Southbank Property Management

At MRE, we tailor our fee structure to you and your property. Our management fees are typically between 4-8% plus GST of the rent collected. We recognise that managing a property that rents for $1000 per week does not require double the effort of managing a property that rents for $500 per week. Get in touch with one of our Liveability Experts today so we can optimise a package that suits your property.

The vast majority of owners prefer to have one for a variety of reasons. A good Portfolio Manager will guide you through the rental regulations, maximise your rent, find and retain the best tenants, and handle the day-to-day operations of the property, such as maintenance, inspections, and dealing with problems that require a legal resolution.

A tenant may be issued a notice to vacate if they are more than 14 days late on their rent. This is then cancelled if they pay. If they are late five times in a 12-month period, the notice to vacate will still be valid.

Rent can now only be increased once every 12 months, rather than every 6 months, as was previously the case. If you want to raise the rent during a fixed-term rental agreement, the amount and method of calculation must be specified in the rental agreement. We will conduct an annual rental review to ensure that your property is performing.

If the weekly rental amount is less than $900, the bond is set at one month’s rent. If your weekly rent is more than $900, you can request an extra amount. You can also request a higher bond if the tenant wishes to make changes to your property – but not if they have a pet. The Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) in Victoria holds the bond as security until the end of the residential tenancy agreement, or lease. Any money raised goes towards running the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The bond can be released to the tenant or landlord, only after both parties sign a bond claim form. The tenant is not permitted to use any of the bond money in lieu of rent.

Repairs are the responsibility of the owner unless the damage was caused by the tenants. Urgent repairs, such as dangerous electrical faults, gas leaks or serious water leaks, blocked or broken toilets, or the failure of an essential service, such as hot water, must be made right away. If you do not respond promptly, the tenants will be able to organise and pay for the repairs themselves. You then have seven days to reimburse the renter for the expenses incurred, up to $2500. Non-urgent repairs must be completed within 14 days of a written request. Your tenants must continue to pay rent while repairs are being made and are not permitted to withhold rent until the work is completed. They can, however, apply to VCAT to pay rent into a special fund until any repair dispute is resolved.

In most cases, yes. If a tenant would like to keep a pet at the property, they must first seek permission from you, as their landlord, by completing a Pet Request Form. You cannot unreasonably refuse this request and must apply to VCAT within 14 days of receipt of request if they wish to refuse consent for a pet. The matter will then be heard by a VCAT member, who will determine if it is reasonable for you to refuse consent or not. To date, practically all VCAT hearings regarding pets have gone in the favour of the tenants.

Owners must now ensure their property meets minimum standards across 14 categories. Under these standards, rental properties must now have locks on all external doors and windows, bathrooms must have a washbasin and a shower or bath, and be connected to a reasonable supply of hot and cold water, and windows in rooms likely to be used as bedrooms or living areas must be fitted with working curtains or blinds. All rooms must have ventilation and there must be a fixed heater in good working order in the main living area. If the property does not meet these minimum standards, tenants can end their lease before moving in, or request an urgent repair. Click here to discover the 14 minimum standards that your investment must meet.

By law, electrical safety checks of all electrical installations and fittings, and all gas appliances such as heaters and stoves, must be checked by a licensed electrician and gas fitter every two years. You also need to keep records of safety checks conducted at the property. If these safety checks have not been conducted within the last two years at the time the tenant occupies the premises, the rental provider must arrange a gas or electrical safety check as soon as possible. Smoke alarms must be checked annually by a licensed electrician.

From 2019, yes the tenants can make certain modifications to a rental property without the consent of the owner. However, they must reinstate the original conditions. (check Consumer affairs for details) at the end of the tenancy.

These include installing items such as:
• Picture hooks or screws for wall mounts, shelves or brackets on surfaces other than brick walls
• LED light globes which do not require new light fittings
• Low flow shower heads if the original shower head is kept
• A wireless doorbell
• Replacement curtains if the original curtains are retained by the tenant
• Adhesive child safety locks on drawers and doors

There are different specifications for properties that are listed under the Heritage Act 2017, and the rental provider must disclose to their tenant if the property is heritage listed prior to entering into a rental agreement.

For all other modifications, the tenant must obtain the owner’s permission before starting the work, and the rental provider must not unreasonably refuse these requests.

Consumer Affairs Victoria can issue infringement notices to owners if they breach the Residential Tenancies Act. This includes fines that are based on penalty units. A penalty unit is $184.92 for the 2022-23 financial year, but this amount is subject to change at the start of each financial year. For example, you can be fined 25 penalty units if you refuse to rent a property to someone because they intend to live there with a child. You can also be fined 60 penalty units if you take or dispose of a tenant’s property because they are behind on their rent. Click here to learn more.

Yes, we highly recommend taking out landlord protection insurance for a number of reasons.

Insurance covers some particular risks associated with renting out a property that may not be covered by a typical home and contents or strata title insurance policy.

Common features of a landlord insurance policy include protection against:
• Malicious or intentional damage to the property by the tenant or their guests;
• Theft by the tenant or their guests;
• Loss of rent if the renter defaults on their payments or the property becomes uninhabitable;
• Liability including a claim against you by the renter; and
• Cover for fixtures within the apartment such as carpet and window furnishings that are not usually covered by building insurance.

It is important to understand that not all policies are the same and you should be thorough in your choice of insurer.