Hi all, I’m looking for some input on a series of dramas I’m having with a property manager in Southport on the Gold Coast. Over a period of about six years this particular agency managed a number of properties for me. Earlier this year the PM was let go and a replacement found and since then I’ve had a never ending series of dramas.
The dramas started with the new PM regularly not returning calls or emails. A week would go by, I’d send a follow up email or call then be told I’m being “demanding” and she was too busy. Often the requests would be for info such as the name and dates of a new lease or the status of a repair. This particular individual could not find time for basic tasks but would send me extremely lengthy emails (approaching a thousand words in a couple of occasions), about her extensive education then go on to disclose all the internal difficulties she had such as the legacy from the previous PM, not being able to find or retain staff (including telling me how many PM adverts are currently on seek.com.au), end of month activities and anything else to absolve herself of responsibility. Essentially endless excuses over many, many months.
On the financial side, she attempted to slip in a charge on top of all maintenance (above and beyond the usual PM rates in a standard agreement) secreted into the tail end of a monthly newsletter and it was only after I told the agency principal directly this was “not on” that my properties were exempted. However as the relationship deteriorated I was told not enough was being made from my properties anyway (the rate is very competitive but equal to what I pay many other PMs in QLD and NSW) and eventually that the agency was moving towards only managing properties over $350/w which all of mine are (individually) under.
I pulled the pin on this agency a month ago and moved to another in Southport (at the same rate, incidentally) with a PM I’m extremely happy with. The problem I have now and the reason for this post is that it appears essential components of the service which should have been provided by the last PM haven’t happened. Of most concern is that I don’t appear to have ingoing inspection reports (still confirming how many properties they’re missing for) and I’m very concerned about the possible ramifications should a tenant depart and leave the place in a mess. The feedback I’ve had from the old PM is that others within the agency (either her predecessors or staff she directly released), either have not performed the inspections or have not properly filed them but that’s not her responsibility. Basic facts such as whether or not a property has a garage remote control now cannot be answered. I’m also now hearing from the new PM that basic maintenance requests (such as leaking taps), were not carried out and tenants are advising they were told I refused the repairs which is absolutely incorrect (in retrospect, I wonder if it’s related to me not paying the new maintenance fee?).
So I’m after some thoughts on how to proceed. For a variety of reasons I can’t make any headway with the principal. I haven’t spoken to the old PM in recent weeks and now she has become extremely hostile (in writing, bless her) to the new PM culminating today by stating she “will not answer to demands by some other agency’s property manager”. This is after yesterday beginning her email to my new PM by talking about all her qualifications (even the grades she received!) before telling her I was a “very demanding landlord” (incidentally, I sent less than one email for each property per month) so it’s clear the time for rational discussion has come and gone. Is this the sort of behaviour which should be brought to the awareness of REIQ (probably not consistent behaviour with their charter I’d imagine)? Should it go to Fair Trading and be mediated? Does she need some prompting from my friendly solicitor? Or should I just cut my losses, cross my fingers and I hope I don’t have any major dramas with the current tenants?
Thanks everyone, Merry Christmas
The dramas started with the new PM regularly not returning calls or emails. A week would go by, I’d send a follow up email or call then be told I’m being “demanding” and she was too busy. Often the requests would be for info such as the name and dates of a new lease or the status of a repair. This particular individual could not find time for basic tasks but would send me extremely lengthy emails (approaching a thousand words in a couple of occasions), about her extensive education then go on to disclose all the internal difficulties she had such as the legacy from the previous PM, not being able to find or retain staff (including telling me how many PM adverts are currently on seek.com.au), end of month activities and anything else to absolve herself of responsibility. Essentially endless excuses over many, many months.
On the financial side, she attempted to slip in a charge on top of all maintenance (above and beyond the usual PM rates in a standard agreement) secreted into the tail end of a monthly newsletter and it was only after I told the agency principal directly this was “not on” that my properties were exempted. However as the relationship deteriorated I was told not enough was being made from my properties anyway (the rate is very competitive but equal to what I pay many other PMs in QLD and NSW) and eventually that the agency was moving towards only managing properties over $350/w which all of mine are (individually) under.
I pulled the pin on this agency a month ago and moved to another in Southport (at the same rate, incidentally) with a PM I’m extremely happy with. The problem I have now and the reason for this post is that it appears essential components of the service which should have been provided by the last PM haven’t happened. Of most concern is that I don’t appear to have ingoing inspection reports (still confirming how many properties they’re missing for) and I’m very concerned about the possible ramifications should a tenant depart and leave the place in a mess. The feedback I’ve had from the old PM is that others within the agency (either her predecessors or staff she directly released), either have not performed the inspections or have not properly filed them but that’s not her responsibility. Basic facts such as whether or not a property has a garage remote control now cannot be answered. I’m also now hearing from the new PM that basic maintenance requests (such as leaking taps), were not carried out and tenants are advising they were told I refused the repairs which is absolutely incorrect (in retrospect, I wonder if it’s related to me not paying the new maintenance fee?).
So I’m after some thoughts on how to proceed. For a variety of reasons I can’t make any headway with the principal. I haven’t spoken to the old PM in recent weeks and now she has become extremely hostile (in writing, bless her) to the new PM culminating today by stating she “will not answer to demands by some other agency’s property manager”. This is after yesterday beginning her email to my new PM by talking about all her qualifications (even the grades she received!) before telling her I was a “very demanding landlord” (incidentally, I sent less than one email for each property per month) so it’s clear the time for rational discussion has come and gone. Is this the sort of behaviour which should be brought to the awareness of REIQ (probably not consistent behaviour with their charter I’d imagine)? Should it go to Fair Trading and be mediated? Does she need some prompting from my friendly solicitor? Or should I just cut my losses, cross my fingers and I hope I don’t have any major dramas with the current tenants?
Thanks everyone, Merry Christmas