In return, property management companies charge a fee, usually between 7% and 12% of your rental income – with Harper Properties, it’s 8.5%.

We find that landlords who try to manage their properties themselves quickly realise it’s a huge job demanding a ton of experience. Novice approaches can quickly create tricky situations like late rent and disputes.

An experienced company will have robust processes that improve the experience for landlords and tenants, preventing issues from happening in the first place.

The best property managers take a “relationship-first” approach that protects you and your property while ensuring tenants get a fair, transparent experience.

What property managers do, in detail:

• Tenant Management
• Rent Collection and Financial Reporting
• Maintenance and Repairs
• Inspections
• Advertising to Potential Tenants
• Regulatory Compliance
• Dispute Resolution
• Need A Relationship-First Property Manager?

Tenant Management

Property managers get your property rented as quickly as possible. But this matchmaking takes great care, and what differentiates good from great property managers is a thorough tenant vetting process.

This should involve:

• Checking credit history, legal records, social media, and employment history
• Following up on an applicant’s references to gauge character and reliability
• Responding to prospective tenants’ queries quickly (and warmly!)

This is where robust software and a relationship-first approach make a big difference in helping you find great tenants for your property. Tenancy evaluation tools enable property managers to assess more applicants faster and with greater accuracy.

“From the very beginning, Ashleigh made our application process incredibly easy. Her professionalism and efficiency were evident throughout, and she truly went above and beyond to ensure we found a wonderful home. Ashleigh’s dedication and excellent communication made the entire process smooth and stress-free.” – Sulara Perera

Once your properties are rented, it’s the property manager’s job to be the key contact for tenants.

To do this well, property managers are experts at relationship-building, understand tenancy law inside and out, and can strike the perfect balance of making tenants feel cared for while protecting your investment.

Rent Collection and Financial Reporting

Property managers collect the rent, ensure it’s paid on time, and safeguard your money in an audited trust account.

While strong tenant vetting should prevent late payments from happening, an experienced property manager advocates for landlords by following a zero-tolerance policy to arrears.

An experienced property manager will know how to handle this quickly and fairly, escalating appropriately and enforcing the tenancy contract.

As a landlord, having a third-party advocate for you in these situations saves the headaches and potential pitfalls of communicating directly with the tenant.

Financial reporting is another crucial aspect of property management.

The best property managers are driven by your success and will use their experience, local knowledge, and access to rental market data to formulate proactive strategies to boost property value and increase rental income.

Wondering what your Auckland property could rent for? Get a free rental appraisal.

Rental Property Maintenance and Repairs

With regular, thorough inspections, a good property manager can spot minor damage or required repairs before they become major problems, avoiding any nasty surprises for landlords.

They’ll have a network of reliable tradespeople to contact when maintenance or repairs are required, and present you with cost-effective options so you can make an informed decision.

Of course, sometimes emergencies happen that require an immediate response – you don’t want your tenants to be left without power or an important appliance.

This is where a great property manager really shines:

“Harper Properties have responded on a number of occasions to one-off emergencies from the tenants and resolved issues like the leaking roof which caused a power short in the middle of the night and they have also facilitated several large projects like re-roofing the house.” – Craig Harper

At Harper Properties, we use advanced software to enable tenants to immediately report an issue for quick repair – check out our maintenance request chatbot.

Keep in mind that some Auckland property management companies charge extra maintenance fees – but Harper Properties doesn’t.

For major repairs and renovation work, the best property managers will present your options in the context of how a renovation can increase your property value.

We facilitated major upgrades for a client’s property in Manurewa to make it Healthy Homes compliant. We were able to relist it for +$150 more per week, adding considerable value for the homeowner and providing tenants with a warm, modern home they were happy to rent.

Inspections

Property managers will complete routine inspections every three months, and at the end of a tenancy to ensure your property is in immaculate condition between tenancies and meet insurance requirements.

Experienced property managers will have a trained eye, noticing little problems before they escalate into expensive repairs.

With larger portfolios, it can be difficult to track when inspections are happening, the results of inspections, and required repairs across different properties.

This is where property management software tools are a huge advantage:

For $45 per inspection, Harper Properties clients can access our in-depth inspection reports from each of their properties, including:

• Each property that’s being managed
• Overall condition assessment
• Photos with detailed comments on what repairs or improvements are needed
• Sign-off from tenants

Inspections can be stressful for tenants. Great property managers will use this as an important opportunity to nurture this relationship by providing plenty of notice, transparency, and flexibility around understandable scenarios requiring a rescheduled inspection.

