Celebrating our property managers

Yesterday was National Property Managers Day. This annual celebration recognises the hard work, resilience and daily contributions of property management professionals across the country.

REIWA has more than 2150 members who are property managers, and I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge their work on the front line of Western Australia’s constrained rental market.

A property manager’s role is demanding at the best of times. They play a crucial role in the management of a property for an investor, and the management of the tenancy to ensure a harmonious relationship between the tenant and owner. Their responsibilities are many and varied, and include finding the right tenant for a home, collecting rent, facilitating ongoing maintenance, ensuring compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act 1987, mitigating disputes and representing the owner in court if necessary.

The desperate need to house a growing population post-COVID-19 has seen the role of a property manager expand from managing a typical dwelling to managing dual-occupancy properties, shared-living arrangements and room-by-room rentals.

Implementing legislative reform is another significant responsibility. The Residential Tenancies Act 1987 has just undergone a significant review. Property managers are guiding their tenants and owners though the changes, while dealing with inconsistencies in the way the legislation is interpreted by the regulator and courts.

But perhaps the biggest challenge property managers have faced in recent years is working in an environment of a chronic shortage of rental properties.

On a daily basis, our members see queues of people at home opens and know they are only going to be able to help one applicant put a roof over their head that day. They are inundated with calls and emails from desperate people needing housing urgently. They’re dealing with a growing number of domestic violence cases. They are also faced with the pressure of balancing the owner’s need to receive a suitable yield or return on their investment with the impact of rent increases on tenants that are already under financial stress.

The stresses of the rental crisis and cost of living issues have also affected the mental health and wellbeing of tenants. This can spill over into their interactions with their property manager and others. We have seen an increase in aggressive, abusive and harassing behaviour directed towards property managers, contractors carrying out repairs and maintenance, and tenants’ neighbours. Our members also report growing threats to their safety, with members being physically assaulted.

All of this has taken a toll on property managers’ mental health, put them at risk of physical harm, and seen more and more people leave the industry.

Property managers are the unsung heroes within the housing industry. To all property managers, thank you for the work you do.