How to keep your property manager accountable: inspections, statements, arrears and the annual review

To keep your property manager accountable, you need three things in place: expectations written into the agreement, a short list of documents you actually read (inspection reports, monthly statements, the annual summary), and a yearly review where you decide whether they are still earning their fee. Many landlords skip all three. They sign, stop reading the emails and only find out something went wrong when the tenant leaves.

Before managing our own properties, one of our team spent years as a property manager, and the landlords who got the best service were rarely the loudest. They were the ones who set clear expectations at the start, read what they were sent and asked one sharp question when something looked off. Good property managers welcome that.

Keep your property manager accountable from day one

The management agreement is your main lever. Use it to spell out what good service looks like. Consumer Affairs Victoria, for example, says the agreement should state that the property manager will tell you about damage or unpaid rent and how often the property will be inspected. It should also set the maximum amount the property manager can spend on repairs without asking you.

Beyond the agreement, send your property manager a short "how I like to work" email in the first week. Keep it to a page. Include:

• Your preferred contact method and the hours you are reachable.
• Your repair approval limit, and whether you want a second quote above a set amount.
• Any preferred tradespeople, and any you do not want used.
• How quickly you expect to hear about arrears, damage or a tenant giving notice.
• When you want the rent reviewed and what evidence you expect to see.
• Whether you want every inspection report or only a summary.

A property manager with a large portfolio cannot remember every owner's preferences, but they can file a one-page email and follow it.

What a good routine inspection report looks like

Routine inspection reports are your main evidence of the property's condition between tenancies, and they matter if you ever need to claim against the bond.

A good report includes:

• The date, the inspector's name and whether the tenant was present.
• A room-by-room section covering walls, floors, fixtures, windows, wet areas and appliances, plus the exterior, yard and any pool.
• Clear photos of the property's condition, dated, with enough of them to show every room.
• Notes on cleanliness and care, including any sign of unauthorised pets, occupants or alterations.
• A list of maintenance items with a recommendation (fix now, monitor, plan for later) and, where possible, an indicative cost.

A poor report is a tick-box form with three photos and the words "property well maintained". If that is what you get, ask for more. It protects you both.

How often inspections can happen

Every state limits how often routine inspections can occur and how much notice the tenant must get. For example, NSW allows up to four inspections in a 12-month period with at least 7 days' written notice each time. The limits differ elsewhere, so check your state regulator for the current rules, and make sure your agreement asks for the maximum your state allows if that is what you want.

Photos have their own rules in some states. In Victoria, for example, a renter can object in writing if photos or video taken to advertise the property would show belongings that could identify them or valuable possessions. A good property manager will photograph the condition of the property without intruding on the tenant's belongings.

Monthly statements: what to check

Your monthly statement is a record of money moving through the agency's trust account. Agencies must hold your money in trust for you. In NSW, for example, funds held in trust cannot be used for any purpose other than for that client, and trust accounts must be audited each year. That protects you, but it does not stop errors, so spend five minutes on each statement:

1. Rent received. Does it match the rent and the number of payments due in the period? A missed week that is not flagged anywhere else is a problem.
2. Management fee. Is it the percentage in your agreement, calculated on rent actually collected?
3. Other fees. Is every fee one that appears in your fee schedule? Look for inspection or admin fees charged twice, or charged in a month when nothing happened.
4. Invoices. Is there an invoice for every repair, with the tradesperson's name and a description of the work? Ask for any that are missing. Consumer Protection WA suggests asking for documentation for all expenses claimed.
5. Disbursement. Does the amount paid to you match what reached your bank account, and on the expected date?
6. Bills. If the property manager pays rates, strata or water, check they are paid on time.

Keep every statement and the end of financial year summary. The ATO lists a statement from your property or managing agent as one of the records to keep for rental income, and says rental records generally need to be kept for 5 years. Our guide to rental property tax deductions explains what you can claim.

Maintenance: approval limits and quotes

Maintenance is where landlords most often feel they have lost control. The fix is a clear approval limit in the agreement and a simple rule for larger jobs.

• Set a sensible limit. Pick an amount below which the property manager can just get the job done. Too low and every dripping tap waits on you, which frustrates tenants and can breach your repair obligations.
• Ask for quotes above a threshold. For bigger jobs, ask for two or three quotes, or at least a written quote from the agency's usual tradesperson and the option to use your own.
• Ask for before and after photos on anything significant.
• Ask whether anyone at the agency receives a commission or rebate from the tradespeople it uses. In NSW, residential agency agreements must disclose the source and estimated amount of rebates, discounts and commissions.

Urgent repairs are different. Tenancy laws give tenants rights to get urgent repairs done, and your approval limit does not change them. In Victoria, for example, renters can arrange urgent repairs costing $2,500 or less, and the rental provider has 7 days to pay once they receive written notice. Check your state regulator for the rules and limits that apply to you. Make sure your property manager has an out-of-hours process so urgent jobs are handled properly and at a fair price.

Arrears: the process and timelines to expect

Rent arrears are where a good property manager earns their fee. The best ones act on day one with a friendly reminder, follow up in writing within days and move to formal notices the moment the law allows. The worst let it drift for weeks.

