Leasing with
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At Sweeney, we’re proud to say we are one of the most successful property management agencies in town. Property management is about two things: getting the right property manager and the right tenant. Our team of property managers’ are the best in the business, working with the support of Sweeney’s “state of the art” management systems and technology. Our objective always, is to lease your property promptly, to high-calibre tenants, and to maximise your rental returns. We hope you find the enclosed information useful and we look forward to discussing with you any opportunities for us to work together.
OUR TEAM, YOUR TEAM Sweeney’s property managers are very experienced and your investment will be cared for with the highest level of skill and professionalism. Our team is at the forefront of industry technology; they are honest communicators who are passionate about property. They have a high level of local expertise and are able to instil confidence in both landlords and tenants. We aim at all times to exceed the expectations of our landlords and build productive, long term relationships. Sweeney’s professional approach, experience and sheer hard work, mean that we consistently deliver excellent results for all our clients, with a minimum of fuss.
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WHEN IT COMES TO OUR COMMUNITY, WE ALWAYS LEAD WITH OUR HEART At Sweeney Estate Agents, we see that an integral part of our role is to be involved in the community in which we operate. We know our market and the people who live in our local area, intimately. We take our position in the community seriously and are focused on contributing both financially and professionally to events, groups and individuals.
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WHY CHOOSE US? TENANT DATABASE Are you looking to see your rental property occupied faster and with minimal fuss? We have a comprehensive database of qualified, prospective tenants who will be aware of your property before it reaches the general public. By utilising emails, SMS, social media platforms and relevant websites, a wide number of potential tenants will see your property and a sense of heightened competition can be created from the beginning.
WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY … Leasing a property is all about creating a welcoming environment. Ensuring your property is in pristine condition prior to listing for rent will assist in maximizing your price potential. Our managers pride themselves in giving you the best advice to help you do this; whether it’s finding a local tradesman to do repairs or selecting the best photographer for the job … we can help.
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CHOOSING A TENANT It’s simple: we will not enter into a leasing agreement with anyone who doesn’t meet Sweeney’s stringent criteria. • We receive, process and vet tenancy applications. • We check rental and employment history, references from previous landlords and agents and former employers. • We don’t believe in taking risks with our landlords’ investments, so we always insist that an NTD check (National Tenancy Database) be carried out on all short-listed applicants. In the past, we have identified prospective tenants who looked good “on paper”, yet we found out they had a previous rental history that did not match with the one they had provided. By using NTD, we believe we are offering our landlords an additional level of protection against fraud and deception. • We select a tenant in consultation with you.
THE LEASE When the right tenant is found, we will prepare the appropriate documentation, including the lease agreement along with any additional negotiated terms and prepare the condition report. We also provide a copy of any further documentation that might be required under the Residential Tenancy Act. We … • Meet with the tenants to sign the lease. • Collect and receipt the bond and rental payment for the first period of the lease agreement (money order or bank cheque only). • Advise the tenants of their rights and responsibilities under the Residential Tenancies Act. • Administer rental and lease renewals as agreed. We also encourage our landlords and tenants to renew the lease whenever both parties are happy to do so, which gives everyone far greater security.
WHY CHOOSE US?
KEEPING YOUR PROPERTY IN GOOD REPAIR Maintaining your property in excellent condition is crucial to attracting and retaining quality tenants and maximizing your returns, so we take the care and protection of your investment seriously. We …
• Establish and maintain the property and tenant records. • Offer a preferred list of trades people who we’ve cultivated specifically for their trustworthiness and reliability, or alternatively utilise trades people of your choosing. • Respond to all maintenance matters on your behalf. • Deduct maintenance costs from rent, with your approval. • Conduct bond inspections, and organise repairs and claims where necessary.
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CONDUCTING RENTAL INSPECTIONS It’s Sweeney’s company policy to inspect every property twice a year. We typically conduct the first inspection during the third month of the lease and the second inspection three months prior to the end of the lease to coincide with the review rental. You’re welcome to attend all routine inspections and in each case, you are supplied with:
• A report on the general condition of the property, including photos. • A report on whether the tenants are maintaining the property to the standard agreed in the tenancy agreement. • A review of the rent, in line with the current market conditions. • Our recommendations for maintenance and improvements.
RENTAL STATEMENTS Sweeney generates monthly rental statements. These are typically produced shortly after rent is paid, subject to the clearance of tenant payments. The funds are deposited directly into your bank account which we recommend as the fastest method. If you prefer, a cheque can be sent to your address.
