WE Love
WHAT WE DO

Property Management

Welcome to
the Wilson way

At Wilson Agents, we believe effective property management is more than simply collecting rent. We are hands-on, proactive, and responsive, to promise you outstanding results that maximise returns. With an enviable track record spanning more than 30 years, we know Melbourne intimately and understand the people that will call your place home. Our team of specialist property managers are reliable, meticulous and provide a superior level of service, so you don't need to sweat the small stuff. We care about our clients and our relationships, and will manage your investment property as if it were our own.

We offer a comprehensive service including:

  1. Marketing
  2. Renter selection
  3. Assessing and receiving rents
  4. Rental Agreement preparation
  5. Property maintenance
  6. Inspections and portfolio advice

Whatever, whenever, wherever

We work hard

We give the
warmest welcomes

No wriggle room, no what-ifs and nothing by the wayside

Who we are

Adam Guest

Managing DIRECTOR

With over 30 years' experience Adam's knowledge in all areas of Real Estate is unsurpassable. Having commenced his career in Property Management, his expertise is as immeasurable in Sales and the Commercial real estate arena. His dedication to ensure the company is at the cutting edge of technology flows through to providing the highest level of service to our clients. Adam is also committed to ensuring that the company infrastructure offers full support to staff, including training and efficient systems across the 2 office network. This provides our clientele with the knowledge and comfort that they are in specialist hands.

Peter Fein

DIRECTOR

Having lived in the Caulfield area all his life Peter's knowledge and appreciation of the local area is second to none and is matched only by his wealth of experience within the industry. His honest approach with both Rental Providers and Vendors leaves no doubt that he has their best interests at the forefront along with his expertise, allowing him to build long term relationships with his clients and peers.

Roula Bekai

DEPARTMENT MANAGER

Good old fashioned customer service, being professional and honest advice are the hallmarks of a good agent. Sometimes, getting back to basics is all it takes. With 17 years' experience in the industry and as a licensed estate agent, I'm a believer that people don't necessarily remember the words you use, but how you make them feel. And they deserve a property management team that takes the utmost care with their most valuable asset.

When first
impressions count

It's no secret that preparing your property for renters is one of the most crucial steps in the leasing process. An immaculately presented home will help increase your rental yield and keep renters for longer (meaning fewer vacancy days). Beautiful imagery will allow your property to stand out and attract top quality renters, while keeping the property clean and tidy will ensure you create the right first impression during inspections.

Presentation tip:

  • Tidy up any garden areas
  • Clean the windows
  • Paint the exterior where required
  • Pressure clean all paths and paved areas
  • Repair leaking taps
  • Fix all doors to ensure ease of use and adequate security
  • Repair and paint gutters
  • Fly screens on all windows
  • Service all electrical and gas appliances regularly
  • Ensure all light fittings work
  • If painting internally, paint all walls in a room (keep the colours light and neutral)
  • Clean curtain and carpets on a regular basis
  • Use air fresheners
  • We will provide a detailed report on all aspects of presenting your property to ensure that you maximise its rental return.

Well presented,
well promoted

At Wilson, we understand that promoting a rental property correctly is key to successfully leasing it. We have built a trusted and established brand, with an extensive network including relocation companies seeking accommodation for interstate and overseas executives. With a deep understanding of the property market and the neighbourhoods that we operate, we are able to generate more leads and encourage applications that are best suited to your property. Our prominent office locations receive a high proportion of walk-in enquiries, while window displays, and eye-catching lease boards further enhance our exposure.

Word's out:
Marketing your property

Showcasing your property in the best light comes naturally to us at Wilson. We'll work hand-in-hand with you to develop a professional marketing campaign that maximises engagement and leverages local agent knowledge to get the best outcome.

We promote our listings across the most highly visited outlets:

We will manage the entire marketing campaign from beginning to end, including leasing boards, daily rent lists, print media and window displays.

This ensures we obtain the best possible market rent for your home. Our local knowledge and our passion for real estate combined will provide you, the rental provider, peace of mind when entrusting your most valuable asset to us.

Winning
Process

Renter Selection

When it comes to renting out your property, we don't take risks. Our years of experience have allowed us to develop a thorough vetting process to find the right person or people. We understand this is the most significant step in the leasing journey and as such, we take the extra time to do as much fact-finding as possible, including: checking of employment, past rental history, current rental history, and general references. We also have access to the National Tenancy Database (NTD), which details whether applicants have been recommended by another agent or alternatively, left a debt. The final decision is exclusively yours and we arm you with all the information needed to make the best decision for your property.

