Landlord Information
Attracting the Right Tenant
Good tenants are important to us, so we have developed a zero tolerance policy to rent arrears and a detailed tenant selection process in order to provide you with quality tenants and a safety net.
Tenant selection is vital and we believe by using some important tools we can ultimately reduce the incidence of incorrect tenant selection and therefore lessen many of the potential hazards caused by tenants.
Our tenant selection process works like this:
Step 1:
- A completed and signed application form will be submitted by the tenant to the Property Management Team for your investment property.
- As a condition of application, the potential tenant/s are notified that they will need to pay the bond usually equal to 4 weeks rent and the first 2 weeks rent in advance and sign the lease as soon as they have been accepted to be the residing tenant.
- All tenants must inform us if they will be receiving a South Australian Housing Trust Bond Guarantee in order for us to process their application. Click on our tenant application page link located on this page.
- 100 point proof of identification and will consist of a combination of the following:
Passport 40 points
Current Drivers Licence with photo 40 points
Latest electricity or Gas account (with address) 40 points
Latest Telephone Account (landline only) 40 points
Proof of Age card with photo 40 points
Tertiary education 30 points
Current Vehicle Registration 30 points
Birth Certificate 10 points
Debit/Credit Card 10 points
Bank Statements of everyday account 10 points
Citizenship Certificate 10 points
Medicare Card 10 points
Step 3:
- Each application will be processed by the Property Manager using the information provided on the tenant application form. This means that the tenant/s are reference checked with the contacts they have provided on their application form and a copy of their 100 point identification items will also be photocopied and confirmed.
- The tenant/s are checked against a tenant default checking system (TICA). This system is a comprehensive live internet database that lists any tenant who has failed to meet their tenancy agreement commitments and responsibilities and helps us to ensure the quality of tenants are maintained. Click on the TICA system link located on this page for more information.
- Once thorough checks have occurred this information will be provided to you as the landlord for acceptance or refusal of tenancy. Final approval is always your decision as a landlord and we will provide you with professional assistance to help you make a decision suitable to your property investment.
- The prospective tenants are notified by the Property Manager of acceptance of their application and a time and date is arranged to receive payment and sign their bond form and lease agreement. This will ideally happen on the next business day.
- At this meeting we ask that the bond and the first two weeks rent be paid within 48 hours to secure the property and request a time to meet the tenant/s to sign their Lease Agreement.
- The Lease Agreement is a legally binding document and is an agreement between the tenant and the Agent acting on your behalf specifying the residing tenant/s details, the amount of rent payable, the property address the date the tenant is moving in and term of the agreement (e,g 12months).
- The tenant/s bond is lodged with the Office of Business and Consumer Affairs Tenancy Branch immediately after receipt of payment and the correct form being signed. This is refundable to the tenant at the end of their tenancy providing the property is returned in a fair and reasonable state of condition comparable to the time when they took possession of the property.
- A new tenant property inspection form is completed at the property by the Property Manager prior to the new tenant moving in to ensure that the property is returned at the end of tenancy as close as possible to the condition I was handed over to the tenant at the commencement of their tenancy.
- The tenants are encouraged to make notes of any items that they have found or disagree with.
- Where applicable digital photos of the property are taken at the start of the tenancy by the Property Manager in order to confirm the state of the premises at handover.
- We notify you, the Landlord, of the commencement date of the new tenancy and of any repairs listed on the inspection form that may need your authority to be repaired and can be arranged by the Property Manager.
- The tenant will take possession and move into the premises, we will provide them with assistance to connect their utilities and answer any of their forgotten questions relating to the property and you will receive payment of rent as per your monthly or bi-monthly option.
- We continue to manage the property, conducting routine inspections o ensure your asset is managed to the best possible standard in line with your wishes.
Need to Request Maintenance for Your Property?
Ongoing maintenance and repairs can be a concern for both the tenant and the landlord. To assist in the reporting and organisation of maintenance, we have developed a process which will ensure all repair and maintenance reports are handled within a timely manner and we create a win/win solution for the landlord and the tenant.
Maintenance Contractors
At McGrath Real Estate Group we understand the importance of having a reliable, hardworking, professional maintenance team. In order to get the best of the best we review all contractors on an annual basis which will ensure your investment property is only ever going to receive top quality service.
The McGrath Real Estate group has a list of preferred service providers, however should you have a preferred contractor, please notify our staff so that we can refer your business to them as necessary.
Getting the Job Done
To ensure that your property is getting the best quality maintenance at a budget that suits you, we aim to:
- Where possible and as per your instruction, seek approval from you, the landlord, prior to organising maintenance and repairs.
- In the case of capital improvements or major repairs, we will source a range of quotes from service providers that will meet your approval.
- We aim to have an emergency maintenance and repairs budget for your investment property so that we can efficiently attend to any problems after hours within a timely manner to minimise disruption to you the landlord.
We have implemented a flexible, easily accessible reporting process which will allows the tenant to successfully and suitably advise our office of any problems that they maybe experiencing in the property. There are two options:
Option 1: Emergency Phone Number
If there is an extreme emergency such as the following:
flood, fire, theft, glass breakage or broken locks the tenant can contact the Manager direct via their mobile. If for some reason if the Manager is unavailable, the tenant is asked to leave all of their details and a return contact number so they can respond accordingly.
Option 2: Maintenance and Repairs Request Form
Should the tenant require general maintenance or repairs to be carried out at the property, they can fill in the online maintenance request form. All requests are checked by the Property Manager and you are contacted as necessary to approve the request. To view the online maintenance form on the Maintenance Request link at the top of this page. Please note: all fields must be completed by the tenant/s.
We also provide a Maintenance and Repair Request Form at the time we notify the tenant of a routine inspection and encourage them to leave details of required maintenance so that the Property Manager can view problems at the time of the routine inspection.
How do I, the Landlord request maintenance and repairs to be carried out at my investment property?
If you have something that you would like attended to at your investment property, please feel free to contact your Property Manager during business hours on their direct office line or send an email outlining the details and we will get back to you by the next business day.
Landlord Rewards!
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We offer excellent rewards for every person you refer to us through our referral incentive scheme. Ask your Property Manager about our referral scheme today!