Holiday Tips for Tenants: Celebrate safely this festive season! The holiday season is a time for celebration, relaxation, and connecting with loved ones. But as a tenant, it’s important to balance the festivities with your responsibilities as a renter. Here are some practical tips from Blackbird and Finch to help you enjoy the season while …

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Selling Properties with Tenants: What Investors Should Know Are you an investor thinking about selling a property with tenants on a lease? It’s definitely possible and, in some cases, can even be an advantage. However, there are a few key factors to consider that can help you get the best outcome—whether your buyer is an …

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How to rent to family or friends and not start a food fight Renting to family members can often cause the biggest family disputes. Family barbeques can turn into World War 3 with just a snide comment or overheard word. Somehow the ‘tenant’ is made to feel less of a person than the ‘landlord’ in …

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4 Questions to Help You Pick the Right Property Manager A good property manager plays an important role in the ongoing upkeep of your investment and the day-to-day administration of a rental property. Whether you’re looking to maximise your rental returns or find perfect long-term tenants, a property manager has the expertise you need to …

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Tightening rental demand means more maintenance for owners The rental market in Toowoomba is facing a significant tightening, with demand outstripping supply and driving up rental prices. While this might seem like a win for property owners, it’s important to recognize that with higher rental prices come higher expectations from tenants. The analogy of booking …

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Three common property investing myths busted Property investing can be a great way to build wealth. Not only can you derive income from your properties, but over time, capital growth means you’re holding an asset that will ideally be worth more than you originally paid for it when it comes time to sell. Despite all …

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Capital Gains Tax: Key things you should know as a property investor Just like death and taxes are guaranteed for all humans, capital gains tax (CGT) is typically a guaranteed levy you’ll pay when you sell an investment property. There’s lots to remember about CGT, and making sure you do things the right way starts …

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Five Common Landlord Mistakes to Avoid A lot goes into building and maintaining an investment property portfolio. Whether you have one property or ten, there are common mistakes that you should avoid to give yourself the best chance of success and make sure your properties are properly managed. Keep reading below for five common landlord …

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5 Experts You Need When Investing In Property It takes a village to make sure you’re doing things correctly when it comes to property investing. From legal experts to insurance brokers, there are a few key experts you’ll want in your corner whether you’re in the process of buying a place or looking to protect …

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Land tax is an annual expense you need to factor into your other outgoings as a property investor. It’s calculated based on the value of your land holdings above a specific threshold. Value thresholds and when land tax is calculated are different in each state, so make sure you stay up to date on the …

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As the financial year comes to an end, it’s time to get everything prepared so you can complete your tax return. Taking proactive measures now is essential to ensure a seamless and efficient tax filing process for you and your accountant. By getting organised early, you can minimise administrative challenges and get your tax return …

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As winter approaches, it’s essential to get some key jobs done to ensure your investment property is prepared for the cooler months ahead. The season brings cooler temperatures, increased moisture, and stronger winds, all of which can pose risks to your property. This is also a time when snap temperature changes can cause problems with …

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There are many different factors to consider when setting a budget for maintenance on your investment property. The age of the home will play a large part in this decision. There are a number of formulas for maintenance, the most common is the 1% rule – which is the maintenance budget should be 1% of …

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CHANGING TENANTS DURING A TENANCY One of the most common changes to a lease agreement is the change to the tenants listed on the agreement. When everyone agrees to this change, it can be a simple process however there are some main points to remember. To change co-tenants during a tenancy, you need to: Get …

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MY ELECTRICITY BILL IS OUT OF CONTROL We have had an increase recently of complaints about electricity bills increasing significantly in the past 6 months. Many tenants are checking in with their property managers thinking that there might be something wrong with their power supply or with the hot water system. Ergon Energy are the …

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I’M A GOOD TENANT, WHY IS MY RENT INCREASING? One of the biggest disputes we see as a property manager is over rental increases. We often hear: “I’m a good tenant, I pay rent on time and keep the property clean – why are they increasing the rent?” Or we hear: “The owners haven’t done …

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WATCH YOUR WATER   Toowoomba Regional Council held their special meeting recently to discuss many fees and charges. These new increases will mostly affect landlords and property owners but the water charges will affect tenants. The new water usage charges are: 1st tier – $3.09,  2nd Tier – $5.25. Now is a great time to …

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3 Tax Tips for End of Financial Year The end of financial year is fast approaching and with that comes a lot of rifling through shoeboxes and urgent calls to the accountant. If tax time makes you hyperventilate or this is the first time you are claiming on expenses for your rental property, we have …

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Is It in Writing?   Communication is the key! I don’t think I said that. That’s not what I said. You didn’t tell me that. These are things you never want to hear when managing a property. These phrases can be the start of some difficult situations and don’t often end well. Communication is something that …

