Being a landlord for the first time can be a bit daunting because there is a lot involved with leasing a property and a lot of rules that must be  followed.

At MCM Property Services we are experts in all things property management so if you have a question, we are sure to know the answer. If your question is not listed or if you would like further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are always happy to help!

Landlord Information
Why do I need a property manager?
Should I take out Landlord Insurance?
What is a depreciation schedule and do I need one?
What is the average length of lease?
How will you find a tenant for my property?
Can I make the final decision on who rents my property?
How much Bond do you take?
What keys do I need to supply?
Who is responsible for smoke alarms and light globes?
Can I charge the tenant for water usage?
Who is responsible for pool safety?
Can MCM pay all of the bills for my property?
What if my tenant doesn’t pay their rent on time?
What happens with repairs and maintenance?
What happens when the lease is due to expire?
How do I switch to MCM Property Services if my property is currently being managed by another agency?

Some owners choose to manage their rental property themselves and do it well. However many discover that it is a very time consuming and involved process to lease and manage a property effectively. There are also a multitude of rules and legislation which the landlord must understand and adhere to.

With all of this in mind, most owners find that it serves them better to partner with a professional property management agency. Your property manager should not only take care of everything related to leasing and managing your property but also work to save you money and to make you money. As an added bonus, most landlords find that management and leasing fees are usually tax deductible. 

Whilst it is not compulsory to take out landlord insurance it is important that you are aware that standard building and contents insurance has very limited coverage if something goes wrong with a rental property. They also provide little or no coverage for any loss of rent.

MCM Property Services strongly recommends that every landlord consider taking out appropriate landlord insurance. We can provide you with information and product brochures from leading insurance providers.  

As a building gets older and items within it wear out, they depreciate in value. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) allows property investors to claim a rental & investment property depreciation deduction related to the building and the fittings and fixtures. In order to claim these depreciation deductions, investors are encouraged to enlist a specialist Quantity Surveyor to complete a comprehensive, personalised tax depreciation schedule. A depreciation schedule outlines the deductions available on a specific property for the life of the property and is used by the property investor’s accountant when preparing a tax return.

Technically the term of a residential tenancy agreement can be as short as 2 months or as long as you would like. Generally though, we recommend offering only a 6 months lease to begin with and then renewing for either 6 or 12 months. 

We utilise a range of marketing strategies including signage, web, social media platforms and internal database marketing to generate interest in your property. We then show your property to prospective tenants utilising a combination of open house and by appointment inspections. Unlike many other agencies, we can be flexible with inspection times including Saturday and twilight(after business hours) appointments. 

The answer is “Of course you can!” At the end of the day we respect that it is your property and you have the right to make the final decision on whether a lease is given to a particular applicant. As part of our leasing service we process each application by personally contacting all employment and rental references, verifying identification, checking their name against a “blacklist” tenancy database and reviewing documentation to determine whether they are a suitable candidate. We will submit to you a summary of the application, the lease terms applied for and our reference check findings for your consideration and ultimately your decision.

Unless you instruct otherwise, we will never execute a lease without your expressed permission. 

It is a policy of MCM Property Services to take the maximum bond permitted under NSW tenancy laws. Each and every tenant is required to pay the equivalent of four (4) weeks rent. We will then lodge this bond on your behalf with NSW Fair Trading Rental Bond Board where it will be held for the duration of the tenancy.  

It is a condition of all Residential Tenancy Agreements that a full set of keys, including any security keys, swipe cards, garage door openers or any other keys used at the property; are provided free of charge to each lease holder. Our office will also retain a full set of keys. 

Any additional sets of keys that the tenant may require, e.g. for older children living at the property; are provided at the cost of the tenant and must be returned to us at the end of the tenancy. 

