Information for landlords
Whether you are buying your first investment property, switching agents or have managed your own rental for years, this is what you need to know about renting out a property in Townsville.
Switching property managers
Owners usually move to us because they want quicker answers, clearer reporting or a more hands-on approach. Changing agents is less work than most people expect, and your tenant stays in place.
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Talk to us
Tell us about the property, the current tenancy and what is not working for you. There is no obligation.
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Check your current agreement
A Queensland property management appointment (PO Form 6) can usually be ended with 30 days' written notice, or sooner if both sides agree. We can help you check yours.
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Sign with us and give notice
Once you sign our management agreement, you give written notice to your current agent. We can prepare the letter for you.
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Handover
We collect the keys, lease, entry condition report and records from your old agent, lodge the RTA change of manager form (Form 5), and give the tenant our contact and payment details. The tenant and their lease stay as they are.
The bond stays lodged with the Residential Tenancies Authority throughout. Only the managing agent changes. Read our step-by-step guide to switching.
Getting a good return, within the rules
The best return usually comes from a realistic rent, a short vacancy and a tenant who stays. A rent that is too ambitious can cost more in empty weeks than it earns. When a lease comes up for renewal, we look at the local market, competing listings and any improvements you have made, and recommend whether to review the rent or keep a reliable tenant at the current amount.
Queensland rules on rent increases changed in 2024:
- Rent can be increased only once every 12 months. Since 6 June 2024, that limit applies to the property, not the tenancy, so it carries over even when the tenant, owner or agent changes.
- The tenant must get at least two months' written notice of an increase.
- During a fixed-term lease, rent can only be increased if the agreement allows it.
- Rent bidding is banned. A property must be advertised at a fixed rent, and we can't invite or accept offers above it.
Our plain-English guide to Queensland rental laws · RTA guide to rent
Landlord insurance in North Queensland
We strongly recommend landlord insurance on every property we manage. Standard home and contents cover usually doesn't include tenant-related risks. Things to look at with your insurer or broker include:
- Loss of rent if a tenant stops paying or the home becomes unliveable
- Malicious or accidental damage by tenants or their visitors
- Public liability if someone is injured at the property
- Cover for any furnishings or contents you own
- Cyclone, storm surge and flood cover, which matters in Townsville. Check exactly what is included and what excess applies, as policies differ a lot.
We are not insurance advisers, so please get advice from a qualified provider or broker. If you need to make a claim, we will help with reports, photos and paperwork. Mediation and QCAT costs are often claimable too.
Your obligations as a landlord
These are legal requirements, not optional extras. Managing them is part of our service.
Minimum housing standards
Every Queensland rental must meet the minimum housing standards: weatherproof and structurally sound, in good repair, with working locks, plumbing, drainage and privacy coverings, and free of vermin, damp and mould caused by the building.
Smoke alarms
Rental properties need interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms in the locations the law requires, tested and cleaned within 30 days before each new tenancy starts or is renewed. We arrange compliance checks through specialist providers.
Pool safety
A property with a pool or spa needs a compliant barrier and a current pool safety certificate before a new lease is signed.
Water charging
You can only pass water consumption charges on to a tenant if the property is individually metered and meets the water-efficiency requirements, and the lease allows it.
You also remain responsible for council rates, land tax, body corporate levies and water service charges. We can pay these from your rent if you like.
Pets
Queensland tenants can ask to keep a pet, and a request can only be refused on the reasonable grounds set out in the law. It must be answered in writing within 14 days. Pet bonds are not allowed, but reasonable conditions can be agreed, such as professional pest treatment at the end of the lease. Pet-friendly homes often attract more applicants, and tenants with pets tend to stay longer. We will talk you through the options.
Thinking of selling?
If your property is tenanted, the type of lease affects your options. A buyer has to honour a fixed-term lease, while a periodic tenancy needs the proper notice period for vacant possession. Our property managers work alongside the Lynham & Co. sales team, so we can plan the timing with you.
Ready to talk about your property?
Get a rental appraisal and a fee quote, with no obligation.