Rental Agreement

We prepare all documentation in accordance with the requirements of the Residential Tenancy Act 1997. This includes the ingoing condition report, statement of rights and duties, RTBA (Residential Tenancies Bond Authority) and all other relevant general tenancy information.

Condition Report

We take care in the preparation of the written condition report so that we avoid any problems at the end of the tenancy. We are able to also include photography to corroborate the written report.

We love
what we do

Wilson's team of expert property managers will go above and beyond at every stage of the journey. By ensuring a single point of contact, we guarantee efficient, regular communication that keeps you informed. Supported by our wider management team and administration staff, property managers are able to focus on the important things: your property. We stay on top of our game through frequent training and professional development, keeping well versed in current laws and regulations that will affect you and your renters. We are passionate at what we do and believe in nurturing our relationships to give you complete peace of mind, always.

What  you
need to know

Day-to-day we care for every aspect of your investment property – from rental payments to routine inspections and maintenance.

Maintenance

Maintenance is a very important factor when you own an investment property.

Under the provisions of the RTA 1997, the renter without referring to the rental provider/agent may carry out certain ‘urgent repairs' up to the value of $2,500 + GST

So what is considered on emergency/urgent repair?

  • Burst hot water unit
  • Blocked or broken toilet system
  • Serious roof leak
  • Gas leak
  • Dangerous electrical fault
  • Flooding or serious flood damage
  • Serious storm or fire damage
  • Failure or break down of any essential service
  • Failure or break down of the gas, electrical or water supply
  • Any fault or damage in the premises that make the premises unsafe or insecure
  • An appliance, fitting or fixture which is not working properly and causes a substantial amount of water to be wasted
  • A serious fault in a lift or staircase in the rented premise
  • Faulty or non-operational smoke alarms
  • The property does not meet the minimum standards
  • A cooling appliance or service provided by the rental provider is not working

See the consumer affairs website for more detail

We recommend that our clients supply us the authority to attend to repairs up to $500 + GST. This allows us to deal with renter requests without delay, protecting the property, the owner and the renter thus reducing the chance of a compensation claim against you the rental provider. This is so important as it may not always be possible to make contact immediately.

At Wilson Agents we have a dedicated maintenance manager and a team of local trades people who can respond swiftly and professionally. When maintenance is required, we will provide you with several competitive quotes and can supervise the works on your behalf.

All repairs carried out on your behalf are paid for from the rent monies held in trust. Full details of repairs are printed on your monthly rent statements with a copy of the relevant invoices attached for your reference.

What  you
need to know

Essential Servicing

Electrical safety rental minimum standard

Rental providers will be responsible for ensuring that their rental properties comply with the electrical safety rental minimum standard that comes into effect from 29 March 2023.

The electrical safety standard requires that rental properties must have modern style switchboards, with circuit breakers and electrical safety switches installed. Electrical safety switches are correctly known as residual current devices (RCD, RCCB or RCBO).

If you are a rental provider and unsure about whether a property complies with the standard you should engage a licensed or registered electrician to check, and to upgrade your property as required.

The standard applies to rental agreements that:

  • started after 29 March 2021
  • started before 29 March 2021 and rolled over into periodic agreements on or after 29 March 2021.

If a new rental agreement is entered into after 29 March 2021 but before 29 March 2023, the rental provider has until 29 March 2023 to meet the standard even if a renter moves in before that date. If necessary, the renter can also request an urgent repair after 29 March 2023 to enforce compliance with the standard.

Engage an electrician early as demand for electricians' services is likely to be high.

You are entitled to ask the electrician questions to help you understand what work is required to meet the rental standard and to ask for a second opinion if you are unsure.

Under electrical services regulations, after completing any work the electrician must issue a safety compliance certificate confirming that the work was conducted in accordance with relevant safety laws.

Advice from Energy Safe Victoria

Energy Safe Victoria advises that electrical workers upgrading rental properties must ensure switchboards are not energised before the work is inspected by a licensed electrical inspector.

What  you
need to know

Essential Servicing

Gas safety checks

Rental providers are reminded that gas safety checks, by a licensed or registered gasfitter who is endorsed to service Type A gas appliances, must be conducted every two years.

Gas safety checks apply to rental agreements that started after 29 March 2021 or fixed term agreements of more than five years which rolled over into a periodic agreement after 29 March 2021.

From 1 June 2022, the Gas Safety (Gas Installation) Regulations 2018 have prescribed Australian Standard AS4575 as the consistent servicing standard for all Type A gas appliances serviced across public, owner occupied and rental properties. Type A gas appliances are generally domestic gas appliances.