Under the Residential Tenancy Act the landlord is responsible for ensuring that the property is fitted with working smoke alarms and light fittings. We ask that all our landlords agree to a smoke alarm maintenance plan with Smoke Alarms Australia. At the commencement of the tenancy we arrange for Smoke Alarms Australia to professionally test each smoke alarm to ensure that it is working effectively and complies with Smoke Alarm legislation. As part of this service they will also change the battery and replace any faulty smoke alarms. 

At our pre-tenancy property inspection we will check that all light globes are working. During the tenancy it is then the tenant's responsibility to replace any light globes and ensure that they are all working at the end of their tenancy.  

Yes, under the terms of the tenancy agreement the landlord is permitted to pass on water usage charges to the tenant if the following conditions are met:

• the property must be separately metered for water (you are not permitted to estimate water charges in the event of a shared tenancy, e.g. house and granny flat on the same water meter);
• all internal cold water taps (shower, bathroom basin and kitchen sink) must have a maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute;
• there can be no leaking taps anywhere on the property at the commencement of the tenancy.

To ensure that your property complies with water efficiency standards we arrange to have your property tested for water efficiency at the commencement of each new tenancy or annually (whichever comes first.)

Under NSW pool safety laws all swimming pools must be registered on the statewide Swimming Pools Register. From 29th April, 2015 all rental properties that have a pool or spa pool onsite must have the pool inspected by council or a certified inspector and obtain a compliance certificate. This certificate must then be attached to the residential tenancy agreement.  

Ongoing, the tenant is responsible for ensuring that they do not breach pool safety laws, e.g. place outdoor furniture against the fencing. This will be checked by our agency during routine inspections. 

Yes, we can. Our premium property management packages include the payment of all outgoings as part of the management fee. We will organise to have all accounts redirected to our office so that bills and invoices are paid on time. You will then receive a full statement of account listing everything that has been paid for your property. A copy of the bill or invoice will be attached to your statement. 

At the end of financial year we can provide an annual income and expenses report for your property to assist with the preparation of your tax return - saving you time and reducing accountancy fees.

At MCM Property Services we utilise the latest in online tenant payment systems to make it as easy as possible for the tenant to keep up to date with their rent payments.

We take very seriously our responsibility to ensure that tenant’s pay their rent on time, every time. This is why we monitor tenant payments and arrears on a daily basis. We have set up our management software to alert us as soon as a tenant is late with their rent. It is our policy to immediately make contact with the tenant to resolve the arrears as quickly as possible. If the rent continues to be unpaid after 14 days we will, (upon your approval) commence termination proceedings. MCM works under a zero tolerance policy for rent arrears, which tenants are made fully aware of at the commencement of the tenancy. We will however, always seek your instructions prior to the issue of a termination notice. 

When you list your property with us we will take time to discuss the ongoing maintenance requirements for your property. In our experience taking a proactive approach to property maintenance serves to both preserve the condition (and therefore market value) of the property as well as reducing unexpected expenses.

All tradespeople and contractors that will work on your property have been thoroughly screened to ensure they provide a high standard of work, are suitably qualified for the job and are adequately insured. We regularly review our register of tradespeople to ensure that we are always getting the best result for our landlords and our tenants. 

MCM Property Services has a very proactive approach to lease expiries meaning that we are always forward planning to ensure that no lease expires without the expressed permission of our landlord. Why is this so important? Many landlords are unaware that most insurance policies restrict a landlord’s coverage when the lease has expired. This means that in the event of any issues with the tenancy the insurance company may not provide a full pay out because the lease is no longer under a fixed term.

We will always speak with you first to discuss the expiry of your lease, including whether we recommend renewing the lease with the current tenant and if the rent should be increased. Once we have received your instructions we will ensure that they are carried out well within the expiry deadline. 

Changing to MCM Property Services is easy! All you need to do is make the decision to come on board and we will take care of everything else for you. We will send your current agent a Transfer Notice that you have signed and arrange to collect the keys and your file. We will then phone your tenant to introduce ourselves and arrange a time to come and meet with them. We find that this level of hands on approach makes the transition to MCM easy for you and easy for your tenant.