Frequently Asked Questions

What is Fee Certainty?

Fee Certainty is our full-service property management offering where our management fee is just $30 per week exclusive of GST. We offer the best property management experience for a low, all-inclusive management fee.

How is your fee only $30 per week?

One of our core principles is that property management fees should be fair and reasonable for all property investors. Our all-inclusive fixed fee of $30 per week ensures we provide exceptional service to our clients without the excessive fees many agents charge. In the same way we do property management differently, our fee structure is different to most agents.

We don’t believe in charging 6-8% as well as all the additional incidental fees and sundry fees that many property managers charge. We don’t believe that charging extra for monthly admin fees and statement fees is fair – so we don’t charge them.

Are you a full-service property manager?

Yes! As a client of Certainty Property, you will have a dedicated local property manager as your point of contact for all things related to your property as well as the support of the entire Certainty Property team.

As local property managers ourselves, we provide all the services that a property manager that belongs to a franchise real estate agent does. The difference is, we do it better and in most cases, for a cheaper property management fee.

By focusing solely on property management, you receive higher levels of service at a lower fee than by going with an agency that relies on the value of their brand as a substitute for innovation and exceptional service.

Is your fee inclusive of GST?

No. All fees are quoted exclusive of GST.

Do you charge any other fees?

There are three main fees that we charge. Our management fee is $30 per week. When a new tenant needs to be found we charge a leasing fee holding open for inspections, reference checking, lease preparation, bond lodgement, incoming inspections, key handover, etc. A marketing fee covers the cost of platinum listings on the major portals.

Where we need to attend Tribunal on your behalf, we charge $70 per hour for any given matter. We will only attend Tribunal where other avenues of resolution have failed, and you have instructed us to do so. Very few of our tenancies require attendance at Tribunal and we have a very high success rate when we do attend.

What areas do you service?

In New South Wales we service Sydney, Wollongong, and Central Coast. In Queensland we service Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast. In Victoria we service Melbourne, Geelong, and Ballarat.

If you’d like to check if we service your suburb, we have a great suburb checker where you can enter your suburb and/or postcode to confirm that we manage properties where your property is located.

Do you have an office in my suburb?

As we only do property management there isn’t the need to have fancy offices on the main street of every suburb that we service. Whilst a franchise agency is paying huge overheads in the form of expensive commercial leases and franchise fees, we don’t have those unnecessary expenses. We pass those savings through to you in the form of lower fees and centralise our team out of main offices in the CBD.

It doesn’t make sense for property owners to pay excessive property management fees so agents can sell other people’s properties in opulent offices that are built with the sole purpose of facilitating property sales.

When we lease a property, we meet the tenant at the property to handover keys and give them a walkthrough. We believe this is better service than requesting a tenant come to us to pick up keys to their new home.

We will only accept management of your property if it’s located in an area where your dedicated property manager can easily service. If there is a need for your property manager to attend your property, they will be there.

Are you an online agency?

Absolutely not. We’re a full-service property manager. Our different property management approach means we do property management differently. We use tech where possible to enhance the experience but are firm believers that property management is a fundamentally human endeavour.

Our property managers take a hands-on approach to managing your investment property and don’t rely on technology to replace good management.

How do you ensure I get the best possible tenant?

Finding you a great tenant that will treat your property as if they would their own is arguably the most important thing we do.

When a tenant applies, we’ll screen them against our own internal criteria that considers a range of factors such as the applicant’s rental history, employment history and a range of other factors that we’re legally allowed to consider.

We’ll then make a recommendation to you and importantly, show you the applicant’s entire application so you see what we see with full transparency.

Once you’ve decided to proceed in principle with an application, we’ll conduct thorough reference checks with the applicant’s employer and previous property manager. We also check the tenant against Australia’s largest tenancy (blacklist) database.

We know great tenants are in high demand so if the applicant is successful, we’ll reach out to them as soon as possible to take a deposit and have the lease signed.

What is your process for maintenance requests?

Once your tenant submits a maintenance request via their tenant portal it’s reviewed by our team. If the request is valid, we’ll send it to you for your approval. If we require more information, we’ll request it from the tenant.

When submitting a maintenance request tenants must submit pictures and a clear, detailed description of the issue at hand. If the issue can be resolved without sending a trade we'll resolve. If it does require a trade, we'll request your approval.

We only use trades that have a history of fair, transparent pricing and great workmanship. A combination of deep relationships and our size means we get great pricing and priority service from the trades we work with. We only work with the best.

Can I use my own trades?

Yes, if you have your own trusted tradies, you are welcome to use them. We give you this option when we send across a maintenance request for your approval.

Similarly, if you want to fix the issue yourself you are welcome to. Our approach is to provide you with as many options as possible in relation to your property.

How often do you do routine inspections?

We conduct at least two inspections on your property each year. This ensures we’re in compliance with the relevant laws governing inspections. If there is a reason to do more (such as pre-existing issues to be resolved) we will accommodate.

How much do you charge for inspections?

Inspections are all included in the flat $30 per week property management fee! We don’t charge for inspections as many property managers do.

What is Rent Certainty?

Rent Certainty is for serious property investors that understand the impact vacancies, arrears and falling rents can have on a property’s return.

Under the traditional agency model, if your property is vacant or your tenant fails to pay the rent, that’s your problem. We don’t think that’s fair. That’s why we’re the only property manager in Australia to offer Rent Certainty.

Do you really pay the rent when my property is vacant?

Yes. Certainty Property will pay the rent when your property is vacant subject to the terms of our rent guarantee for Rent Certainty clients. This is a very different property management proposition provided by most agencies where you don’t receive rental income when your property is vacant.

What happens if my tenant falls into arrears?

Property managers love to talk about their arrears management processes and systems. However, if you ask them if they will pay the rent if the tenant does not, they won’t put their hand in their own pocket to ensure you’re made whole. Not us. We’ll pay the rent ourselves if your tenant falls behind, so you never have to worry about late payment again.

How does your rent top up work?

It’s our job to get you the most rent we possibly can. If rents fall, from one tenant to the next we’ll pay the difference out of our own pocket. If the existing tenant is paying $500 per week and moves out, and the best rent we can achieve is $470 per week, we pay the $30 a week difference ourselves.

We seek rent increases for our clients every year. When they’re achieved, we pass these rent increases through to you, so you always receive market rent or better.

What about pricing?

Rent Certainty is distinct from our fixed fee offering of $30 per week known as Fee Certainty. As the extra payments we make to our clients are determined by the value of the property and the risk profile of the property itself our pricing is percentage based.

For example, an owner of a $1,000 per week property would receive twice the amount of additional rent than the owner of a $500 per week property. Percentage based pricing ensures that our fees are charged in accordance with the benefit we provide to our clients and the risk we take.

How do I work out if I am better off switching?

Our savings calculator will tell you how much you will save by switching to Certainty Property. By our estimates, 89% of investors currently pay more than $30 per week in management fees so there is a good chance you will be.

Most investors who switch to Certainty Property save on property management fees and receive a higher level of service than they were receiving with their previous property manager.

How do I switch my property to Certainty Property?

If you’re ready to switch we are ready to give you an exceptional property management experience. Simply leave your details here and a member of our team will be in touch before close of business.