what questions to ask re quotes etc for prop management and how to fix broken glass from tenants.

Discussion in 'Property Management' started by justine77, 30th Dec, 2016.

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  1. justine77

    justine77 Well-Known Member

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    what questions should i ask re quotes etc for hiring prop management
    how do we compare different companies and what they will do
    what advice can people experienced in this give please.

    and we need please other suggestions to fix problems we have with teneants leaving bottles rubbish and broken glass left constantly daily from tenants. We put signs and bins everywhere, we have spoken to them.
    perhaps the tenants need to be given notice to leave and new tenants brought,

    perhaps hiring a property manager will take care of it. I'd like all suggestions that might work please.

    the property owner who i know says that they cant get better tenants unless they renovate the bathroom and kitchen and paint and renovate as the flats are disgusting.

    what is the opinion of other people please. Can a property manger get better tenants if the flats are not very nice. does everyone on a lower budget leave broken glass around. In many years i've never seen them as bad as they are currently with the current tenants. What can be done please.

    Thank you and wishing you all a happy new year, we will probably have an explosion of noise and broken glass with the coming of the new year

    neighbours complain about the noise, tenants complain about the broken glass and try constantly to clean it. its ridiculous.

    Thank you
     
    Last edited: 30th Dec, 2016
  2. Joynz

    Joynz Well-Known Member

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    Hi Justine

    I’m interested in where this block, of units that gives you so much trouble is (city/suburb).

    If by property management, you mean collecting the rent, doing inspections, taking phone calls from tenants etc, then I suggest the following questions:

    1. Fees for ongoing management and what is included.
    2. Cost to re- let and cost to renew lease.
    3. Availability of staff. Dispute resolution process if you are not satisfied with the service.
    4. Will you be locked in to a contract or can you leave at any time.
    5. Workload of staff.
    6. Maybe, an example of a problem they have faced and how they dealt with it. What was the outcome.
    7. Ask them specifically how they will deal with your issue
     
  3. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    I'm a bit confused. Are these your flats? The last sentence makes it sound like they are owned by someone else, but the first part makes it sound like these are your flats?

    If you own them, and if they are disgusting, then I'd say you won't get better tenants until you improve the flats.
     
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  4. justine77

    justine77 Well-Known Member

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    2 or 3 tenants are trouble makers, the rest are not, so its possible getting rid of the trouble makers and getting new tenants with more screeninga nd warnings early on can help that hopefully we get more good tenants instead of these 2 or 3 bad ones who are ruining it for everybody
     
  5. EN710

    EN710 Well-Known Member

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    Why not hire a PM so they can take care of the process, at least for the 3 tenants? I take it from the post that this issue is actually wearing you down?
     
  6. justine77

    justine77 Well-Known Member

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    i guess some ideas are
    1give them a warning that if there is rubbish and broken glass they are out

    2give them notice to leave that can be reversed if there is no rubbish anymore left lying around

    3give them notice and replace them more carefully with more screened tenants who are given warnings early on that they will be out if mess is around
    most tenants are fine so replacing the 3 bad ones might be the way to go .

    4get a property manager and hear their advice and let them replace the bad tenants

    5renovating the apartments much isnt so worth it as they are tiny flats but maybe we need to do something, paint or some smaller improvements,
    most tenants are fine so replacing the 3 bad ones might be the way to go .


    This issue is embarrassing and distressing for the good tenants to have friends over, when there is constantly broken glass, and for people to keep cleaning it daily.
    One of the worst tenants has only been there 4 months. If them and their troublesome neighboure are both replaced it will make a big difference and maybe a third one also, not necesarily at once, maybe try warnings and do one at a time .
     
  7. SeafordSunshine

    SeafordSunshine Well-Known Member

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    Hi Justine,
    a few questions first.
    Is the building Strata Title? Company Title?
    What is the vacancy factor for the area
    Have the neighbours complained to the Strata Manager?
    Each state will have proper procedures for all that.
    I hope this helps
     
  8. MyPropertyPro

    MyPropertyPro REBAA Buyer's Agents Sutherland Shire & Surrounds Business Member

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    The property manager is there to essentially represent you and broker the relationship between you and your tenant. What a lot of investors don't realise is that the investment risk (which is made up of many different categories) still falls to the investor. It doesn't matter how good your PM is, if the place needs work and the investor refuses to do it, then the property manager can only work with what they are given.

    Yes, they will have a professional skill set when it comes to managing the property and the tenant, but they will not fix everything if the investor is not prepared to financially underwrite their own investment. I was, and still am, an investor for well over a decade before starting a property management business and although I was very frustrated with certain PMs at times, it's up to me to be the investor and make the decisions that uphold both the capital and rental value of my investment. The quality of the property manager, which determines their understanding and proactive approach, assists me in doing this.

    Regarding questions for when I'm engaging a PM, I personally have about 40 questions broken down into 4 categories - Agency, Leasing, Management and Agent. I don't necessarily ask them all but tailor it based on a few things. As a business, we always encourage questioning of our product and service, however be careful not to come across as patronising and condescending in your questioning. You are looking to develop a long term, sustainable relationship built on mutual trust and respect and pretending you know it all from the outset will get you no where.

    For my portfolio, it's taken a long time to hire and fire PMs to get to the point where there is a mutual respect of boundaries and knowledge whilst letting each party fulfil their respective role. On a company level, we will, and indeed have, turned away business when we feel the investor or landlord (and there is a difference!) is not suited to our business.

    All the best with your units.

    - Andrew
     
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  9. justine77

    justine77 Well-Known Member

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    Thank you for all the replies
    i believe that the owner will not hire a manager, but if they were to spend any money it would be directly to doing improvements, repairs or painting.
    the flats are 50 years old and tiny so not worth putting much money into

    with the above in mind then, i believe the only answer is-
    if they give notice to the 2 worst tenants with the condition that if they can clean up their act they can stay,
    or maybe no condition just get rid of them,
    or get rid of one and give warning to the second tenant that they will be given notice also if they leave any more rubbish around.
    and then be much stricter with any new tenants with warnings of rubbish or glass or huge noise ahead of time that they will be forced to leave if there are any of these issues.
     
  10. Joynz

    Joynz Well-Known Member

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    Hi Justine

    So it seems like you are a tenant rather than the owner? Or maybe the owner of a flat in the same block?

    What city and state are you in?
     
  11. justine77

    justine77 Well-Known Member

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    I had one more idea.
    put the rent up for the offending tenants to cover cleaning costs but tell them that any week that any month that there is no rubbish at all then they can pay the old current rent.

    that might be the easiest solution to try first.

    does anyone else have any creative solutions of choices in this situation please.
     
  12. Joynz

    Joynz Well-Known Member

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    Hi Justine

    If you are not the owner, how can you do this?
     
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  13. Foreshadow

    Foreshadow Well-Known Member

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    if it was me, before I ask for further advise, I would answer the questions other forum members have asked you. They are going out of their way to try and help you. But your making it difficult for them, by straight out ignoring the questions they ask.
     
    Last edited: 31st Dec, 2016
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  14. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    As has been asked before, several times, are you the owner, a tenant, a neighbour or something else?

    How can you get a proper answer if you don't give more information?
     
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  15. Marg4000

    Marg4000 Well-Known Member

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    Justine, your previous post was equally confusing.
    Unless you give a clear description of the problem and your status in the issue, we cannot help you.

    Despite many questions, you have never said whether you are an owner in the building, own a neighbouring property, or are a tenant in one or the other. What you are able to do depends on your answer.
    Marg
     
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  16. dabbler

    dabbler Well-Known Member

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