Frequently Asked Questions - Rental Property

How long does it take to rent my property?

At Waikato Real Estate Ltd, our average time to rent your home on the rental market varies depending on market conditions, however in recent years it has averaged less than 14 days! This is because we begin marketing your rental home the moment it becomes rent ready, or as soon as the current tenants give us their 21 day notice of their intent to move out. We average hundreds of prospective tenant calls each week.

In addition to our attractive signs, we also immediately place your rental property onto our website which markets your property 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We are the premier rental management company in Hamilton!

When you find tenants for my rental home, how do you qualify them?

We strive to provide you with the caliber of tenants that you want in your rental property. This includes:

• A complete Baycorp credit report on the tenant.
• Verification from their former landlords through reference checks.
• Where employed, verification of their employment.

In addition to the normal financial qualifications, we always try to accommodate the housing needs of our tenants to ensure the home they rent is convenient to their work, shopping and desired school district. This will help to ensure that they will remain happy tenants and remain longer in your rental property.

At Waikato Real Estate Ltd we believe that good tenants are worth waiting for!

How quickly do you process the monthly rents and statements to property owners?

We pride ourselves on quick turnaround of your rents and statements. We generally process the rents on the 15th day and the last working day of each month. We issue statements once a month on the last working day of the month.

We know this is important to you!

How often and how are property inspections conducted?

* When a tenant moves in they are given a statement of condition form to complete where they note the condition of the property as they see it when they move in. This is kept on file at our office and then used as a reference when the tenant moves out.

* We inspect the interior and the exterior of our properties on a periodic basis usually every 60 to 90 days, and we also conduct other inspections when requested, or if we determine that checking the property out is warranted. We also take digital photos of your investment property, to market it and also to record the condition.

* When the tenants move out of your property we do another detailed inspection known as the “bond” inspection. The move out inspection is done to ensure that the tenants returned the rental home back to us in the same condition as when they first rented it. We take digital photos to record any damage that we find.

If damage is found, first we make a claim on the tenants bond and if the value of the claim exceeds the bond, we file a claim with the Tenancy Tribunal.

What if I want to sell my property, can Waikato Real Estate Ltd help?

Absolutely, Waikato Real Estate Ltd has “Teamed Up” with leading real estate company in Hamilton. For information on how we can help you sell your property, call your property manager at Waikato Real Estate Ltd on (07) 838 9988.

How are rental collections handled?

Our collections policies are as follows:

* When a tenant moves in the contract requires them to pay a weeks rent in advance. Our obligation is to keep this far in advance at least while they are in your investment property.

* We encourage our tenants to pay their rent by automatic payment directly to our rental trust account, or to visit our offices to make their rent payments.

* Any tenant who gets into arrears by one week are contacted on the phone, to find out if there is any reason for their non payment, and we follow up on this.

* If any tenant becomes 21 days in arrears in their rent, we lodge a claim with the Tenancy Tribunal, to recoup the rent arrears and to seek eviction.

* We may be able to come to a mediated agreement by which the tenant remains in the property and pays the current rent plus a little extra each week until the arrears are paid off.

We refer judgments on your behalf to our debt collector on your behalf.

Do you provide a guaranteed management contract?

YES, we provide a guaranteed management on special terms and conditions.

Please contact us for details.

Are you the cheapest company in town?

Probably not. It seems there is a new property management company starting out every day, trying to beat everyone else’s prices. Our tax deductible fees are very competitive and we certainly are not the most expensive. On the other hand, we charge a fair fee for a comprehensive service.

No other residential property management company in Hamilton offers all of our combined services .

Who handles problems after hours?

Our property managers are “ON CALL” to handle after hour calls from our tenants. All of our experienced property managers have cell phones, they are able to be contacted at any time.

Many times we solve problems right over the phone.

Why should I choose Waikato Real Estate Ltd?

In a word, “Experience”. Our customers know that, “Our people make the difference”. We believe that the key to our success is in the relationships that we have developed with our customers over the past 40 years. We are here to serve you and your tenants. At Waikato Real Estate Ltd we will work to earn your trust.

If you have a residential rental property in Hamilton or the Waikato, there is no better choice for your investment and peace of mind, than Waikato Real Estate Ltd.