**→ How do I contact my Property Manager? **

You can reach our team on 03 6311 1865. Please understand that often we are on the road or may be unavailable as we are meeting with our Clients or Customers at the time you phone. To ensure all of our valued Clients and Customers the same courtesy of our full attention when we are with them, you may need to leave a detailed message for a return call. We aim to return all calls within 24 hours – your calls are important to us.

Alternatively, you can email the team on: sparkproperty@email.propertyme.com. We regularly check our emails while we are on the road and can often provide a quick response to your queries where applicable.

We now have a new office based in St John Street (by appointment only), but are always happy to meet with you for a coffee!

You can be assured that our team are updated and on the same page and can offer assistance at any time with your management needs.

**→ What is the process if maintenance is reported? **

We will discuss an expenditure limit with you at the time you commence with Spark Property. We recommend a pre-approved limit of $300-$500 which will allow us to address any minor required repairs without approval. We will always advise you of the maintenance that has been arranged via email or phone, this just gives us a little bit of flexibility and avoids us needing to call you for every minor repair that arises.

Alternatively, you can choose to be contacted before maintenance is actioned, though please note that if the repair is considered an emergency or urgent, we will proceed in arranging the necessary repairs in accordance with the Residential Tenancy Act and your signed management agreement. We encourage you to list an emergency contact with our office, so we can make every attempt to contact you in an urgent situation.

Please understand that Spark Property Management have a strict maintenance policy in accordance with the requirements under the Act, which ensures that we have the best risk management in place for both our Clients and our Agency. If our Clients are failing to meet their obligations under the Residential Tenancy Act, Spark Property Management reserves the right to terminate the management immediately. We will always be in contact with you to ensure you are fully informed of the requirements and support you throughout this process wherever possible.

**→ How often are routine inspections completed? **

The first routine inspection is completed in the first 6-8 weeks of the Tenancy, so we can see how your new Tenant is settling in. Inspections are then completed 3-4 monthly thereafter with a thorough report provided to you via your owner portal and email.

Under the Residential Tenancy Act, routine inspections cannot be carried out more than once every 3 months (unless the tenant agrees in writing), including once in the first month. It is important to advise our office if you are planning on attending an inspection as we will need to provide the adequate notice and ensure that we are adhering to the required 3 months between each inspection.

**→ What is your arrears policy? **

We take all arrears very seriously. We contact the Tenants with a friendly reminder at days 1 and 2 via phone and SMS, followed by a reminder in writing at days 3 and 4, if rent remains unpaid a breach notice is issued at day 5. Failure to pay by day 7 will result in consultation with our Clients and a Notice to Vacate for Rent arrears to be issued.

→ Can I claim water usage reimbursement from the Tenants?

Yes, you can. We recommend our Clients pay the bill in full first to avoid any late fees (which we will arrange if you elect the option for us to manage your accounts), We then invoice the Tenant for the reimbursement costs of the usage only, to be paid within 14 days to the rental account.

**→ Do I have to have my smoke alarms serviced? **

The safety of our occupants is very important to us. Due to the liability risks of inadequate smoke alarm installation and serving, Spark Property Management have made the decision that we will not manage any property that does not have the smoke alarms professionally installed and annually serviced to ensure safety and compliance.

Our Clients may choose to take part in an annual servicing program through Spark's preferred service provider, or to have the alarms managed by an approved qualified electrician. Please feel welcome to contact us for more information on these services and to discuss your preferences.

**→ Do I have to have Landlord Insurance? **

As part of our role as your managing agent, we want to ensure that your investment is well protected in the worst case situation. We strongly recommend that you have both Building/Contents Insurance and a Landlord Insurance policy in place. Whilst we are not qualified to provide professional and specific advice on individual Insurance requirements, we can get you in touch with the experts to arrange this for you - Just ask.

**→ Can Spark pay my outgoings on my behalf from rental income? **

We can arrange to pay accounts such as your Council Rates, Tas Water, Body Corporate Levies, Land Tax, Insurances and Smoke Alarm Servicing. If maintenance is arranged through our Agency, these accounts will also be paid via the rental account. At the end of financial year, you will receive a statement which makes Tax time a breeze! This service is included in your management fee.

**→ How often is rent paid into my account? **

We have the option for our Client’s to be paid out either fortnightly of a Monday or at the end of the month only (last business day of the month or closest following business day thereafter). We recommend that Client’s choose to be paid out at the end of month if we are paying their outgoings for them. This ensures that we have enough time to collect the required funds for these bills and avoids us having to contact you for additional funds.

**→ What notice periods are required for a Notice to Vacate? **

There are differing notice periods pending the reason that a notice is being issued. Given the current changing Climate with Covid-19, we recommend our Client’s contact us for advice on 0439 040 401 or review the CBOS website for up-to-date information on the required notice.

**→ Can I sell my property with a current lease in place? **

An Owner may sell the property at any stage with a current lease in place, though we highly recommend you contact your Property Manager before making any decisions to list the property on the sales market. A lease agreement will always transfer with a sale, so it is important that you are aware of the terms of the lease and that the Tenants are appropriately notified of the change in circumstance. Often selling with a tenancy in place can also limit your market, as a purchaser wanting to occupy the home will need to see out the remaining terms of the agreement. There are many factors to consider when looking to sell a tenanted property, so please ensure you are communicating with our office if this is something you are considering, to discuss the best course of action.

**→ Do you conduct private inspections or open homes? **

We offer set inspection times online allowing prospective Tenants to register, this ensures we have their details listed in advance for security and Covid-19 compliance. This is an easy booking process and it allows us to promptly follow up and send online application forms on the spot. We are agreeable to conducting open homes in consultation with our Clients on a case by case basis. Often we find we have the best results with Tenant selection when we have the chance to pre-qualify them and spend some time with them at the home. We also try to accommodate prospective Tenants where we can, as we know that sometimes certain viewing times won't work for everyone. If we feel the person may be a good fit for your home, we will certainly arrange a private inspection to get the job done.

**→ How do I ensure I am getting the most from my investment? **

At Spark, we will speak with you about some of the things we can do, to ensure you are getting the most from your investment. These areas can include a mortgage health check, tax depreciation schedules, insurance audits and rent reviews.

We also discuss with you a proactive maintenance schedule for items such as wood heaters, heat pumps, gutters and gas appliances. A common saying in our Industry is that overall, a good Property Manager should cost you nothing - that's because we work hard to make sure you are getting as much back into your pocket as possible, while caring for one of your biggest assets.

**→ How do I access my Owner Portal? **

You can sign into your Owner Portal. If you are having trouble accessing this, please contact Caitlin on 0439 040 401 and we can talk you through it. The portal is a great tool to gain access to your property information and to track and report maintenance.

**→ What happens if I want to terminate the management with Spark? **

We always aim to deliver the best possible service to our Clients and if you feel that we are not living up to this expectation, we encourage you to contact us to provide this feedback and to discuss how we can improve on our service to you. Sometimes you may be looking to terminate as you have had to sell the property or have had a change in circumstance.

In most situations we require 30 days’ notice in writing to ensure we can appropriately prepare the file for transfer.