Landlord Information

Our aim as your Agent is to achieve the best possible rental return along with quality service.

At Gerard Collins Real Estate Pty. Ltd. we understand the importance of investment properties. We ensure our clients receive professional and accurate advice on an ongoing basis. Our Property Management team are reliable, informed and fully trained in all aspects of Property Management and customer service. They continually update their professional skills in order to maintain their level of excellence.

Our Comprehensive Property Management Service…

Advertising
We advertise on the internet through our website and also realestate.com and realestateview.com and we make wide use of our ‘For Lease’ boards. Rental lists are available at reception and most of our enquiries come through word of mouth from current and previous satisfied tenants.

Inspections
When leasing your property, inspections are arranged by appointment only. The prospective tenant must then complete a detailed Tenancy Application Form where they must supply us with as many rentals references as possible from current and previous tenancies. We contact employers and character referees to establish a sound knowledge of the applicants character, reliability and financial position. The applicant must also supply 100 points of identification. Once an application has been received and processed the prospective tenant/s will be checked through the National Tenancy Database, a rental check database that is great source of information on bad (and good!!!) tenants. The next step in tenant selection is to consult with the Landlord/s who have the final say on who will occupy their property – as a Landlord you have the choice of Tenancy. After all, it is your investment and you have ultimate control.

Lease Agreements, Bonds, Condition Reports
All successful tenants must sign a REIV (The Real Estate Institute of Victoria Ltd.) approved Residential Tenancy Agreement for the agreed term (either 6 or 12 months). The tenants are required to pay a bond equal to one months rent as well as rent in advance before they occupy the property. The bond is forwarded to the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) and is held there for the duration of the tenancy. At the end of the tenancy the bond monies are not disbursed to the tenant until a thorough inspection of the property has taken place. In the case where a bond has been paid the Agent/Landlord must ensure a Condition Report on the premises is completed, attention is given to both interior and exterior to enable the final bond inspection at the end of the tenancy to be carried out with minimum fuss. Photos are also taken on a digital camera and stored on file until the final bond inspection.

Utility Connections
It is the tenants responsibility to contact the relevant utililty providers to get such things as the telephone, gas and electricity connected. If the premises has a separate water meter the tenant is responsible for payment of water usage and will have this connected in their name. The Landlord is still responsible for payment of the service and drainage charges. If the property is not separately metered the Landlord is responsible for all costs with water including usage.

Statements
Rental payments are collected from your tenant/s, deposited into our Trust Account and disbursed to you on a fortnightly or monthly basis, directly into your nominated account. We also offer free of charge where bills such as Shire Rates, South East Water, Body Corporate Fees etc can be paid from your rental. Copies of the paid accounts are forwarded with your statement.

Income & Expenditure Reports
An annual statement, this details all income (rental payments) and expediture deductions such as Council Rates and any maintenance that has been paid out of your rental monies. This is also free of charge and part of our commitment to you.

Repairs & Maintenance
The Landlord is always contacted first if repairs are required and once instructions are received we will make arrangements for the repairs to be carried out as promptly as possible. We have a range of tradespeople we use regularly for repairs/maintenance however we are happy to use tradespeople specified by the Landlord. We also provide an after hours urgent phone number for tenants if an urgent repair arises outside our business hours.

Routine Inspections
Routine Inspections are conducted every six months with the first inspection conducted four months after the tenant moves in. These inspections provide us with an opportunity to notify the Landlord of any maintenance that may be required, it also allows us to ensure the tenant/s are maintaining the property to our standards.

Lease Renewals
A Lease Renewal Form is sent to the tenant/s approximately two months prior to their lease expiring, the tenant/s will then notify their intentions regarding renewal. The Landlord is always contacted before a lease is renewed, we will also discuss increasing the rent with the Landlord.

Our Fees
Please contact our Rental Department on 03 5941 1255 to discuss our fees and charges.