How to switch property managers in Perth, and why it is easier than you think

Most owners who are unhappy with their property manager stay anyway, for two reasons that have nothing to do with the service: they think switching is complicated, and they dread the awkward conversation. Neither survives contact with how a switch actually works.

You do not need a reason, or a fight

You do not need to wait for something to go wrong, and you do not have to confront anyone. Your management agreement is a service contract like any other. Check what it says about ending the appointment, since agreements differ in their notice requirements, and once you give the word, the incoming agency handles the changeover with your current agent directly: the file, the keys, the bond paperwork, and a warm introduction to your tenant. When owners switch to KPR Property Management, that entire handover is ours to run, not yours.

What happens to the tenant

Nothing, except the standard of service. The tenancy agreement continues on identical terms, the bond stays lodged with the Bond Administrator and is simply transferred to the new agent’s management, and the tenant pays rent to a new account from a nominated date. A good changeover includes a proper introduction to the tenant, because a tenant who feels looked after through the transition starts the new arrangement on the right foot. Owners are often surprised that tenants notice the improvement fastest.

When to switch

Any time. A switch does not need to wait for the end of a tenancy, and mid-tenancy is often the best moment, because problems with inspections, maintenance, or arrears are usually what prompted the thought in the first place, and every month with the wrong manager compounds them. The one date worth checking is your agreement’s notice period, and we will read it with you before anything is set in motion.

What to look for in the next manager

Switching only pays if the destination is genuinely better, so interrogate the next agency the way you wish you had interrogated the last one. Who exactly will manage the property, and how many properties do they carry? A boutique portfolio in the hands of a senior property manager beats a big rent roll spread across juniors, every time. How quickly is rent paid out? At KPR Property Management, rent is not held for a monthly cycle: as the tenant pays, it comes in and goes straight back out to you, typically within two business days, through the Managed App platform, which also pays property bills on their due date, splits payments between co-owners, and gives you a portal showing rent, statements, invoices, inspection reports, and documents at any hour. What do inspection reports look like? Ask to see a sample, and expect photographs. What is the arrears policy? The right answer is zero tolerance, applied from day one. And if the property is an apartment, villa, or townhouse, does the agency actually understand strata, who maintains what, and how by-laws bear on a tenancy? Ours does, because strata is what the sales side of KPR does all day.

The first year costs less, too

Owners who switch to KPR Property Management pay a reduced management fee and reduced routine inspection rate for their first 12 months. The current numbers, and the full detail of the offer, are on our switching page.

Start the conversation

Call our Senior Property Manager on 08 6385 6800 or email [email protected], and bring your current management agreement if you have it handy. We will tell you honestly whether switching makes sense for your property, and if it does, you will not need to have a single awkward conversation. That part is our job.

This article is general information about residential property management in Western Australia, not legal advice. Management agreements differ, so check the terms of yours before ending an appointment.

By KPR Property Management, 338 Beaufort Street, Perth