Should I self manage my investment property?

Wellstead Team Latest News 27th May, 2016 No Comments

This is a great question and when it comes to self-management the main motivation in a lot of cases is that a person has the time, wants to manage the details themselves and/or they want to save on agent fees. However are you really saving anything?

When it comes to self-management these are all the things you must consider:

  • Could you bring yourself to evict a person or a family?
  • Would you be able to represent yourself in a tribunal or court and argue a case?
  • Do you want to be on call with your tenant 24 hours a day?
  • How do you manage when things go wrong, if you’re away or overseas?
  • Are you available to arrange and supervise tradespeople at short notice, if required?
  • How will you be able to verify a tenant’s identification and check if they have a possible defaulting history with a previous rental property?
  • Are you good at record keeping, dates and keeping a ledger and produce this on request for your tenant?
  • Do you know the warning signs of a bad tenant?
  • Can you access the best landlord insurance should you self-manage?
  • Do you know the minimum security requirements for your rental?
  • Did you know you must lodge your tenants bonds with the bond administrator?
  • Are you familiar with the Residential Tenancy Act 1987?

These are great reasons why most property owners choose to have their property managed by a professional agent.

At the end of the day, what you’re really buying is peace of mind for yourself and your family. All agent fees are tax deductible and you can have more quality time spent focusing on other real and more urgent priorities than the day to day management of a rental property.

Managing rental properties professionally is what we do best, so you can focus on what you do best so you can enjoy life without all the hassles that come with self-management.