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CONTRIBUTORS
Sharon Fox Slater: under pressure – the impact of cost-of-living on landlords and tenants
It’s not nice to say, but between high inflation and rising interest rates, making ends meet is becoming an ever-burgeoning problem for many households.
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EPM: Best Practice & Legislation
Sharon Fox-Slater: insurance insights for 2023
It’s fair to say the real estate and insurance industries have faced some turbulent times in recent years.
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EPM: Best Practice & Legislation
Insurance isn’t immune to rising costs
Insurance is great protection for all sorts of life’s curve balls, but one thing it can’t protect us – or the industry itself from – is rising costs.
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Weather woes – how environmental issues impact insurance
Floods, storms, bushfires, cyclones – there’s no doubt that Australians and their properties can bear the brunt of Mother Nature. And whether your landlord clients are caught up in a disaster or not, environmental issues can impact their insurance.
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NEWS
How the floods impact insurance: FAQs answered!
Floods – sadly, many Australians and their properties are bearing the brunt of Mother Nature. This means an influx of inquiries are hitting agents.
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BEST PRACTICE
Is landlord insurance worth it?
Inflation. Rising interest rates. Utility prices. Groceries. Petrol… The list of price rises for essentials seems endless. And yes, the cost of insurance is also higher.
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EPM: Best Practice & Legislation
Sharon Fox-Slater: beware the underinsurance trap
Under-insurance is rife across Australia but it’s often not until a natural disaster strikes that many landlords find out the hard way that their investment properties aren’t fully covered.
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CONTRIBUTORS
Sharon Fox-Slater: Explaining the sum insured to landlords
The sum insured – there’s a fair bit of confusion about just what this is and how to calculate it. However, when it comes to landlord insurance, nominating the correct sum insured is crucial. So just what is the sum insured? In a nutshell, the sum insured is the most an insurer will pay out for any one loss. In…
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CONTRIBUTORS
Insurance claims: What’s the hold up?
When things go pear-shaped at a rental, you want to get it sorted quickly. But while there are steps you can take to make the claims process easier, there are factors at play beyond the control of you or the landlord’s insurer that could see those claims held up.
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EPM: Best Practice & Legislation
Sharon Fox-Slater: 12 landlord insurance misconceptions
As a property professional you know the value in your landlords having the right insurance cover to protect their investment. But, no doubt, you’ve come up against quite a few misconceptions about the cover and its value.
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NEWS
Sharon Fox-Slater: What to do before and after a flood
Severe flooding has devastated parts of south east Queensland and northern New South Wales. So how can PMs prepare properties and landlords?
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EPM: Best Practice & Legislation
The COVID-19 lessons we can all learn from
It’s hard to believe that we are entering our third year under the ever-looming shadow of COVID-19.
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OPINION
Four major changes to landlord insurance
The year 2021 has been a big one! Not only has COVID-19 continued to impact the way we all live and work, but there have been major legislation changes that impact the insurance industry.
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CONTRIBUTORS
30 things to look for in landlord insurance
It was back in 1991 when a gap in the market was recognised for specialist landlord insurance.
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CONTRIBUTORS
COVID-19: Keeping up with changes to investment property insurance
Last year was a bumpy ride for the property industry and the rollercoaster is continuing. Landlords and agents have had to keep on top of the evolving market and adapt to the changes. EBM RentCover managing director Sharon Fox-Slater says many of these changes impact on insurance cover too. When the year started, most of us were hoping the disruption…
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Elite Agent
What to do if a tenant dies: Sharon Fox Slater
EBM RentCover managing director Sharon Fox-Slater looks at what needs to happen when a tenant passes away from an insurance perspective.
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CONTRIBUTORS
Protecting your property from Mother Nature: Sharon Fox-Slater
Hotter, wetter, drier… as Australia’s environmental conditions change, the need to better protect investment properties crystallises. EBM RentCover Managing Director Sharon Fox-Slater says having the right insurance can protect landlords from the financial devastation Mother Nature can unleash. Natural disasters killed 10,400 people globally in 2018 and left millions more homeless. In the same year,…
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CONTRIBUTORS
Safeguard your legal liability: Sharon Fox-Slater
As a property manager, you are expected to reduce the risk associated with a landlord’s investment. But what about the risks you face? In an industry where legal liability claims are common, it is important property professionals safeguard themselves, writes EBM RentCover’s Sharon Fox-Slater.
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Elite Agent
Off the leash and on the lease – the pros and cons of pets in rentals
Did you know Australia has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world? And did you know we have more pets (29 million) across the country than there are people (just shy of 26 million)?
