Switching property managers in Hamilton
Most owners who are unhappy with their property manager stay put for longer than they should, usually because they assume changing is disruptive, expensive or bad for the tenant. In practice it is none of those things when it is handled properly. Here is exactly what the process involves, so you can decide with the facts rather than the worry.
The short version
Your management agreement is between you and the agency, not between the agency and your tenant. The tenancy agreement itself does not change: the tenant stays, the rent stays, the bond stays lodged with Tenancy Services, and the fixed term runs as it was. What changes is who manages it and who the tenant contacts. Give your current manager the notice your agreement requires, and the handover is largely paperwork.
The six steps
- 1. Get a written proposal first. Before you give notice to anybody, ask for a free appraisal and written management proposal. That gives you a current market rent and a fee comparison you can put beside what you are paying now. Nothing is committed at this stage.
- 2. Check your notice period. Read the termination clause in your existing management agreement. Most are 30 days' written notice, some are 90, and a few tie to the end of a fixed term. There may be a fee for early termination - it should be stated in the agreement, and if it is not, it is worth asking about in writing.
- 3. Give notice in writing. Email is fine and is better than a phone call because it dates the notice. You do not have to give reasons. Ask in the same message for the full property file: the tenancy agreement and any variations, the rent ledger, bond lodgement details, inspection reports and photos, the Healthy Homes compliance statement and assessment, keys, and any maintenance quotes or warranties.
- 4. The tenant is told once, clearly. Your tenant gets a single written notice telling them who now manages the property, how to contact them and where to pay rent from the changeover date. Done properly this is a non-event for a good tenant. Done badly - two managers emailing, an unclear rent account - is where the disruption people fear actually comes from.
- 5. Bond and rent are transferred, not re-lodged. The bond stays with Tenancy Services; a change of landlord agent is recorded rather than the bond being refunded and re-taken. Rent redirects to the new trust account from the changeover date, and the outgoing manager accounts to you for anything held.
- 6. A fresh inspection and a reset. I carry out an inspection early in the new management so there is a clear, photographed record of the property's condition at handover, and I check the compliance file is complete rather than assuming it is. Where something is missing, it gets organised.
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What people are usually unhappy about
The complaints that bring owners to this page are consistent, and none of them are about the headline fee:
- Not being told about arrears until they are weeks old.
- Inspections that are late, skipped, or arrive without photographs.
- A percentage added to every maintenance invoice.
- A different property manager every few months, each one starting from scratch.
- Calls and emails that take days to get an answer.
Those are all symptoms of one thing: too many properties per manager. The boutique owner-operator model exists to solve it - deliberately capping the portfolio is the whole point, not a marketing line.
What it costs to move
Nothing from my side. There is no tenant-find fee and no setup or onboarding charge for taking over a management, and the appraisal and proposal are free. The only possible cost is a termination fee in your existing agreement, which is worth checking before you give notice.
One thing to know up front: the PukekoPlus rent guarantee requires that I placed the tenant, so on a transferred management it becomes available from the next tenancy I let, not immediately. I would rather tell you that now than after you have signed.
Will my tenant have to move out or sign a new tenancy agreement?
No. The tenancy agreement is between you and the tenant and it continues unchanged. Only the managing agent changes.
How much notice do I have to give my current manager?
Whatever your management agreement says - most commonly 30 days in writing, sometimes 90. Check the termination clause, and check whether an early termination fee applies.
What happens to the bond?
It stays lodged with Tenancy Services. The change of managing agent is recorded; the bond is not refunded and re-taken.
Can I switch in the middle of a fixed-term tenancy?
Yes. The fixed term belongs to the tenancy, not to the management agreement, and it is unaffected by a change of manager.
What if the outgoing manager will not hand over the file?
Put the request in writing and be specific about what you want. The records relating to your property and your tenancy are yours. In practice it is rarely a problem, and where documents genuinely cannot be produced - a missing Healthy Homes assessment, for example - I organise a replacement rather than leaving a gap in the file.
Is there a charge to take over a management?
No setup fee, no onboarding fee and no tenant-find fee. See property management fees in Hamilton.
- No tenant-find feeMost agencies charge at least a week’s rent to place a tenant. Tracie handles the marketing, viewings, reference checks and vetting herself and charges nothing for it.
- No percentage on repairsNo manager’s clip added on top of a trade invoice. You pay the trade, and the coordination is part of management.
- Free three-monthly inspectionsRoutine inspections are included, with photos and an action list after each visit. Extra inspections are free when circumstances call for one.
- A free appraisal and written proposalThe rental appraisal costs nothing and comes with a written management proposal showing exactly what management costs and what it includes.
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Talk to Tracie now
022 354 3812or leave a message using the form and I will come back to you. Whether you are an owner wanting dependable management or a tenant needing support, you deal directly with me - one point of contact, clear communication and fast action.
- tracie@pukekorentalmanagers.co.nz
- Based in Hamilton, managing rentals across the city and the wider Waikato
