LANDLORD FAQs

Answer: This is always a hard question as it is dependent on a number of facts, the better your property is presented, the more realistic the rental amount you are asking and the better the agent whose letting your property, the quicker it will rent out. At GRALIN Property Management, we have among the lowest vacancy rates in the industry.

Answer: Some properties are rented out furnished however these tend to only gain short-term tenancies. You will find you have additional wear and tear on your furniture and you will be trying to rent your property to a more limited market (most potential tenants have their own furniture). You do need to be aware however that you as the owner of the property would be responsible for the maintenance on these items.

Answer: We offer both Fixed Term and Periodic Tenancies as situations of each landlord and tenant vary. Fixed Term tenancies have a start and end date then converts to a periodic tenancy but cannot be terminated during the fixed term by either party unless an agreement is reached between the parties. We generally aim for a minimum 12 month Fixed Term Tenancy as the shifting wear and tear on the property is less and a consistent cash flow is achieved for landlords.

Answer: All rents and any other money received on behalf of house owners are paid into our trust account. This account is specifically for our landlords and does not form part of the operational bank accounts of our company. All payments made on behalf of the owner are also made from this account. Each owner’s transactions are individually identified within this account and the account is balanced on a daily basis. Owners are supplied with a monthly statement, which identifies all transactions during the month.

Answer: For both fixed-term and periodic tenancies, landlords can only increase rent: after the first 12 months of the tenancy provided the increase is not within 12 months of the last increase. Landlords must give the correct notice and meet certain conditions. For fixed-term tenancies, landlords can only increase rent if the tenancy agreement allows this. Special rules apply if a tenancy agreement is subject to an annual rent increase process.There is no limit to how much a landlord may increase the rent, as long as the rent is not increased excessively above market rate.

Answer: Yes, please advise us in writing and redirect all invoices to our PO Box.

Answer: Yes. If you want to complete your own maintenance you can as long as it is completed within a reasonable time frame so that we can keep the tenant happy and limit any further potential damage to your investment property. However, GRALIN Property Management has its own tradesman that we have formed relationships with over many years and most landlords use this service as the rates are reasonable and service is immediate, GRALIN agrees not to accept any commission from Tradesman. It also makes it easier for your accountant at the end of the year as it keeps all income and expenditure in details on one end of year statement.

Answer: Yes! Landlords must have the right type of working smoke alarms installed in the right places to meet new regulation which came into force on 1 July 2016. Please visit Tenancy Services website for more information.

Answer: If you decide to move back into your property, contact us as soon as possible. By law, tenants with a periodic tenancy must have at least 63-day notice if an owner, or a member of their family, wants to move into the property. The more notice you can give us, the better. Please note fixed term tenancies cannot be terminated by notice, so let us know if you are considering returning to your house so we can structure our tenancy agreements appropriately.

Answer: Not necessarily. You can place your property on the market whilst tenanted but you must tell the tenants in writing. There are procedures under the Tenancy Act that must be followed and we can advise that for you. If you have a tenant is on a fixed term tenancy, you must sell that tenancy with the property. It is important that you have a real estate agent that is a good communicator and can organise with your tenants to set times for showing the property to potential purchasers. It is important that all parties work together in this process causing as little disruption for all parties concerned. Often the owner of the property will choose to reduce the rent for the tenant whilst the property is being marketed.