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Elite Agent
Learning through a crisis
While the complete fallout of the pandemic is still unknown, it is safe to say that it has fundamentally changed the way we all do business. It is also safe to say that the social and economic impacts have been wide-ranging and far-reaching, and few have remained unscathed. However, the prioritisation of innovation during the COVID-19 crisis has been key…
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OPINION
Pandemic sheds light on landlord insurance myths
The global pandemic has taught us a lot, but not all of it is about hand hygiene and social distancing. COVID-19 has also highlighted important misconceptions about landlord insurance. The insurance industry is already complex…
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Brand Editorial
Renovating and insurance cover
With COVID-19 resulting in higher rental vacancies in some states and the announcement of the HomeBuilder program, landlords may be thinking about renovating their investment property. But before they get started there are insurance matters to think about, cautions EBM RentCover Managing Director Sharon Fox-Slater. Aussies love property and they love renovating too, if the number of shows on the…
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Brand Editorial
Landlord insurance and the Goldilocks principle
Too little or too much is a conundrum many landlords face when it comes to their insurance. While having too little (under-insurance) is rife among property owners, having too much (over-insurance) is also an issue, so landlords need to find the right balance to ensure they appropriately and adequately protect their investment. Under or over?Under-insurance is when a portion of…
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EPM
A step-by-step guide to natural disaster claims
It is hard to imagine the tragedy hundreds of Australians are facing as they slowly return to homes, businesses and communities ravaged by Mother Nature. For many, there will be nothing left but the heartbreaking task of cleaning up and starting over or moving on altogether. In these difficult circumstances, landlords and tenants will often…
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EPM: Best Practice & Legislation
NYE parties in rentals: What are the risks for PMs?
New Year’s Eve is traditionally when people reflect on the year past and what the next 12 months may hold. It’s also a time when people let their hair down and revel! Hosting NYE parties, and entertaining in general, can expose investment properties to a few risks. And while most would rather be a party-popper than a party-pooper, a bit…
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EPM: Best Practice & Legislation
Five big issues that affected the real estate industry in 2019
The real estate industry is never stagnant. It is impacted by regulation changes, the rise and fall of the economy, buying motivations and the generosity of banks. Heck! Mother Nature can even wreak havoc and play a part in the way we buy, rent and manage property. This year has been no different. There have been ups and downs, and…
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EPM: Best Practice & Legislation
Protecting properties this festive season
For many people, the image of the festive season is one of joy. But sadly, once the last of the Pavlova has been eaten, many landlords and agents will face the harsh reality of what the season can bring for investment properties. Now, I don’t want to be a party-pooper, but things happen and you and your landlords and tenants…
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EPM: Best Practice & Legislation
The do’s and don’ts of landlord insurance
When you are in a highly-regulated industry such as real estate, things can change quickly and get complicated. Throw in the complexities of insurance, and we wouldn’t blame you if you started pulling your hair out. START AT THE BEGINNINGTo keep your locks intact, it is a good idea to know your rights and responsibilities as a property manager and…
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EPM: Best Practice & Legislation
Top tips for streamlining insurance claims: Sharon Fox-Slater
My client has suffered a loss (property damage or loss of rent). What is the first step I should take? First, ask yourself: is the loss even covered? If you don’t know, that is okay – landlord insurance is complex. If you are unsure, the best thing to do is chat with your insurer about the policy and find out…
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Brand Editorial
Responding to changes in domestic violence laws
The changes to family and domestic violence laws are a welcomed change for Australians who believe in a strong and resilient justice system. While the amendments are designed to better respond to those suffering abuse, they also affect landlords and property professionals who own and manage rental properties. Previously, rental laws have restricted tenants affected…
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Brand Editorial
Now is the time for that annual insurance review: Sharon Fox-Slater
A new financial year has dawned and chances are you’re busy setting some fresh business goals while gathering all your paperwork for your tax agent. While reviewing the insurances on your RE business might not be at the top of your list, now just might be the best time to do so. Many small business owners take out insurance at…
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Brand Editorial
Mi casa es su casa: The insurance perils of sub-letting
Increasing costs of living and high prices for rentals in desirable areas mean the idea of sub-letting is appealing for many tenants. And while many think this is just a matter between landlord and tenant, it’s important to consider the landlord’s insurer – as generally sub-letting is not covered. Sub-letting is where a tenant privately organises for someone to pay…
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Brand Editorial
Don’t let your insurance become a disaster
What advice would you give to property investors, landlords and property managers impacted by a natural disaster? Natural disasters like bushfires, floods, storms and cyclones can not only cause widespread devastation, but also confusion. When a rental is caught up in a disaster, there can be a lot of uncertainty about how owners, tenants and agents should respond. This is…
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EPM: Industry News
If it’s not dinner, then what’s cooking? Sharon Fox-Slater
Australia’s expanding illicit drug problem is having an ever-increasing impact on investment property owners, with a growing number of rentals being contaminated by meth. Along with contamination come accusations – squarely levelled at the agent – about how it was allowed to happen. There’s a new headline every day, it seems, about the problem of meth in rental properties. Also…
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EPM: Best Practice & Legislation
Cover Yourself: Sharon Fox-Slater
No matter how diligent an agent you are, sometimes issues arise and you can find a tenant or landlord accusing you of failing in your duties. This is where Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance is a safety net, protecting you from financial loss following a claim of negligence against you by covering your legal defence costs and damages payable. PI cover is a…
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