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The Cost of Moving   Moving is super stressful and changing rental properties from one to another can be one of the biggest issues for tenants.  However, sometimes you may not have a choice to move. Perhaps the end of the lease is up and agents/owners have asked you to move. Perhaps the property has …

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Going Potty!     How can you have a garden in a rental property?   Renting a property without any gardens can be hard for the green thumb tenant however there can often be ways to still have your garden and enjoy Spring.       Even if you are not a green thumb, having …

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HOW TO HAVE A SQUEAKY CLEAN TENANT LEDGER!       One of the key factors, when choosing a new tenant for a new rental property, is the tenants rental history. The best way to do this is with a reference from your previous agency which always includes your tenant ledger.     What is …

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Moving Made Easy!   Moving can be one of the most stressful times of your life. It is rated, amongst divorce, job loss and death of a loved one, as being a major trigger for stress and stress related illnesses. Of course, we know that already. We, as property managers, manage people during the moving …

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Adding Value and Increasing Your Return Many investors are often open to increasing the rental return on their investment property – who wouldn’t be? But there are differences in maintaining the rental value or increasing it.  Knowing the difference between these two items can also improve the saleable value of your asset in the future. It …

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An Idea to Help You Recruit Staff!   Finding it hard to recruit employees? Have you considered providing accommodation for your new staff as an incentive to make your business stand out from all of the others?     With many businesses booming post Covid, there are more and more job opportunities available in our …

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An insight into what gutter cleaning entails. Gutter Cleaning helps- PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM WATER DAMAGE Gutters operate by channelling water away from your home as it runs off your roof. When gutters become blocked with debris, water may pool around the base of your home, causing damage. Additionally, clogged gutters might cause roof leaks. …

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An insight into what is external house soft washing     Soft washing is a process in which a combination of non-abrasive, low-pressure water jet and biodegradable chemicals are used. It will help you have a cleaner house or building, while giving you longevity in house and building finishes and reduces bacteria and germs in …

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The Bond Dispute Process   Tenants have vacated, but there are issues. What happens now? All tenants have an obligation to return a property back to the original condition as at the start of the tenancy and outlined in the Entry Condition Report. The only exception is for wear and tear. This is explained in …

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When Damage Occurs at a Rental Property Accidental damage can occur, at any time, to a property.  Intentional or malicious damage (graffiti or smashed walls/windows) is certainly another issue during a tenancy and would be handled differently than accidental damage. Unintentional or accidental damage is the most common and is no way a reflection on …

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Who Pays for Water? You’ve just received the Council water rates and your jaw dropped! Have the tenants been singing in the shower? Or is there a possible water leak? It is reassuring to know that you are able to bill your tenants accordingly for their water usage, if you fit the following criteria.   …

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TOP 7 UNFLUSHABLE TOILET ITEMS     It may seem like common sense to not flush anything down your toilet that is not human waste and toilet paper, but you will be surprised at the things we come across that block our toilets, sewage tanks and pipes. In this article, we will cover the top …

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Should I Sell or Should I Hold?     We are fielding quite a few calls about the sales market and whether or not investors should sell their rental properties now or hold on for further increases. I wish we had a crystal ball prediction for you but this climate is something we have not …

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Needing Support in Natural Disaster? Following the severe flooding in South East Queensland, there are support systems in place to help alleviate any hardship tenants may be experiencing. Please click on the following links the REIQ (Real Estate Institute of Queensland) has provided to find assistance- Residential Tenancy Authority Support- All information and natural disaster …

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MOULD – WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?          Deciding who is responsible for cleaning mould depends on how it appeared in the first place. Generally, if the mould is a result of problems with the property, it is the owner’s responsibility to make any necessary repairs and clean the mould. If the mould is from …

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5 Ways to get a quick bond refund!  Don’t clean the property yourself  This can often be difficult and sometimes costly. But there are many cleaners that will do parts of the cleaning or you can do most of it and ask them to come through and “detail” the property to ensure it is cleaned …

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5 Tips to Pass Your House Inspection       Property Inspections can be a daunting experience, but it is important to remember that agents must complete inspections as part of their obligations to the owners.    Often this is not a pass or fail test but an overview of the property, what maintenance is …

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Why the Tenant Pool Is Now a Lake       The rental market is still very tight with only 234 properties available in Toowoomba (realestate.com.au as at 04/01/2022). Just to give context, generally this figure is more than 1000 at this time of year! So what is causing this irregular market? Well it could …

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Property Register for Domestic Violence Sufferers         Imagine if you could make a positive impact on women experiencing domestic and family violence in your community The Priority Project is a new solution to help women experiencing domestic violence secure housing and avoid homelessness.         How The Priority Project would …