• Our accounting system also handles the payment of all disbursements for our clients, including invoices for works carried out at the property, council and water rates, and body corporate levies. • Original invoices are attached to your statement for tax purposes. • At the end of every financial year, we provide you with a statement detailing total income and expenditure on your investment.
DEALING WITH ARREARS We have outlined in some detail the considerable effort we put into finding the best tenants. Not only does this leave you confident that your property is being well cared for, it significantly reduces the risk of arrears. However, some tenants may still fail to pay their rent promptly on some occasions. When this does occur, we have a stringent policy in place to deal with the situation. 1 DAY OVERDUE: our system sends an automatic email and SMS to advise tenants that they are in arrears from the 1st day. The owner will be notified that the rent is outstanding on the 4th day. 10 DAYS OVERDUE: the tenant is informed that they will be issued with a notice to vacate unless the payment is made within five days. 15 DAYS OVERDUE: the landlord is contacted for instructions on issuing a notice to vacate and the commencement of tribunal proceedings. If circumstances demand it, we strongly recommend issuing this notice to
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protect both you and your investment.
TRANSFERRING YOUR PROPERTY FROM ANOTHER AGENT Transferring your property to us is easier than you think. It is a simple process and all you need to do is contact us and we’ll take care of everything.
• We can arrange the transfer of management of your investment property or properties, even if there is a fixed term lease in place. • There are no costs involved and your current agent cannot apply any penalties unless you agreed to these in your management agreement. Talk to us to seek some advice if this applies. • Once an agreement has been signed and you provide us with the authority to act on your behalf, we arrange for all the relevant paperwork and keys to be collected from your previous agent, we contact the tenants to reassure them there will be no disruption, arrange an inspection of the property and start the process of delivering the level of service we know you expect.
ADVERTISING YOUR INVESTMENT The key to successfully leasing your property is getting it in front of as many potential tenants as possible. That’s where we come in, as Sweeney Estate Agents is one of Melbourne’s most recognised real estate brands. Thanks to our comprehensive marketing strategies, our team fields hundreds of enquiries from interested tenants each and every month. We’re always across what your potential tenants are reading and viewing, so we can structure a marketing campaign that gets your property the attention it deserves and minimises the amount of time it sits vacant waiting for a tenant. The more tenants we reach out to, the more likely you are to find one who’ll treat your investment as though it was their own. When it comes to advertising vacant or soon-to-be vacant properties, we focus our advertising efforts on these areas:
The internet Around 90% of people go online to research property. We’ll ensure maximum market exposure by advertising on sweeneyea.com.au, realestate.com.au, domain.com.au, realestateview.com.au, property.com.au and reviewproperty.com.au.
For lease boards Many enquires are a direct result of prospective tenants spotting Sweeney’s highly recognisable boards on the street. It means that your property captures the attention of not only those actively looking to rent, but also those who might not have thought of applying for a new property, until they saw yours being advertised.
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Our weekly rental list The details of every single one of our Currently Available and Forthcoming properties are prominently displayed in our office. Our office is staffed Monday through to Saturday so that all expressions of interest can be dealt with promptly. We will conduct regular Open-for-Inspections and Private Appointments as often as necessary to successfully lease your property.
COSTS AND FEES STRUCTURE Our Fees MANAGEMENT FEES: Charged on a monthly basis on the rent collected, plus out of pocket expenses including the administration fee. LETTING FEES: Rental list advertising, securing tenants and placing them in a property, together with a lease and condition report, are all included in the letting fee. ADVERTISING FEE: Expended, following consultation with our client. OUTGOINGS: As authorized and expended. PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: Expended only in agreement with the client.
Make sure to ask for our Home Owners Checklist.
PREPARING YOUR PROPERTY FOR RENT Hiring a stylist can make all the difference if you feel that your property needs attention. A checklist is provided below to assist in your preparation. • Take out landlord and building insurance. • Install window locks and deadlocks on external doors. • Request accounts to be forwarded to our office for payment, if applicable. • Arrange final readings on gas, electricity, water and telephone, if necessary. • Provide us with two full sets of keys to the property. • Have the carpets steam cleaned. • Ensure the garden is pruned and tidy. • Ensure the property is cleaned and tidy throughout. • Remove all refuse and rubbish from inside and outside the property, including outbuildings. • Ensure smoke detectors are installed and in good working order. • Redirect mail.
NOTES Property Address: Leasing Estimate: Marketing Fees:
sweeneyea.com.au
ink creative 0407 549 707