Know the legal timelines in your state so you can judge whether your property manager is prompt. Each state sets out when a formal notice can be given for unpaid rent and how long the tenant then has. In NSW, for example, if a tenant falls more than 14 days behind, the landlord or agent can serve a non-payment termination notice giving the tenant 14 days to leave, and the tenancy continues if the tenant pays what is owing or keeps to an agreed repayment plan. The timelines differ in other states, so check your regulator.

Then ask your property manager for their arrears process in writing, day by day, and when you will be told. A reasonable standard is that you hear about any missed payment within a few business days, not at the end of the month on your statement.

Lease renewals and rent reviews

Before each renewal, or at least once a year on a periodic lease, your property manager should give you:

• A recommendation to renew, not renew, or move to periodic, with reasons.
• A rent recommendation backed by market evidence: recent comparable leases nearby (address, size, rent, date leased) and comparable properties currently advertised.
• An estimate of vacancy cost if the tenant leaves, so you can weigh a higher rent against the risk of an empty property.

Rent increases are tightly regulated. State laws limit how often rent can be increased and how much written notice the tenant must get. In NSW, for example, landlords must give at least 60 days' written notice and wait at least 12 months between increases. The notice periods and rules differ between states, so check your state regulator. Your property manager should know the rules and the timing without you asking.

Ask for evidence, not just a number, and weigh any increase against the cost of losing a good tenant. Evidence matters because the market moves: the ABS measure of rents paid by tenants rose 7.6% in the year to July 2023 but 3.6% in the year to July 2026, so a rent that was right at your last review may not be right now.

View data · Source: ABS, Consumer Price Index, Australia, July 2026

Month	Annual change
Jul 2023	7.6
Oct 2023	6.6
Jan 2024	7.5
Apr 2024	7.5
Jul 2024	6.9
Oct 2024	6.8
Jan 2025	5.8
Apr 2025	4.9
Jul 2025	3.9
Oct 2025	4.2
Jan 2026	3.9
Apr 2026	3.5
Jul 2026	3.6

Our rental market and interest rates update has the latest national picture.

Communication cadence

A workable rhythm for most landlords:

• Immediately: arrears beyond a few days, damage, a tenant giving notice, safety issues, any tribunal matter.
• Monthly: your statement, with a short note if anything is outstanding.
• After each routine inspection: the report and any recommended work.
• Before each renewal or rent review: a written recommendation with evidence.
• Annually: the end of financial year statement and a short review conversation.

Put anything important in writing, even if you discussed it by phone.

The annual review of your property manager

Once a year, usually when your EOFY statement arrives, spend half an hour scoring the service. Keep it simple:

• How many weeks was the property vacant, and why?
• Were there arrears, and how quickly were you told?
• Did every routine inspection happen, with a proper report?
• How long did repairs take, and were the costs reasonable?
• Was the rent reviewed on time with real evidence?
• Did the statements reconcile without errors?
• Has your property manager changed, and how was the handover?
• How long do your emails take to get a proper reply?
• What did you pay in total fees, and was it what you expected from the fee schedule?

Then discuss the answers with your property manager. It is also the right moment to renegotiate fees if you are adding properties, or to agree an improvement plan if the service has slipped.

Warning signs your property is not being looked after

• Routine inspections missed, late or reported with only a handful of photos.
• You hear about arrears from your statement, not from your property manager.
• Repair invoices with no description, or the same tradesperson on everything at prices that look high.
• Rent reviews that never happen, or increases recommended with no evidence.
• A string of short tenancies, or long vacancies with no explanation.
• Your property manager changes repeatedly and nobody tells you.
• Emails go unanswered for days, or you only ever reach reception.
• Fees on your statement that are not in your fee schedule.

One of these is a conversation. Several are a pattern.

How to raise problems, or leave

Start with a direct conversation with your property manager, then confirm in writing what you agreed. Many problems come down to overload or unclear expectations and are fixed quickly once raised.

If nothing changes, write to the agency principal or licensee in charge. Be specific: dates, what was expected, what happened and what you want done. Property managers work under the supervision of a licensed agent, so the licensee is the right person to escalate to.

If the issue is a possible breach of the rules, such as unexplained trust account deductions or undisclosed commissions, you can complain to your state's fair trading or consumer affairs regulator. NSW Fair Trading, for example, runs a free complaint service for landlords.

If the problem is simply poor service, the most effective remedy is usually to leave. Check your agreement's notice period and any break fees, choose a new agency first, give written notice and make sure keys, records and the bond paperwork transfer properly. Our guide on how to choose a property manager covers the questions to ask so the next one is a better fit, and our self-managing guide is there if you decide to do it yourself.

What this means for landlords

• Write your expectations into the agreement and a one-page brief at the start.
• Read every inspection report and every statement. Five minutes a month is enough.
• Know your state's arrears and rent increase timelines so you can spot delays.
• Review your property manager once a year against a scorecard and discuss it with them.
• Raise problems in writing, escalate to the principal, and leave if nothing changes.