The self-managing landlord's handbook: pricing, tenants, software, bonds and disputes

Self-managing your rental property means doing the agent's job yourself: setting the rent, choosing the tenant, lodging the bond, documenting the property's condition, keeping records and handling problems. Done well, it saves the management and letting fees an agent would charge, which on a typical property can run to a few thousand dollars a year. Done badly, it costs more than the fees ever would.

This handbook covers the five parts of the job that decide which way it goes: pricing, tenant selection, software, bonds and condition reports, and disputes. Bonds, notices, rent increases and tribunals are set by each state and territory, so we explain the principles that apply nationally and point you to your regulator for the exact numbers. Figures are current as at September 2026.

When it makes sense to rent privately without an agent

Self-managing is a recognised way to run a rental. NSW Fair Trading, for example, has guidance for self-managed landlords and makes the key point plainly: all landlords, including those who self-manage, must follow residential tenancy laws. You take on every obligation an agent would otherwise carry out: the correct lease and notices, bond lodgement, minimum standards, repairs, privacy and record keeping. The tenant's rights are the same whether they deal with you or an agency.

In our experience it suits landlords who tick most of these boxes:

• You live within a reasonable drive of the property, or have someone reliable nearby.
• You can respond to a tenant's message within a day, and to an urgent repair the same day.
• You are organised with documents and dates, or willing to set up a system that is.
• You can stay calm and businesslike when a conversation turns awkward, such as rent arrears or a bond claim.
• You have one or a few properties, rather than a portfolio spread across several states.

It suits less well if you travel for long stretches, or know you would put off a difficult conversation until it became a tribunal application. There is no shame in using an agent. If you go that way, our guides on how to choose a property manager and keeping your property manager accountable will help. If you are new to all of this, start with the new landlord guide.

What you actually save

Agent fees are negotiable and vary widely, so the figures below are illustrative assumptions, not market averages. Plug in your own quotes.

Two things shrink the headline saving. First, the ATO lets you claim property agent fees and commissions for managing, inspecting or collecting rent, so an agent costs less after tax than the sticker price. At a 30% marginal tax rate, a $3,206 fee bill would cost you about $2,244 after tax. Second, self-managing has its own costs: portal advertising, a tenancy database check, software and your time.

Then estimate your hours. In a year with a change of tenant we would budget roughly 20 to 40 hours for a single, well-maintained property, more if something goes wrong. Divide the after-tax saving by the hours and decide whether that hourly rate is worth it.

Setting the right price

The right rent is the one that fills the property with a good tenant quickly. Pitching high feels like it maximises income, but vacancy is expensive and easy to underestimate.

Start with what has actually leased

Asking prices tell you what other landlords hope to get. Leased prices tell you what tenants actually paid. Shortlist five to ten comparable properties leased in the last two to three months: same or neighbouring suburb, same bedrooms and bathrooms, similar parking and condition. The major portals show recently leased listings in many areas; where no leased price is shown, note how long the listing stayed up and whether the price was cut before it came down.

Then adjust honestly. A renovated kitchen or secure garage justifies a premium; an older bathroom or busy road justifies a discount. If most comparables have features yours lacks, price below the middle of the range.

Read the market's temperature

Vacancy rates tell you how much bargaining power tenants have. SQM Research reported that the national residential vacancy rate held at 1.3% in August 2026, with 41,039 vacancies, up from 1.2% a year earlier. The national figure hides a split: SQM found Sydney vacancies up 26% and Canberra up 29% on a year earlier, while Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Darwin had fewer vacant dwellings than in August 2025.

View data · Source: SQM Research monthly vacancy releases

Month	Vacancy rate
Dec 2025	1.4
Jan 2026	1.2
Feb 2026	1.1
Mar 2026	1.0
Apr 2026	1.2
May 2026	1.2
Jun 2026	1.3
Jul 2026	1.3
Aug 2026	1.3

SQM counts a vacancy as a listing advertised for three weeks or more, which makes the rate a useful proxy for how long properties are sitting. Check your own postcode on SQM's site rather than relying on the national number. SQM's August release also found national advertised rents flat over the month, and when rents stall, the market will not catch up to an optimistic price while you wait.

The cost of a vacant week

This is the maths most first-time self-managers skip, using the same $650 a week property.

Scenario B collects $260 more in the first year despite the lower rent. Put another way, a $20 a week discount costs $1,040 over a year, which is 1.6 weeks of rent at $650. If pricing higher is likely to add more than about a week and a half of vacancy, the lower price wins, and that is before counting the extra advertising, extra inspections and the chance of settling for a weaker applicant late in the campaign.

