September 28, 2012

Routine Inspections and Maintenance Forms


Available for download for Members now – Folder Routine Inspections and maintenance
This information is also available to non members of Real Estate Excellence for a small fee
http://www.realestateexcellence.com.au/membership-and-training/cat_view/80-training-and-consultancy-services

 
Information to follow include 62 best practice recommendations for reviewing maintenance and routine inspection procedures. Keep an eye out for the October Member Update - special edition reporting on the tragedy of the death of a child in a rental property and the coroners recommendations. Routine inspection and maintenance training being held throughout Queensland - for more information visit http://realestateexcellenceacademy.eventbrite.com.au/

·        Tips for inspection decks and balconies


·       Tips for pool owners, agents and landlords
·        Window, decks and balcony safety

·         Safety Switch information
·        Landlord disclosure statement

·        Seller disclosure statement

·        Landlord letter – urgent attention for maintenance

·        Lessor letter – maintenance obligations

·        Lessor wishing to use their own contractors

·        Letter to lessor, curtain, blinds safety

·        Lessor failure to attend to maintenance

·        Maintenance risk letter to tenant

·        Property inspection information for tenants

·        Routine inspection cover letter for lessors

·        Routine maintenance report template

·        Routine maintenance policy template – agencies

·        Routine maintenance policy template – for tenants

·        Routine maintenance policy – for lessors

·        Smoke alarm instruction form for lessor

·        Smoke alarm letter for lessor

·        Tenant maintenance and request form

·        Termination of management agreement due to maintenance

·        Termite and building inspection letter for lessor


For more information contact Stacey Holt www.realestateexcellence.com.au

September 23, 2012

Property Management Training Queensland


Given the report handed down this week in Queensland from a coroner in regards to the tragic death of a child in a rental property, I have reacted quickly for the benefit of my clients and our industry and will now be presenting a very important training session that will be written based on the coroner’s report. The training programme will be written based on the coroners recommendations for the industry.
 

This hands on practical training workshop will discuss the following matters;

* What the coroner has recommended for our industry

* The law regarding carrying out routine/periodic inspections

* Best practice advice regarding how to carry out an inspection

* Best practice regarding maintenance procedures

* What to do if a lessor does not respond to maintenance requirements

* Risk management advice regarding procedures and routine inspections including maintenance

Best practice scripts/letter templates will be provided including
* lessors who won't respond to maintenance
" lessors who wish to carry out their own maintenance
* lessors who wish to use their own contractors
 

One session per area - October and November 2012.

For more information about locations, time and registration, visit

http://realestateexcellenceacademy.eventbrite.com.au/

September 10, 2012

Mid September Real Estate Excellence Member Update 2012


Contents of Real Estate Excellence Mid September Member Update
Topics
Page Number
Member Update
·        Cairns Real Estate Agent fined
·        Brisbane Real Estate Agent fined
·        Safety switches and maintenance systems
·        $7000 First home buyer grant ends 11th October 2012
·        Updated member agreements reminder
·        Change of membership structure
·        New RTA Forms coming
 
 
4
4 and 5
5
5 and 6
6
7
7
Licensee/Administration Best Practice
·        Trust Account risk management tips
 
8 and 9
Residential Sales Best Practice
·        A reminder to pass on all offers to sellers
 
10 and 11
Residential Property Management Best Practice
·        Landlord sues agency for not sighting original ID from tenants
 
12 and 13

The update will be emailed to members early given the amount of important information currently at hand www.realestateexcellence.com.au

September 4, 2012

The amazing work that property managers do - the story of one


Below are parts of emails exchanged between myself and a wonderful property manager.

It is hard to read this without getting a tear in your eye. I know that I sure did. Property Managers do a lot more than collect rent. They are often under valued and unappreciated by some. I wanted to shared with you through my blog to show one of the many 'other things' that property managers do other than manage property.

To the property managers reading this, I take my hat off to you and say that you are greatly valued and appreciated by me and I am sure by many others (some just forget to say thank you!). You do an awesome job!

We have a tenant who is 90, we have had him for about 8 years and actually inherited him when the property was sold.

The tenant came up on our arrears list which was very unusual, so we went to the property and left a card in the door.Yesterday morning we received a call from one of the neighbours to say that he had passed away and that the police had  been to the units and told them.
I rang the police yesterday morning to try and confirm as we know this gentleman’s wife passed away a few years again and he had no family.

 Police had no record of him passing away.

 We went to the unit yesterday afternoon to make sure he wasn’t in the unit and to speak to the other neighbours. They told us he passed ways a week or so ago and that the police were the ones that notified them.

In the unit we found the dishes not done, bed not make, glasses ext still there  and looked like he just up and left as it. The mail had not been taken from the letterbox for about 2 weeks.

We then went down to the police station  again and was told they had nothing registered and for us to contact John Tonge  as they should have some record if he has passed away.

 John Tonge had no record and suggested the coroners , they had no record, rang births deaths & marriages they couldn’t help due to the privacy.
 
Going through the mail I noticed a letter from the bank  addressed to the  estate of , so I contacted someone I know in the bank and it seems they were notified by the coroner.

There is no next of kin. One of the other girls & I went to the unit on Saturday to try and go through his personal items and see if we could get anything for his niece on Germany. 
 

We had a lovely working bee and got a lot sorted and packed ready for the salvos to collect .  Well we were going through the wardrobes cleaning and packing his clothes and what do we come across  His wife’s ashes that have been there for 20 years.
We both looked at each other and said what do we do with these! Anyway yesterday I rang the coroner’s office and they contacted the funeral place who picked them up today and will keep with his ashes. After 12 months they will spread them around the rose gardens.