Finding the best tenants

Good tenants help to drive higher rental returns, partly through minimising damage to a property, and also by safeguarding rental income by not missing payments. To mitigate the risk of signing poor tenants, we conduct thorough background checks, and instead of leaving these to sit in the top drawer, we will pro-actively reach out to a tenants employer and ex landlord, in order to get comfortable that we are dealing with a financially secure, and reliable tenant. We will also arrange for a professional credit check to be undertaken to provide further assurance. Most importantly, we physically meet with the prospective tenant, and being good judges of character this helps make the final decision easy.

In order to find the 'perfect' tenant, it is imperative that Landlords do their part too. Landlords need to make sure they are presenting the property in a way that will attract people in the first place. This could mean tidying the gardens, repairing cracks, touching up paintwork, keeping rubbish out of site, de-cluttering, removing unpleasant odours, and leaving the property clean. Presenting a tidy and comfortable property will undoubtedly increase the chance of renting a home at the best possible price.

​

Tenants have access to application forms via our website, or by emailing a property manager listed on the property advertisement. Our application forms request information in regards to income, employment details, credit history and references from previous landlords.

Before a tenancy begins

Before anything is signed and sealed, the prospective tenants are required to pay upfront costs, including four weeks bond, one weeks rent in advance, and a tenancy letting fee of one weeks rent. Once an agreed lease term is determined, the lease agreement is discussed with the tenants and any additional clauses requested by tenants or owners are drawn up. We take the necessary steps to outline core responsibilities of both parties under the Residential Tenancy Act 1986.

​

Prior to handing the keys over, a Property Condition Report is prepared and provided to tenants for review . This report contains extensive details of the property (cleanliness, damage, list of furniture & fittings etc.), including 150+ high resolution photos generated by iProperty Express. The Property Condition Report is required to be signed and returned within the first week of a tenant moving into the property. It is imperative any issues are ironed out at this stage, as the Tenancy Tribunal will place heavy reliance on this document under a disputes process. This document is also what is used to checkout a tenant at the end of a lease and ensures the property is left in the same condition as when the tenant first took possession.

Routine inspections

The first inspection is carried out after 8 weeks of a tenant moving in. This ensures the tenant knows what our expectations are, and it also ensures any issues are picked up on early. After this, inspections are carried out quarterly, or more frequently if there are any concerns.

These inspections make certain that your property is being maintained to an acceptable standard, and to identify any maintenance that may be required. It also helps us to gauge whether the tenants are treating the property in a manner in line with the Tenancy Agreement.  A copy of the Routine Inspection Report (via iProperty Express) will be forwarded to Landlords after each inspection. We will also call to discuss. 

Routine maintenance

Maintenance that is reported by tenants or picked up at our routine inspections is discussed with owners prior to proceeding with any repairs. Tenants have a 24 hour line to call should they have any urgent maintenance eg: no electricity or water. We work with trusted tradespeople who are certified and compliant with regards to the latest Health and Safety regulations.

Tenant rent payments and disbursements to owners

Tenants pay by automatic payment into our trust account via their chosen financial institution. We will supply the tenant with our account details to arrange an automatic transfer. Rent collection, and prompt payment to the owner is made on the 1st and 15th of the month, with rent received reconciled daily. Each property will receive a detailed owner statement twice-monthly which summarises rent received, deducting any associated fees and property expenses.

​

When a tenant falls behind in their rental payments they are followed up that same day with a phone call. If they have not paid their rent within 3 days they are issued with a notice of breach, which advises that they are behind and requests that they rectify the problem. If this is not done within the stipulated time period then a mediation appointment is filed for.  If a satisfactory solution to the rent arrears is not reached we will proceed to Tenancy Tribunal to resolve the situation.

Need more details?