How to rent out your property without an agent

If you want to maximise the return on your property investment you can rent out your property without an agent. It means more time and effort on your part, but could save hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars in commissions a year.

The 9 steps to renting out your property on your own

1. Get your property ready for lease
2. Decide on an appropriate rental price
3. List your property
4. Handle inspections
5. Go through applications and select a tenant
6. Paperwork and finance
7. Insurance and rental bond
8. Ongoing communication
9. Know the legal side

1. Get your property ready for lease

The first step is to get the property cleaned and ready for tenants to live in. This might require professional cleaning or even renovations.

You also need to organise repairs if anything is broken and make sure the property is safe to live in.

2. Decide on an appropriate rental price

Make an honest assessment of your property and what it's worth on the rental market. Obviously, you want to collect as much rent as possible, but if your price is too high no one will rent the property. This could cost you weeks or months of rent until you come to your senses and lower your asking price.

It's also harder to see if you're being unrealistic without an expert to guide you, so be sure to look at the following factors when deciding on the price:

• Location. Check the rental prices of similar properties in the area. Location is key, and you need to know the desirability of the neighbourhood. Many websites offer free suburb profiles filled with information.
• Number of bedrooms and bathrooms. This is always a crucial factor in determining how much you can charge.
• Property size. This can be harder to judge when looking at other properties, but if you think your rental property is larger than the average you might charge slightly more (all other things being equal). You could even go on a few inspections of neighbouring properties to get a sense of the size.
• Convenience and amenities. A property near a train station is probably going to rent for more than a similar property that's far from the station. Proximity to parks and shops is also a huge benefit. But being too close to noise and crowds can be off-putting for some tenants.

3. List your property

You'll never find tenants unless you advertise your property online. Not using a real estate agent means you have to do a lot more work here, from writing descriptions of your property to taking photographs.

Luckily there are many websites that let you do this (sometimes for free) and for a relatively small fee will boost your listing or offer professional photographs, copywriting and other services.

Here are some listing companies that can help you:

• Rent.com.au
• Rentingsmart.com.au
• NoAgentProperty.com.au
• buyMyplace.com.au

Some of these sites will post your listing on the biggest rental sites like Realestate.com.au and Domain, but you will have to pay for this.

4. Handle inspections

When potential renters find your listing and get in touch, you will need to set up inspection times so they can view the property in person.

This also gives you a chance to meet your potential tenants and get a sense of their character and suitability.

To make life easy for everyone, be prepared before inspections. Gather as much information about the property as you can, make a list of the property's best features and be ready to answer any questions.

It's good to be as transparent as possible with potential tenants. Let them know what your expectations are and when the property is available. If you don't allow pets, say so upfront.

5. Go through applications and select a tenant

Hopeful tenants will submit applications. You will need to go through these and create a list of suitable applicants.

To work out if an applicant is suitable you should look at the following:

• Current employment status
• Credit history
• References from employers or previous landlords

6. Paperwork and finance

Once you find a suitable tenant and agree to rent your property to them you will need to get all the paperwork organised.

You and the tenant will need to sign a tenancy agreement. The exact form varies by state but most government websites have a free form you can download and use.

An agreement should specify:

• The number of occupants allowed in the property
• The size of the rental bond
• The bank account in which you will receive the rental payments
• All relevant contact details
• Any other specific conditions of the property

When the tenant moves in, be sure to make a thorough check of the property together and document any minor chips, scratches or damage that has occurred prior to your tenant's arrival.

7. Insurance and rental bonds

You need insurance to cover the building. Landlord insurance is also a good idea, as this protects you against damage caused by tenants to the building and any contents that you supply in the property.

You should also remind the tenant to organise their own contents or renters insurance, because your policies will not protect their household items in case of theft or damage.

There are strict laws in each state regarding rental bonds and it's your responsibility to know the following:

• How much you are allowed to charge. In NSW and Victoria, for example, a bond can only be a maximum of 4 weeks' rent.
• How to lodge the bond. You can't just keep the bond money in your bank. You must to lodge the bond with the relevant board or authority. This can usually be done online.

8. Ongoing communication

Be sure to exchange contact details with your new tenant and specify your preferred method of contact.

It's also a really good idea to lay out some ground rules around what to do in case something in the property breaks.

Many repairs to the property will be your responsibility as a landlord. Let your tenants know if you have preferred tradesmen to call, or if you're able to handle a repair yourself.

9. Know the legal side

In addition to strict laws around the way you must handle the bond, there are regulations and laws that dictate how you manage the tenancy.

Antonia Mercorella, chief executive officer of the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ), says there is very strict legislation governing tenants and landlords in each state, including statutory protections given to tenants.

"Protections apply equally, whether there's a property manager acting on behalf of the landlord, or whether you are a property owner managing your own property," she tells Finder.

"There's a potential that an owner who is self-represented may not be familiar with the law, and we do sometimes hear stories of self-represented owners doing the wrong thing. Irrespective, the law is the law."

How much money can you save as a DIY landlord?

It's hard to estimate the savings you can make by handling all landlord duties yourself. Agents and managers set their own fees and charge very different amounts.

Some property managers charge a percentage of the rent as a commission, others charge a flat fee. Commissions can vary from 8-12% of the total weekly rent or higher.

Let's say you rent out a unit for $450 a week. With a 9% agent commission, you would pay $40.50 per week. That's $2,106 a year, which is over a month's rental income.

Keep in mind that your property management expenses are all tax deductible against your personal income, so depending on your tax rate, you'll see a decent chunk of that come back to you at tax time.

The flip side of this is working how much time, energy, effort and personal resource you'll need to offer in order to offset this. Are those savings worth tenants calling you after hours and on weekends, coordinating repairs and negotiating leases while juggling other life tasks?

Is it worth renting out my property myself?

Renting out a property and managing the investment yourself will save you money. But it will take up more of your time and might not be worth it in the long run.

Most investors don't want to have to deal with tenants or their issues and would rather have someone else deal with it. This makes even more sense if you have multiple properties.

Ultimately the decision is up to you but it's always important to realise that time is money too.

What if I want to use a real estate agent or property manager?

If you've read this guide and decided that being a DIY landlord is too much work, you do have other options.

You can find a real estate agent or property manager and accept the costs involved. Here's a helpful guide on choosing a good property manager.

Written by

Richard Whitten

Editor

Richard Whitten is a money editor at Finder, and has been covering home loans, property and personal finance for 6+ years. He has written for Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Homely; and has appeared on various radio shows nationwide. He holds a Certificate IV in mortgage broking and finance (RG 206), a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification and a Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products (RG 146) certification. See full bio

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