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New Rental Reforms are In!     But the good news is that they are quite minor and won’t impact tenancies as much as the original Greens Bill would have.   We will be working closely with our tenants and landlords to make sure each tenancy is compliant and to ensure everyone is educated on these …

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Stand Out from the Crowd: Tips on Getting your Application Approved     How can you stand out in the multitude of applications received for rental properties at the moment? Toowoomba is experiencing a very high demand of rental properties at present. To give you some context, generally at this time of year there are …

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TIPS TO BRING BACK YOUR LAWN THIS YEAR       Did you know that it is a legal requirement of your lease to ensure you maintain the gardens and lawns to the same condition they were at the start of your tenancy? This can be hard if you are not used to having a …

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Thinking of Selling Your Investment Property? There are several things to consider when selling a tenanted property. With the market quite hot, many investors are considering this option but you do need to weigh up some options before deciding on selling the property and potentially disrupting the tenants. When deciding to sell your investment property …

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Your Insurance Claim Is Settled – but Doesn’t End There!     After you’ve breathed a sigh of relief that your insurance claim has been made and settled, you may wonder what happens next. You see, it is not over for your landlord insurer – and may not be over for you either. “Subrogation” – …

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Changing Rental Agents? 5 Common Questions and Answers           Changing property managers is less painful than you think. In most cases, the transfer can occur within 30 days and have very little impact on your tenants. In this blog, we breakdown the 5 most commonly asked questions when changing agents.    What impact does changing …

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Toowoomba Floods – What Have We Learnt? With the 10 year anniversary of the Toowoomba floods, many tenants and owners are asking “what have we learned?”. From my personal experience of that day- it was scary, unbelievable and something I do not ever want to go through again. But from the whole experience, I learned that it …

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Are you missing the money boat?         Whether you have purchased an established or brand-new investment property, maximising the value from your property is a top priority     What is property depreciation?  Tax depreciation is a tax deduction claimed for the natural wear and tear of an income-producing building and its …

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3 Tips to Help Get Your Pet Approved     Did you know that 61% of households in Australia own a pet according to RSPCA? (updated 6 March 2020) Unfortunately for pet owners that need to rent, their furry, feathered or scaly companions can make it difficult to find a new home when the time …

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5 Maintenance Must Dos for Landlords     Spring-time is a fantastic time of year. Flowers are out in bloom and Toowoomba comes alive for the Carnival of Flowers. With so much happening, it is often forgotten that Spring is the start of the summer storms. Storms can cause a lot of damage, as we …

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Separation or Divorce         Did you know that there are over 40,000 divorces in Australia every year?    Any marriage or couple break up can be a difficult time for everyone involved. This can be even more problematic when there are contracts/leases involved.        One of the most common questions …

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Think you have insurance, think again   Insurance is one of those necessities in life where you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t. We pay premiums for years and never make a claim, but come the time that you do have to make a claim, you can get a nasty surprise …

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6 Reasons Tenants Leave       A vacant property can and does affect not only your cash flow but your yield. A quality property manager and a solid marketing plan can help find a tenant quickly. But often, being aware of why a tenant is leaving can save you the added costs of securing …

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10 Warning Signs It’s Time to Change Property Managers Having an investment property is a great investment and long term financial plan. Ensuring you have a good team assisting with the set up and management of this investment is the key to success. A good financial planner, accountant and property manager are the 3 essential …

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HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ENTRY CONDITION REPORT? Completing a thorough entry condition report may seem like a tedious task, particularly when you are in the middle of moving.  However, this document is one of the most important documents in your tenancy. The Entry Condition Report is the basis of the condition of the property when …

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Sharing a house? – Here are 6 Tips Before Signing a Lease. Agree on everything BEFORE signing the lease. Many tenants decide to share accommodation with a friend or colleague after viewing some properties that are just out of financial reach. Suddenly, the thought that halving the rent with someone could mean you can afford a …

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Environmentally Conscious A world of energy efficient appliances and strategies is here. We need to be more conscious than ever before of saving money and protecting the environment. Not just for ourselves and our own homes, but for our tenants and investment properties. Here are a few tips to help in the home: Switch to …

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Have you ever played Chinese Whispers? One person says a sentence, which is repeated as it passed along the line, eventually coming to the last person. When you compare the first sentence to the last it is always vastly different- but how do people get it wrong?  Misunderstandings, misinterpretations, miscommunication and some details being more …

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  In the property management industry – this can be code for, I forgot the inspection and am covering for the fact that we bought a dog and didn’t ask. Sometimes it might actually be that they have a family member who needed their fur baby sat for a small amount of time. There are often …

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If you’re looking to rent your out your property, professional photos are a small  investment that will pay for themselves many times over. The Three P’s make all the difference in minimising your vacancy period – Position, Price and Presentation. Professional photos are essential for the 3rd ‘P’ – Presentation. Here are nine reasons why …

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