10 Tips to Maximise Your Rental Income!
In today’s tough market of low rents, it’s more important than ever to get the biggest bang for buck and maximise the return of your assets.
Here’s a list of 10 ways to hopefully stack the odds in your favour!
1. Minor facelift
Rents need to increase to keep up with inflation. If your rent is tracking backwards, it’s because of increasing supply out-pacing demand in your area or most probably lack of investment.
This is a vicious cycle because as your property deteriorates so do the references of your tenants and the trouble really starts.
Cosmetic touches lift rent and equity at the same time.
Paint, carpets, blinds and light fixtures can really transform your property and give you a great boost to cash flow as well as some depreciation benefits too.
2. Longer leases
Wherever possible, the longer commitment of 12-month leases are best to reduce downtime in your cashflow, compared to 6-month leases which may leave you high and dry with vacancy periods.
3. Minimise vacancies
Professional photos advertising your property, feature property status putting them on page 1 of the most dominant portals and showing your property 3 times a week at tenant-friendly times (times when employed people can make it to the inspection) will be a good start.
4. Set a rent at 95% of market rate
This one is a little bit counter-intuitive but it means you will have much better enquiry and therefore a range of tenants to choose from.
It lets you pick the best qualified and they will more than likely stay longer.
If you have only one application did you pick the tenant or did the tenant pick you?
5. Include garden maintenance
This can really solve two problems.
The neglect of the outdoors of your property (remember street appeal counts) and a higher market rent with a tax deductible expense.
6. Consider our furry friends
56% of Australians have pets and 25% are considering getting one in the future – do you really want to exclude that many people? By considering pets in the equation you may have more prospective tenants to choose from.
7. Mod cons
Tenants love them and they can really add value so try and get as many of these in your property.
Things like a dishwasher, air conditioning, built in robes, remote garage access, plenty of storage, security features, outdoor entertaining area like balconies or courtyards, fully fenced properties, two separate living spaces (adults and children’s) and off street parking.
8. A good tenant
Rental properties can be like rental cars in the fact they get driven hard.
A good tenant is worth their weight in gold – keep them, appreciate them and consider rewarding them.
It really is half the battle.
9. Proactive property management
A proactive manager notices a water leak in the bathroom vanity and gets it fixed.
A reactive property manager notices the vanity is water damaged and the door no longer closes and a replacement vanity is ordered.
The difference of being ahead of the curve or behind is huge. See why we’re different at We Love Rentals®.
10. A few don’ts
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Furnish – very niche, very transient tenants more vacancy and more maintenance.
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Short term lets – more vacancy, more costs.
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Rental guarantees – the cost is priced in and you pay for it.
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Price the rent for what you need to pay mortgage – the market decides the appropriate rental – not you.
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Get involved – keep at arm’s length – use a professional Property Manager.
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Self-manage – it’s harder than you think! Good Property Managers make you money.
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Let your leases expire at quiet times of the year like around Xmas time.
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Be the smartest person in the room – take feedback and advice from your trusted team of advisers.
As always, the friendly We Love Rentals® team are here to help, give us a call on 08 6254 6300 if you have any questions about your investment.
Brendan Leahy
I am the licensee of We Love Rentals and provide support to the team whenever needed. I began my real estate career over two decades years ago. While I loved seeing people achieve their dream of a new home for their family, I kept thinking that there had to be a better way of doing real estate – one with respect for the long term benefit of the client and one that focuses on customer satisfaction.
