PM Gems: Stories from the field

Our amazing leasing team recently helped a single mother find her new home after searching for a long time.She was finding it hard to get approved and applied for a one-bedroom property with her and her child. Our investor was so kind to approve her and offered her a reduced rate to help during these testing times. The investor also sent her a welcome hamper.

The tenant has now settled into the home and has already asked about a lease renewal for later in the year, as she is so happy renting with our team. She said it's been a fantastic experience and really makes our work worthwhile.

- Eliza Fisher

We had a tenant left alone, renting a property he couldn't afford as he was going through a separation. He was out of work and very stressed. He called the office and said he had no money for rent or food. We could tell he was very stressed, so we arranged to meet with him to speak about his situation, and we brought some food. Upon visiting, he broke down crying and said he wanted to take his own life. We ended up calling the police, and he got some help. We then worked with him to get assistance through the Department of Housing who started paying part of his rent until he could find a new home. Every week, he was paying the balance, and when he vacated, he did everything to hand over the property correctly and was in a much better position.

- Kayla Johnson

We had a tenant in a property for over 12 years with little to no issues. Then, out of nowhere, he fell into arrears and stopped communicating with us. Unfortunately, with this experience, the owner blamed us as the agents, and it became very hard for us to work with them. The tenant then just picked up and left, or should I say just left, as he left most of his possessions, including his aged car with no battery in the carport.

However, the positive to the story is after going through this experience, we achieved a higher rental return, and we invited the owner to the most recent routine as she was going to be up on the Sunshine Coast. Upon attending, she was very emotional and so happy with the new tenants, and seeing everything the property manager had done, she asked me for a hug. It just shows you that you are rewarded if you keep pushing through the hard times.

- Heidi Williams

In the early days of my role, I was doing everything to impress an investor. But one Saturday, we had to call and tell him that his unit had a major fire on a Friday night. Two victims were in hospital, but the tenant was safe. The unit was at the base of a complex, and the two victims attempted to enter the lift during a fire. We were concerned about how the fire started as the tenant was a smoker and had many belongings. Monday was a huge day. The owner flew up from Sydney, and I met him on-site. The tenant was also made homeless with no belongings and was an older lady. In the office, we made a little hamper as she had no tenant insurance and all belongings were burnt/ deemed toxic and she couldn't retrieve anything. The owner was covered for the damages. The owner, even to this day, is so grateful for how we handled everything. After this event, he is one of my favourite investors as he has complete trust in me and what I do in my role.

- Susan Fisher

Our excellent tenants, unfortunately, had some troubling times over Christmas, with one losing their job and the other not having their regular income. Since Christmas, they have been in breach six times for arrears. They are doing everything they can to keep on track. Unfortunately, the owners were quite tight as well, and the pressure of rent being paid late was affecting them. The owner said if they fall into arrears again, we would have to apply to QCAT to terminate the lease. We contacted the tenant and offered them our contact at the Department of Housing to see if they could help. The tenant has since been approved for a two week rent advancement and a $200 weekly payment to help them get back on track. This will help the tenant but also the investors.

- Danielle Antonello