Advertising to Potential Tenants

Advertising a rental property is a time-consuming process that requires accuracy, marketing knowledge, access to large tenant pools, and the ability to reply quickly to dozens of prospective tenants.

The way your properties are marketed play a huge role in attracting the right tenants. Having a local Auckland property manager is a real advantage, because they’ll have a sound awareness of what features and amenities to emphasise based on what the rental market is looking for.

A lot goes into the standard of Auckland rental properties that Harper Properties advertise on TradeMe, including:

• Home styling
• Photography and videography
• Accurate description of amenities, school zoning, chattels
• Providing up to date viewing availability and/or links to book viewings
• Fast, warm responses to prospective tenants

Some firms will charge for this, but others (like Harper Properties) will include property advertising within their service fees.

Regulatory Compliance

From the Residential Tenancies Act to the Healthy Homes Standards, rental property laws have evolved significantly over the last few years – and they’re far from straightforward.

Regulations that apply to some properties don’t apply to others, and it takes experience to know exactly what your home needs to be compliant and attractive to prospective tenants.

Having a property manager takes the pressure and complexity of compliance off your plate. Property managers will ensure your rental property ticks all the boxes, and give cost-effective advice on how to get it up to standard if something’s missing.

Good communication around regulations is essential for a good property manager. They should be able to explain this clearly and concisely, providing details on how much getting compliant might cost, and how it will affect your rental investment goals.

Dispute Resolution

The unfortunate reality is that, sometimes, tenant disputes are avoidable.

Miscommunications can quickly escalate into a nightmare for landlords and tenants – we strongly recommend that you don’t attempt conflict resolution without expert guidance from a property manager.

An experienced property manager will have been through this process many times before, and been successful. With effective conflict resolution and mediation skills, their first priority will be to resolve issues with tenants as quickly and take a solutions-first approach that satisfies both parties.

However, if it comes to that, a property manager will be prepared with the documentation and approach to support your case at the Tenancy Tribunal.

Need A Relationship-First Property Manager?

Landlords (and tenants) love Harper Properties for our competitive rates, no hidden fees, and genuine care for tenants, landlords, and properties.

Our local, “relationship-first” approach to managing property will save you the headaches and help you to reach your investment goals – whether that’s building your real estate portfolio or simply turning a property into a passive income.

Request a free rental appraisal, send us an email auckland@harperproperties.co.nz, or call us at 09 361 2810.

Companies who manage properties, like us at Harper Properties, can be a significant help to property owners who want to be successful and respected. If you have ever looked for help with your management duties, then you have probably heard of property managers before. 

However, you may have wondered, ‘what exactly will a property manager do for me if I choose to hire them?’ In this article, we will help you to understand just how much a fantastic property management company can help you thrive.

What Will A Property Manager Do For Me?

In general, property managers will help you with everything there is to do with managing your properties.

Although, specific duties and tasks may differ depending on individual managers or companies. So, before you actually hire anyone, it would be best if you got into contact with them and asked them about what they are prepared to do for you. 
When you work with an experienced property manager, they will be able to help you in the following ways and more:

They Will Prepare Vacant Properties For New Tenants. Whenever one of your properties is vacant, you are losing money. So, to really maximise profits and attract new tenants, a great property management company will help you prepare vacant properties to make them more appealing to possible tenants. 

Preparing a unit for new tenants can include tasks as simple as cleaning up the place to more complicated jobs like renovating and conducting maintenance. If there’s anything that can help your site look more appealing to renters, your experienced property manager will help you do it. 

They Will Help You Determine A Good Rent Price. At times, determining a reasonable rent price can be very difficult. Not only do you need to think about what would be appealing to renters, but you also need to keep in mind that your rent price should be profitable to you as well. In addition, you also need to think about the prices of other properties in your area, if there have been any fluctuations in the market, what kind of amenities your property has and more. 

By taking all of these crucial factors into account, an incredible property management company will be able to help you set a rent price that is perfect for your property. This way, you can make sure your tenants are comfortable while you see a good profit and stay successful. 

They Will Screen And Vet Prospective Tenants. When finding new tenants, it’s not enough to just find people that will pay the rent on time; it’s also crucial that you find tenants who will be responsible and respectful with your property. A problem tenant may give you trouble for years, whereas a good tenant could be a delightful acquaintance who takes care of the property and pays their rent on time. 

A skilled property manager will screen and thoroughly check any people who wish to rent out your property. This way, they can find the best possible people for your property.

How Much Will I Be Involved When I Hire A Property Manager?

