Questions to Ask Your Property Manager

17 property manager interview questions you should be asking

If you are a property owner or a tenant, having a reliable and effective property manager can make all the difference. Property managers are responsible for a wide range of tasks, from handling maintenance requests to collecting rent and ensuring that the property complies with local regulations. To make sure you choose the right property management company for your needs, it’s important to ask the right questions.

In this resource, we will provide you with 17 interview questions to ask your property manager to help you determine if they are the right fit for your property management needs. These questions cover a wide range of topics, including communication, experience, fees, and services offered and can help you make an informed decision when selecting a property manager.

Property manager will conduct routine inspections of rental properties, inlcuding kitchen and dining area.

1. How often do you hold routine inspections?

The frequency of routine inspections by property managers is governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 and is up to 4 times per year.

The property managers will typically conduct the first routine inspection at 6 weeks, then 3 monthly thereafter. If an owner decides they would like to reduce the frequency of the inspections, it is best to check your landlord insurance to ensure you would be still covered in the event of any future claim.

During routine inspections, property managers conduct a walkthrough of the property and check for any visual maintenance issues and ensure the tenants are looking after the house and gardens to the same condition as noted in the Ingoing Property Condition Report. They are also looking for signs of any breach of the lease agreements, such as unauthorised pets, evidence of extra occupants or parking on the lawn etc.

It’s important to note that property managers must provide tenants with adequate notice before conducting a routine inspection. In Western Australia, the notice must be served no less than 7 days and no greater than 14 days before the inspection.

2. What is your maintenance procedure?

When the tenant reports any routine or urgent maintenance, our first step is to contact the owner for approval to arrange quotes or repairs. The only time we would arrange any repairs is if we were unable to contact the owner and the maintenance is deemed an emergency or urgent, such as a mains water leak and the tenant has no water.

3. What do you do if a tenant stops paying rent?

If a tenant stops paying rent, a property manager’s first step is to communicate with the tenant and try to understand the reason behind the missed payments and update the owner.

Tenancy arrears are checked daily and if a tenant falls behind in rent greater than 2 days, a breach notice is issued. The tenant has 14 days to rectify this breach and to pay the rental arrears. The importance of having a good property manager, is they thoroughly screen the tenant/s and have the communication skills to liaise with the tenants to get them quickly back on track with their payments.

If the tenant is unwilling to communicate or is unable to pay the rent, the property manager will let you know of the next steps.

Couple shaking hands with their property manager.

4. How many properties does each property manager manage?

At HKY your property is managed in-house by your own property manager, we don’t outsource inspections to companies who are not familiar with your house or tenants. We ensure our property managers are not overloaded with too many properties, to ensure they have time to respond to communication promptly.

Some other agencies may use virtual assistants from overseas and have assistant property managers and leasing assistants to increase the number of properties a property manager can manage.

5. What are your property management fees?

Our fees for property management are very competitive and provide real value for money and can be discussed when we come to provide an appraisal.

6. What services are included in your property management fees?

There are a number of steps involved throughout the property management process, from finding the right tenant to maintaining your property. Services included in our property management fees are:

  • We appraise your property and establish the market rent.
  • We provide you with an owner’s checklist to help you negotiate what may be unfamiliar territory as a first-time landlord or simply act as a reminder of things that may require actioning or renewing.
  • We market the property by taking photos and advertising on all major websites. Booking opportunities for home openings are also created.
  • We select tenants following a strict screening process. We prepare the lease agreement and arrange the signing and ensure the bond is paid and lodged.
  • We do an ingoing property condition report prior to the tenants moving in.
  • We give the new tenants their keys and a welcome pack including relevant information as well as our expectations.
  • We conduct an initial inspection after 6 weeks and then every 3 months from that point forward.
  • We coordinate any necessary maintenance repairs.
  • We provide you with a monthly or option of mid-monthly ownership statement and money is paid into your nominated bank account.
  • We arrange the lease renewal and conduct an updated market analysis that we discuss with you prior to offering the tenants a new lease.
  • Invoice tenants for water usage
  • For a vacating tenant, we conduct the exit inspection and arrange the final water metre reading and collection of any monies owing from the tenant.
  • Arrange the lodgement, variation and disposal of tenancy bonds with Bonds Admin.
  • Collect and lodge any bond tops required for rent increases

7. How do you screen prospective tenants?

We have a complete and thorough screening process that ensures you get the best possible tenants for your property. We have access to the latest database searches and with our experience, excellent communication skills and a keen eye for detail, we ensure you can relax knowing our meticulous screening process has been completed.

8. Do you handle bills such as rates and water?

You can elect to have HKY manage the payment of these on your behalf. Please let us know so we can contact the relevant council and the Water Corporation.

9. How often will you send me updates about my property?

We typically send ownership statements at the end of each month or twice monthly if you choose.

Questions to ask property manager: do you use licenced maintenance contractors?

10. Who do you use for maintenance?

We only use insured and licensed contractors to attend to your property. We have established good working relationships with many trades, who can offer our owners a competitive price. If you would like to attend to any small maintenance items yourself, that don’t require a licensed trade, you are welcome to attend to these if cost is a factor for you.

11. Do you do a market evaluation for every renewal?

Yes, at each lease renewal and rent review we conduct an up-to-date market analysis for you.

Stacks of coins with model houses resting on the top.

12. What percentage of your rentals are usually vacant?

Our vacancy rate is very low as we have a very buoyant market at present. In times when the market was low, we were still awarded by REIWA for being in the Top 20 agencies for the quickest leasing times in the whole of the state. The only local agent to achieve this.

Professional photographer behind his camera.

13. How will you market my property and attract tenants?

We take photos of your property and upload them to all major real estate sites so your property will be easily found by potential tenants. We arrange multiple opportunities for home openings and accept online applications. We also conduct video walkthroughs for any applicant that may not be able to attend in person. We also have a large tenancy database that we notify about all new listings.

14. How will you ensure the best returns from my property?

From increasing your rental yield to maximising your tax savings, our property management team will ensure your property returns are maximised.

Our property management team can help to increase the rental yield of a property by setting the right rental rate, advertising the property to attract the right tenants, and negotiating lease agreements that are favourable to the property owner.

We can also work to minimise vacancy rates by ensuring that the property is well-maintained and attractive to tenants, responding promptly to tenant inquiries, and keeping rent prices competitive.

We can also help property owners to maximise tax savings by keeping detailed records of income and expenses, ensuring that all tax deductions are claimed, and providing expert advice on tax matters.

15. How does your property management company differ from the others

Our clients’ needs come first and we treat your property with the utmost care. Our mission is to continue to be one of the best real estate agencies with an experienced team of property managers who ensure the process is a stress-free one for all parties involved.

16. Do you outsource any of the property management work?

At HKY your property is managed in-house by your own property manager, we don’t outsource inspections to companies who are not familiar with your house or tenants.

17. Will my property manager be the one doing the inspections on my house?

At HKY your property is managed in-house by your own property manager, we don’t outsource inspections to companies who are not familiar with your house or tenants.

Have more questions?

If you are wanting to lease your Perth property, or simply want to discuss your options, speak to us at HKY Real Estate about our property management services today.

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