The catch is that a lower starting rent becomes the base for future increases, and increases are now limited in frequency. So aim for the realistic middle of recently leased comparables and adjust quickly if enquiries are thin. If the first weekend of inspections draws little interest, reprice before the second.

Rent reviews and the once-a-year limit

In August 2023 National Cabinet agreed to move towards a national standard of no more than one rent increase per year for a tenant in the same property, across fixed and ongoing agreements. States and territories implement this through their own laws, and the details are not uniform. In NSW, for example, landlords cannot increase the rent within the first 12 months of any tenancy, must wait at least 12 months between increases, and must give at least 60 days' written notice.

Your state will have its own notice period, prescribed form and process for tenants to challenge an increase they think is excessive. Our overview of rental reforms in Australia explains how the rules have been shifting.

Because you get one review a year, treat it as a proper exercise rather than a reflex:

• Diarise the earliest date an increase can take effect, then work back by your state's notice period plus a buffer.
• Pull fresh leased comparables and compare them with the current rent.
• Weigh the value of a good tenant staying. A modest increase that keeps a reliable tenant often beats a market-rate increase that prompts a move and a vacancy.
• Use the prescribed notice for your state, and keep a copy with proof of when and how it was given.

Picking the right tenants

Tenant selection is the decision that most affects how your year goes. The aim is a fair, consistent process that assesses every applicant on the same criteria and leaves a record of why you chose who you chose.

Advertising and inspections

List on the major portals (realestate.com.au and Domain, plus rent.com.au if you want wider reach). Private landlords reach them through a self-management platform or paid listing service (see the software section below).

A good listing has a fixed weekly price, clear photos of every room, accurate details (bedrooms, bathrooms, parking, pets, heating and cooling, inclusions), the available date and the lease term you are offering. Rules on rent bidding and advertised prices vary by state. Consumer Affairs Victoria, for instance, says rental providers cannot advertise a price range or invite offers above the advertised rent. Treat a fixed price as the default everywhere.

Run open inspections at set times rather than a string of private viewings. It saves hours, treats applicants equally and shows you the level of demand.

The application form

Use a written application that asks for the same things from every applicant. Most self-management platforms include one. At a minimum, it should cover:

• Name and contact details of each person who will be on the lease.
• Proof of identity.
• Evidence of ability to pay, such as recent payslips, a Centrelink statement or an employer letter.
• Current and previous rental addresses, with landlord or agent contact details for references.
• Preferred move-in date and lease length.
• Number of occupants, and any pets.
• Consent to check references and a tenancy database, with an explanation of how their information will be used and stored.

What you can and cannot ask

Discrimination. Federal and state anti-discrimination laws apply to renting, and they apply to private landlords as well as agents. The federal Disability Discrimination Act, for example, makes it unlawful to refuse an application for accommodation, or offer worse terms, because of a person's disability. State laws cover a wider list. Consumer Affairs Victoria lists personal characteristics protected by law including age, disability, race, sex, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, religious belief and sexual orientation. Do not ask about these, and do not let them influence your decision.

Excessive information. Regulators are pushing back on over-collection. NSW Fair Trading's guidance on applications says to ask only for the minimum information needed to assess capacity to pay, notes there is no obligation for applicants to hand over a credit report, and cautions that a past bond claim or tenancy dispute is not necessarily a good indicator of how someone will behave. Some states go further and make certain questions unlawful, so check your regulator's list before you finalise your form.

Privacy. The Privacy Act mostly applies to businesses with annual turnover above $3 million, so as an individual landlord you may not be covered directly. Tenancy database operators are covered regardless of turnover. The OAIC's tenancy guidance says covered organisations can only collect personal information reasonably necessary for their functions, and may collect government identifiers such as driver licence numbers only if reasonably necessary, and generally must not adopt, use or disclose them. In April 2026 the Privacy Commissioner found that a rental application platform had collected excessive information through unfair means, including details such as gender and visa expiry dates.

Whether or not the Act binds you, follow the same principles. State tenancy laws may impose their own limits, and holding less means less exposure if records are lost or hacked. In practice, sight identity documents and note that you did rather than keeping copies, securely destroy unsuccessful applications once you no longer need them, and keep the successful tenant's file out of shared inboxes.

Verifying income, references and identity

Income. Look at whether the rent is comfortably affordable on the income shown, but treat any ratio as a guide, not a rule. Someone with a strong rental history, savings or a guarantor may be a better bet than a higher earner with a patchy record. Confirm the payslips look genuine and, with consent, call the employer to verify employment.

