenant the home and then decide to place your home on the market within 2 (two) months of the Tenant moving in, your Tenant/s will have the option to vacate providing you with two (2) weeks notice without penalty. However, if the Tenant/s were provided with this notice in writing prior to signing the General Tenancy Agreement (Lease) and agreed to these specific conditions then the standard notice is required.

If there are any questions, queries or you wish to discuss any topics outlined in this plage, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would be more than happy to help ensure that you have a full understanding of procedures etc. prior to any decisions being made.

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