Landlord FAQs: property management in Canberra

Most Canberra agencies charge a management fee as a percentage of the rent they collect, plus separate fees for things such as letting the property, renewing a lease or attending the tribunal. The headline percentage is not the whole cost, so ask any agent for its full fee schedule in writing before you sign. Call Distinct on 02 6140 5900 and we will set out our fees in writing.

Yes. Changing agents does not affect the tenant's lease, which continues on the same terms with the new agent stepping into the management role. You give notice under your current management agreement, and the outgoing agent transfers the ledger, the bond details, the condition report and the keys. The tenancy itself is untouched.

In the ACT, your tenant's bond is held by the ACT Office of Rental Bonds, not by your agent and not in your agent's trust account. An agent must lodge it within 4 weeks of receiving it or of the tenancy starting, whichever is later; a private landlord has 2 weeks. You can ask your agent to confirm the lodgement, and you should.

ACT landlords work under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. In broad terms you must provide the home in a reasonable state of repair, have the bond lodged with the ACT Office of Rental Bonds, give proper notice before entering, and follow the rent increase rules: at least 12 months between increases, 8 weeks' written notice, and the limit set by the ACT prescribed formula unless ACAT approves a higher increase.

There is no legal minimum, which is why it varies so much between agencies. Under the Agents Regulation 2003 (Schedule 8, clause 8.7) your agent must act in your best interest, and you can ask for any advice in writing. Ask any agency who your day-to-day contact will be and how quickly they reply to an owner's email.

Arrears should be followed up straight away, not left to grow. If they are not paid, ACT law sets out the notices a landlord can give and the path to the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT), and your property manager handles each step. Most ACAT applications carry a fee, and you do not need a lawyer.

Landlord insurance is not legally required in the ACT. Policies usually cover loss of rent, malicious damage by tenants and liability, which a bond will not cover at the amounts involved. Ask your insurer what your policy actually includes, because cover varies a great deal.

A property manager runs your investment while you hold it; a sales agent sells it when you decide to. They are different jobs with different incentives, and at most agencies they are different people. At Distinct, property management is the core of the business and our sales team works alongside it, so if you decide to sell, you deal with people who already know the property.

For a landlord, response time matters more than the office address. What you need is a named property manager who answers, inspections done on schedule, and maintenance approved within your limits. Ask any agency who your day-to-day contact will be and how quickly they reply.

Every ACT agent must hold a licence or registration under the Agents Act 2003, and Access Canberra keeps the public register. Search the agency and the property manager by name before you sign. A licensed agent must also hold your rent in a trust account that is audited every year.

Distinct Properties manages rental homes across Canberra and in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, and is licensed in both the ACT and NSW. Our Areas we service page lists the suburbs we manage in.

A rental appraisal is a written estimate of the likely market rent for your home, backed by comparable homes leased nearby. Distinct's rental appraisals are free and carry no obligation.