With all of the help that a good property manager will offer, you may wonder, ‘with them doing all of this work, how much will I be involved?’ Here at Harper Properties, we want you to be as comfortable as possible. So, no matter what your style of property management is, we would like to encourage you to work as you like.

For example, if you are a property owner who enjoys being involved in your work, we would be thrilled to work alongside you rather than take over for you. But, conversely, if you would like to be more hands-off and let us take the reins, we will be happy to help out.

Where Can I Find Fantastic Property Managers In New Zealand?

Are you looking for some assistance with managing your properties? For one of Auckland’s leading independent property management companies, you can contact us at Harper Properties.

We are passionate about helping New Zealand property owners, and we would love to help you be as successful as you can be.

If you would like to speak to our friendly team about your property, you can reach out to us through website or give us a call at  09 361 2810.

Manage your property like a pro with help from our team at Harper Properties! 

Taking care of maintenance, finding and vetting new tenants and then making sure those tenants are happy can be a lot of work.

But, when you’re tired of taking care of all of these details on your own, a good property manager can really be a lifesaver. 

By hiring and working with a helpful property manager, you can find yourself with a lot more free time and a lot less frustrating stress. This can be especially true if you manage multiple properties or if you are simply tired of keeping track of everything all by yourself. 

So, what exactly can property managers do for you, and are there any advantages and disadvantages that you should know about?

What Can A Property Manager Do For Me?

Property managers do what their title implies – they help you with everything to do with property management. This can include everything from taking care of minor maintenance tasks to finding and vetting potential new tenants. 

Managing and taking care of properties where tenants live can be a lot more work than most people think, so having someone to take the workload off your shoulders can be a huge help.

A good property managing company will be able to help you with factors like rent pricing, rent collecting, tenant screening, general maintenance, advertising and more.

The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Hiring A Property Manager

Clearly, a great property manager can be a huge help. Although, like any other professional service, hiring someone for property management has both advantages and disadvantages.

The Advantages Of Property Managers

You Will Work With Someone Who Has Experience. By choosing to work with a professional, you are choosing to work with someone who has all the correct knowledge. When you hire experienced property managers, like our team at Harper Properties, you can rest easy knowing that your properties are in the hands of people who know exactly what they are doing.

With our help, your properties will be well taken care of. Furthermore, if any issues arise, we will know exactly how to remedy them. 

Your Properties Will Have Less Tenant Turnover. Whenever your properties are empty, you are losing money. A vacant property means that it isn’t generating any revenue for you, yet it still needs to be maintained.

However, with the help of an intelligent property management company, you will experience much less tenant turnover.

This is because property managers know how to advertise your spaces to draw the attention of new tenants, examine new tenants to only find the best ones and then keep your tenants happy once they have moved in.

You Will Have A Lot More Time For Yourself. One of the best advantages of hiring a property manager is that you will be able to enjoy a lot more free time. Instead of stressing over little things, you can trust your manager.

This can do wonders for your mental health and stress levels and give you more time to focus on other things that are special to you.

The Disadvantages Of Property Managers

They Will Cost Money. Naturally, you will need to pay your selected property management company.

Even though their services are very helpful, some people may be deterred by their payment. However, it would be best to keep in mind that property managers can save you money by keeping tenants happy and having properties stay vacant for shorter amounts of time. 

At Harper Properties, we tend to get our clients better rent returns because we know the market rent due to the volume of rentals we manage. So, often our fees are covered by the increase we are likely to get.

You Might Not Be As Involved. Some landlords prefer to be more involved in their properties, taking care of tenants and maintenance themselves.

However, if you are the kind of property owner who wants to make every little decision, you might have issues with a property manager taking care of things for you.

Although, while this disadvantage is true for many property management companies, here at Harper Properties we encourage our clients to be as involved as they like. So, if you are a landlord who prefers to be hands-on, we will help you by working as an adviser. 

No matter what your style of managing is, we will assist you as best as we can to help you get the most out of your property.

Where Can I Find Reliable Property Managers In New Zealand?

Are you looking for experienced and friendly property managers to help you out? Here at Harper Properties, we are proud to help New Zealand landowners take care of their properties.

Our team understands that your property is very important to you, and we are confident that you will be satisfied with our services. 

If you would like to speak to our friendly team about what we can do for your properties, please feel free to get in touch with us through our website or by giving us a call at 09 361 2810. We are one of Auckland’s leading independent property management companies, and we’d be thrilled to help you out!

Take care of your properties properly with help from Harper Properties.