References. Previous landlords and agents are the most useful referees because they know how the applicant actually behaved. Ask specific, factual questions: Was rent paid on time? Was the bond returned in full? Were there any breach notices? Would you rent to them again? Look up the agency's number yourself rather than using the one on the form.

Identity. Match names on the ID, payslips and references. Inconsistencies are not proof of anything, but they deserve a polite question.

Tenancy databases

Residential tenancy databases record tenants listed for serious breaches, and checking one is a normal step. The rules are set by state law but share a common shape.

Checking. If you find an applicant is listed, you generally must tell them in writing within a set time, including which database it is and who made the listing, so they have a chance to dispute it. In NSW, for example, the deadline is 7 days.

Listing. You can only list a tenant in limited circumstances. In NSW, for example, the tenancy must have ended and the tenant must owe more than the bond for a breach, or the tribunal must have ended the tenancy because of their breach. You must tell the tenant in writing first, give them at least 14 days to respond and consider what they say. Listings must be accurate and removed after three years. Misuse can attract penalties, so only list when you meet your state's criteria, and keep the evidence.

Making and documenting the decision

Decide against criteria you set before you saw the applications: ability to pay, rental history, references, and fit with the property (number of occupants, move-in date, lease term, pets if relevant). Score each complete application the same way. If two are close, prefer the stronger rental history or the more convenient start date.

Write a short note of why you chose the successful applicant and why the others missed out, based on those criteria. If anyone later alleges discrimination, a record made at the time showing a consistent, legitimate reason is your best defence. Tell unsuccessful applicants promptly and courteously.

Once you have chosen, use your state's standard lease, collect the bond and first rent through traceable payments, give the tenant the documents your state requires, and complete the ingoing condition report before they move in.

Picking the right software

You can self-manage with a spreadsheet and a folder. Software earns its place when it saves time at tax time, stops you missing a deadline or gives you better evidence in a dispute. Work out what you need before comparing products.

What to look for

• Rent tracking. Can you see who has paid, what is overdue and the running balance? Does it collect rent, or only record it?
• Expense and receipt capture. Can you photograph a receipt and attach it to the right property on the spot? The ATO says you need to keep rental records for 5 years, generally from when you lodge the relevant return, and accepts digital copies if they are true and clear.
• Reminders. Lease end dates, the earliest rent review date, insurance renewals, smoke alarm checks, routine inspections and state compliance checks. Missed dates cause most self-management mistakes.
• Document storage. Leases, condition reports, notices and invoices, filed by property and easy to find in a dispute.
• Tenant communication. A logged channel for messages and maintenance requests, so you can show what was reported and when.
• Tax-time reports. An income and expense summary by property that lines up with the ATO's rental schedule categories. Our guide to rental property tax deductions covers those categories.
• Data export. Can you get all your records out in a standard format such as CSV or PDF if you leave?
• Pricing model. Flat subscription, per property or a percentage of rent collected. Cost it over a full year.
• Platform. iPhone, Android or web, matched to what you and anyone helping you actually use.
• Australian features. Australian financial year reporting, GST handling where relevant, state forms and notices, and awareness of bond authorities and tenancy law.
• Data hosting and privacy. Where is your data stored, how is it secured, and what does the provider do with it?

Options Australian self-managers use

The products below are listed alphabetically. Each description is based on the provider's own website or App Store listing as at September 2026. Prices and features change, so check before you sign up.

Cubbi. An Australian company offering an assisted management service alongside full management. Its assisted plans are available Australia-wide and include tenant leasing and screening, rent collection with payouts to your bank, bill tracking, inspection scheduling and financial reporting for tax time. Pricing is a percentage of payments collected through Cubbi, excluding bond, and the percentage varies with the weekly rent. Its pricing page shows 2.33% including GST for Assisted Essentials and 2.99% including GST for Assisted Plus at its default example of $600 a week. Advertising on the major portals ($199) and screening (from $99) are listed as extras.