This means that:

  • when conducting a ‘gas safety check', gasfitters must ensure that they service all Type A gas appliances at the rented premises in accordance with Australian Standard AS4575, and
  • a record of the ‘gas safety check' must include a copy of the record of work created by the gasfitter and given to the rental provider for each Type A gas appliance serviced at the rented premises.

What  you
need to know

Essential Servicing

Curtain and blind cords – make your rental property safe

Curtain and blind cords can strangle children. Are those in the properties you own or manage safe?

Children can climb onto windowsills or furniture to reach loose cords. Tragically, unsecured cords claim the lives of one or two Australian children every year.

To make loose curtain and blind cords safe, order a free curtain and blind cord safety kit from Consumer Affairs Victoria. You can also buy kits from hardware stores and other retail outlets.

The safety kit contains a device that tensions looped cords to a window frame, so they are no longer loose, reducing the likelihood of strangulation.

Renters don't need your permission to install safety kits. It's a good idea to provide them.

Checking curtain and blind cord safety

Fittings installed since 2010 have been required to meet mandatory safety standards, including tension devices that enclose cords and chain loops, making it very difficult for a child to get tangled. It's particularly important to check older curtains and blinds in your properties.

When you're buying new curtains or blinds, ensure they have safety design features which enable long cords to be secured.

If you pay to have new curtains or blinds with cords installed, the installer must attach a label to it with their name and details. The label must not be removed.

What  you
need to know

Insurance – Are you protected?

At Wilson, we understand how crucial it is for our clients to have adequate insurance for their investment properties. An investment property is a major asset and knowing you are covered for any possible situation will give you peace of mind. While your choice of insurer is up to you, we have taken the time to thoroughly research policies and insurance companies that can offer our clients adequate cover at a competitive price. We can organise to have the annual premium cost deducted from your rental statement directly, leaving you one less thing to think about.

Here are a few things to ensure are included in your insurance cover:

  • Full Building Cover - to the value of the property
  • Contents Insurance - to cover flooring, window furnishings, light fittings and appliances
  • External Public Liability - around the exterior of the property
  • Internal Public Liability - to cover the interior of the property
  • Landlord Cover - loss of rent and malicious damage, legal costs

Did you know that most General Building and Owner Corporation (Strata) insurance does not cover you for the following:

  • Contents (Floor coverings, blinds, internal walls, appliances)
  • Internal Public Liability (Owner Corporation policies only cover the external of the property)
  • Rent Loss
  • Malicious Damage
  • Deliberate Damage
  • Legal costs

What  you
need to know

Accounting

Our dedicated Trust Account Manager will distribute funds efficiently, reliably and in line with legislative requirements. As soon as the rent money is cleared, funds statements are produced and the money is released to you.

There are legislative requirements in the handling of Trust Monies and we ensure they are carried out for you. You have a number of choices in regard to the disbursement of your funds:

  • We can bank directly into your specified bank account and either post a statement to you or email it to you

  • We can send a cheque and statement to you.

  • We can prepare multiple statements and pay accordingly to partners.

  • We prepare and forward you a detailed monthly rent statement for your property

Banking of your rental income directly into your nominated bank account is the safest and quickest way to receive funds.

Outgoing payments and financial statements

We can manage outgoing payments for your property with collected rent, including council rates, water rates, insurance, repairs and body corporate fees. You will be provided with an annual financial statement of income and expenditure for the previous financial year to prepare your annual tax return.

What  you
need to know

Late payment of rent

We have a very strict policy on rent arrears. The vast majority of renters pay their rent on or before the due date. However, there are occasions when this does not occur and our actions at this time are as follows:

  • 3 days SMS, Email reminder, Phone Call
  • 7 days SMS, Email, Phone Call along with a reminder notice forwarded to the renter
  • 17 days A Notice to Vacate for Possession and Rent Arrears is served
  • 5 days SMS, Email reminder, Phone Call and reminder notice automatically forwarded to the renter
  • 10 days Renter is notified that if the rent is not received within 4 days a Notice to Vacate will be served and an application made to VCAT for a possession order

These actions are carried out automatically and are done to minimize the possibility of a loss of rent that could eventuate. In accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 no formal action for recovery of outstanding rent can be undertaken until the tenant is 14 days overdue with a rental payment.

Disputes with Renters

While in our experience these are rare, we believe disputes with renters should be reconciled with professionalism and expediency. Our team of property managers will act as a mediator between the renter and rental provider to try and reach an agreement in the early stages of the dispute. If necessary, we can represent you at VCAT (Victorian Civil & Administrative Tribunal) hearings and prepare a case from start to finish on your behalf.