During this particularly complex time in real estate, property managers are under more stress than ever before. Ensuring properties meet safety standards and can be safely tenanted is a huge responsibility both in terms of business and landlord liability and the property manager’s personal desire to prevent harm coming to the tenants in their care. This is where PropertySafe’s flexible Investor Safety strategy can help take the load off their shoulders.
Property managers around Australia are faced with an increasing dilemma of being tasked with ensuring the properties they manage are safe, structurally sound and compliant against legislation. And they are expected to do so without the necessary qualifications to make those vital calls.
PropertySafe have worked alongside the property management industry for many years, so we understand the level of work and responsibility your role entails and how challenging it can be to keep up with legislative changes.
Our new Australia-wide Investor Safety strategy and state-specific legislative compliance assessments for Victoria and New South Wales are specifically designed to give you peace of mind that you, your landlords and your tenants are further protected from the legal and physical ramifications of letting unsafe residences. PropertySafe’s unique inspection and reporting service assesses properties and provides recommendations for improvements so that the risk of injury is reduced and occupant safety is maximised.
The Australia-wide Investor Safety Report identifies 16 risk areas and considers over 120 individual risks that exist around the property. Click here to view a sample report.
Additionally, PropertySafe’s specialised reports for Victoria (Safer Home Evaluation) and New South Wales’s (Fit for Habitation) housing standards ensure that landlords are protected and up to date with state legislation. We also offer the gas and electrical safety check assessments that are required bi-annually in Victoria – best of all, if multiple reports are ordered for one property we will conduct the inspection at one scheduled time to save inconvenience to the renter and provide a faster turnaround service to the rental provider.
It is essential that safety standards be adhered to. PropertySafe provides a straightforward process that takes the pressure off you and protects landlords and tenants. Some points worth considering are as follows:
- Every tenant has the right to a safe and healthy home environment.
- Some states and territories have their own legislated minimum housing standards.
- Your agency’s insurances might not be enough to protect you against personal injury claims depending on the circumstances.
- Landlord insurance policies may not cover personal injury claims depending on the circumstances.
- The vast majority of property managers are not qualified to determine structural soundness and safety compliance.
- Routine inspections are not enough to identify potential hidden hazards.
- There may be serious consequences to the agency and property manager should a tenant or visitor to the premises suffer an injury.
- A property that has had a safety inspection conducted is more attractive to tenants.
- Offering professional safety inspections improves landlord and tenant trust in the agency.
What do you need to do?
The best part is you can leave the heavy lifting to us. Depending on your agency’s agreement with us, we will send all your landlords an email invitation once a year on your behalf inviting them to invest in one of the reports and explaining the reasons why it is in their best interests to do so. You will have the option to review the email template and make any adjustments you see fit before they are sent.
Landlords will receive two follow-up emails should they fail to respond. Ultimately though, it is their choice to proceed with the inspection or not. However, by having it clearly documented that your agency has encouraged them to do so, you are essentially protecting yourself and the agency.
In short, PropertySafe provides a streamlined, customisable service that will fit each property’s unique needs while assessing it in line with minimum standards. Encouraging your landlords to invest in an annual report will protect tenants, reduce the risk of litigation and maximise their return on investment. Contact us on 1300 350 000 to learn more.
QLD minimum standards are coming! Be one of the first to know when the new reports are available.