Landlord Studio. An international landlord software product with native iOS and Android apps and a web portal. Features include income and expense tracking by property, receipt scanning, reminders, document storage and tenant tools. Its pricing page lists a free Go plan covering three units and paid plans, with prices shown in US dollars. It is run by a New Zealand company, and it is available on the Australian App Store. Its website describes tax reporting built around the US Schedule E and has UK-specific pages, but as at September 2026 it had no Australia-specific pages.

propkt. An Australian web-based record-keeping product for self-managing landlords. Its website describes rent and expense tracking with receipt attachments, bond tracking with lodgement deadlines, depreciation calculations, rent increase notices and a per-financial-year export containing a tax summary, transactions and a depreciation schedule as CSV files plus attached receipts. Its homepage says data is stored in Australia (Sydney), while its privacy policy says some service providers are based in the United States and data may be processed outside Australia. Listed pricing is $49 a year for one property or $108 a year for up to 10 properties.

Propero. A native iPhone app built for Australian landlords who self-manage (iOS 26 or later; no Android or web version). The free plan covers one property: rent and expense tracking, ledgers and EOFY tax reporting, maintenance, reminders and an AI assistant with a daily limit. Pro ($24.99 a month or $199.99 a year) adds unlimited properties, condition reports generated from a video walkthrough, a dedicated email address per property with AI triage, and more assistant use. Rent goes straight from the tenant to your account; Propero doesn't hold it. Portal advertising on realestate.com.au, Domain and rent.com.au is $199.95 per listing. Tenancy-law answers currently cover NSW, with notice templates for NSW, VIC and QLD.

RentBetter. An Australian self-management platform covering advertising on realestate.com.au, Domain and rent.com.au, tenant checks, digital leases, bond organisation, condition reports, rent collection with automatic reminders and receipts, expense tracking, document storage and end-of-financial-year reports. Its pricing page lists residential plans at $199 one-off to find a tenant, $95 one-off plus $29 a month to find a tenant and manage (with the first three months billed up front), or $36 a month to manage an existing tenancy. Tenant check reports are listed at $18 each.

A spreadsheet and a folder. Free and entirely under your control. The cost is discipline: you build your own reminders, file your own receipts and create your own year-end summary. It works for one straightforward property and an organised owner, and gets harder with several properties or a dispute that needs a photo from three years ago.

There is no single best choice. A landlord who wants rent collected for them has different needs from one who only wants clean records for the accountant. Shortlist two, try both with real data for a month, and check how easily you can export everything before you commit.

Bonds and condition reports

The bond and the condition report work together. The bond is the money that covers unpaid rent or damage at the end. The condition report is the evidence that decides how much of it you can claim.

Bond limits and lodgement

Every state and territory limits how much bond you can ask for, usually to four weeks' or one month's rent, though some lift or remove the limit for higher-rent properties. In Victoria, for example, a bond generally cannot be more than one month's rent unless the weekly rent is over $900 or the tribunal has approved more. Some states also limit how much rent you can take in advance.

In every state and territory except the Northern Territory, you must not hold the bond yourself. It has to be lodged with the state or territory's bond authority within a set deadline, often using an online service the tenant can pay into directly. In Victoria a bond paid to the rental provider must be lodged with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority within 14 days, not counting public holidays. Other states have their own deadlines, and late or non-lodgement can be an offence.

In the NT there is no bond authority: the landlord or agent must hold the bond in trust. Lodge promptly, keep the lodgement receipt and give the tenant whatever confirmation your state requires.

The ingoing condition report is your best evidence

Consumer Affairs Victoria says condition reports can be important evidence in disputes about bond claims, cleaning and damage. If you cannot show what the property looked like at the start, you will struggle to prove the tenant caused anything at the end.

The landlord generally prepares the report, and the tenant has a set time to add comments and return it. In Victoria, for example, the rental provider must give the renter two copies (or one electronically) before they move in, and the renter has 5 business days to return it. Use your state's prescribed form if there is one.

What a good ingoing report looks like:

• Room by room, item by item. Walls, floors, windows, doors, fittings, fixtures, appliances and outdoor areas.
• Specific descriptions. "Carpet clean, 10cm stain near window" beats "carpet fair".
• Dated photos and video. Wide shots of each room plus close-ups of every existing mark. Keep the original files, which carry the date, not just compressed copies.
• Working order. Note that appliances, taps, hot water, heating and cooling, smoke alarms and locks were tested and working.
• Signed and returned. Chase the tenant's signed copy, and resolve any disagreement then, not at the end of the lease.

We do the photos first thing on the day before handover, in good light, and it has saved us more than once.

Routine inspections and the outgoing condition report

Routine inspections, with the notice your state requires and within any limit on frequency, catch maintenance issues early and add to the photo record. Keep them brief and respectful: you are checking the property, not the tenant's lifestyle.

At the end, complete an outgoing condition report using the same format as the ingoing one, ideally with the tenant present, and take matching photos from the same angles. Side-by-side comparison is what makes a bond claim persuasive.

Fair wear and tear versus damage

Tenants must generally leave the property in the same condition as at the start, allowing for fair wear and tear. The Victorian Act describes fair wear and tear as deterioration caused by reasonable use and natural forces, and Consumer Affairs Victoria's guideline on damage and fair wear and tear notes that the courts accept reasonable minds may differ and each case turns on its facts.

In practice the line runs like this:

Age matters. The guideline lists tribunal decisions where claims were reduced or refused because the item was old, already worn or in poor condition at the start. Claim the reasonable cost of the loss you can prove, and back it with photos, quotes or invoices.

Handling disputes

Most tenancies end without a dispute. When one does arise, the landlord with the calmest communication and the best records usually comes out ahead, whatever the rights and wrongs.

Communication first

Many problems are misunderstandings or life events. Call or message early, then confirm what was agreed in writing. A short, factual email ("Thanks for the chat today. As discussed, you will pay the $650 due on 1 October by 8 October.") turns a conversation into evidence without sounding hostile.

Check whether your regulator or tribunal offers dispute resolution or conciliation. Where it does, try it before a formal application; some processes expect you to have tried first.

Notices in writing

Every formal step in a tenancy runs on written notices: rent increases, entry, breaches and termination. Each state prescribes the form, content, notice period and methods of service, and a mistake can make a notice invalid and restart the clock. Use the current form from your regulator's website, fill in every field, and keep a copy with proof of how and when it was sent.

Breaches and rent arrears

The typical breach process is similar across the country:

1. Raise the issue informally and give the tenant a reasonable chance to fix it.
2. If it continues, serve a formal breach notice in the prescribed form, setting out what the breach is and what must be done by when.
3. If the breach is not remedied, you may be able to serve a notice to terminate or apply to the tribunal, depending on your state and the type of breach.

Rent arrears follow a stricter timetable. States set a minimum number of days rent must be overdue before you can serve a termination notice, and tenants who catch up or agree to a payment plan are often protected. Keep a clean rent ledger with every payment and the running balance, and consider offering a realistic written payment plan early. It is often cheaper than a vacancy and a hearing.

Repairs disputes

You are responsible for keeping the property in a reasonable state of repair and meeting your state's minimum standards. Tenancy laws generally treat urgent repairs (such as a burst pipe, no hot water, a gas leak or a serious roof leak) differently from general repairs, with higher expectations on how quickly they are handled. Your state's rules may also give tenants their own remedies if an urgent repair is not dealt with promptly, so check them before you need them.

Log every request with the date and time it arrived, what you did, when the tradie attended and the invoice. Most repairs disputes come down to delay, and a clear log showing a prompt response is the answer.

Making a bond claim

Try to agree the bond split with the tenant first. If you agree, you both sign the refund form and the authority pays out. If you do not, the claim goes to the bond authority's dispute process or the tribunal, depending on your state, and there are time limits for making or disputing a claim.

A strong claim has four parts: the ingoing and outgoing condition reports, matching dated photos, quotes or invoices for the work, and a clear explanation of why each item is damage rather than fair wear and tear. Keep claims proportionate: over-claiming for items that were already worn undermines your credibility on the items that matter.

The tribunal in general terms

If negotiation fails, disputes go to your state or territory's civil and administrative tribunal or tenancy tribunal, such as NCAT in NSW, VCAT in Victoria or QCAT in Queensland. Tribunals are designed so that landlords and tenants can usually represent themselves, and each publishes its fees, forms and procedures online.

You file an application in the right category (such as a bond claim, rent arrears or termination), there may be a conciliation step, and at the hearing a member hears both sides and makes binding orders. Prepare a one-page timeline, an indexed bundle of documents and photos, and copies for the other party. Stick to facts and dates. Members respond well to organised, reasonable landlords.

Keep a paper trail from day one

Everything in this section depends on records you create long before a dispute. The ATO requires you to keep rental records for 5 years anyway, so build one system that serves both: the lease and selection notes, bond receipt, condition reports with original photos, rent ledger, notices with proof of service, repair requests and invoices, and written confirmation of anything agreed by phone.

What this means for landlords

Self-managing is a real saving for landlords willing to treat it as a small business. The work is not complicated, but it is unforgiving of missed deadlines and missing paperwork. If you are starting now: get real agent quotes to size the saving, bookmark your regulator and bond authority from the table above, write down your selection criteria before you see any applications, and pick a record-keeping system before the first receipt arrives.