EPM: Best Practice & Legislation
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Sharon Fox Slater: Australia’s costliest disaster – one year on
It’s been just over a year since floods ravaged Queensland and New South Wales. The price in terms of human lives lost was incalculable. EBM RentCover Managing Director Sharon Fox-Slater reflects on the losses to homes and property, the impact on insurance and some lessons learned.
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Hidden costs that make up a sum insured
Sums insured are incredibly important when it comes to property insurances as getting it wrong can result in under-insurance and prove costly. But do you know just what needs to be considered when calculating a sum insured, asks EBM RentCover Managing Director Sharon Fox-Slater.
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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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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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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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Rita Yousef: Why maintenance is a must
When a pelmet fell and fractured a tenant's nose, it created a headache for the managing agent as well as the landlord.
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Nick Brown: What are routine inspections really for?
When we take on the management of a property, it's a given that we take on a huge responsibility to look after it and keep the investor up-to-date with anything that happens at the home.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Nothing routine about this inspection
Property managers are often faced with the unenviable task of educating investors and owners on how a property will deteriorate with age and wear and tear. A property manager on a recent online forum summed it up perfectly with an analogy of getting a car serviced. Everyone gets their car serviced and invests money into…
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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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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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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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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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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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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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Photoelectric smoke alarms: A clearer picture
How can you tell the difference between smoke alarms? They don’t seem different when they are on the ceiling. Recent changes in the Queensland legislation state that all rental properties in Queensland are required to have smoke alarms that meet the new standard upgraded before 1 January 2022. In Queensland, photoelectric alarms must be used for compliance under the new…
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Smoke alarms: What you need to know
A smoke alarm provides the best opportunity to detect fire, protect investments and save lives. Regular smoke alarm maintenance is required to make sure all alarms are functioning optimally. SMOKE ALARM TYPES There are many types of smoke alarms, and the basic terminology you need to know is photoelectric or ionisation, hard-wired, radio frequency or battery operated. Most Fire Services…
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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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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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In too deep: How to manage property through natural disaster
Cassandra Charlesworth spoke to principals in Townsville and the Whitsundays to find out what that experience is like, and to understand the most effective strategies they implemented when dealing with these defining moments. Townsville Flooding: Ben Kingsberry, Harcourts As the rain continued to fall in Townsville on 31 January, Harcourts Kingsberry Principal Ben Kingsberry knew this would be a weather…
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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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Legal liability at Airbnbs: Sharon Fox-Slater
As we rocket towards the festive break, many landlords will be looking at tapping into the Airbnb juggernaut and offering their properties on shared accommodation platforms. But before they welcome guests, it’s imperative that the right landlord insurance is in place. In a heart-breaking incident, a four-year-old boy was killed at a property being rented out via Airbnb on the…
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Spring open that little black book of tradies: Sharon Fox-Slater
As the weather heats up, a little seasonal TLC at investment properties may be on the cards. Sharon Fox-Slater says now is a great time to get out your little black book of tradies and arrange some springtime maintenance. Spring is traditionally when property owners give their homes a good clean and refresh. The arrival of warmer weather also heralds…
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Don’t blame the messenger: Michelle Williams
Unfortunately, this kind of reactive management is no longer acceptable to the savvy investor. They expect you to represent them and lead their decisions based on knowledge and expertise. They don’t want you to simply be the go-between. When you think about it, why would they pay for that service when they could cut out the middleman? When I see…
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Preparing for bushfire season: Sharon Fox-Slater
Bushfire season has just begun, but already there have been devastating fires across New South Wales, in Queensland’s Far North, near Darwin and in Western Australia’s Kimberley region. And as spring moves into summer, many other parts of the country will also brace for fires. For agents managing rentals in bushfire-prone areas, it is time to make sure your landlord…
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Going to the dogs: Sharon Fox-Slater
As new legislation in Victoria is set to see pets in rentals become the norm instead of the exception, Sharon Fox-Slater says the fear of damage might not be justified. With the Victorian Government tabling its ‘Fair Rent’ Bill in Parliament, the issue of pets in rentals is in the spotlight again. Amongst the 130 reforms, the proposed new legislation…
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Are your listings at threat from meth contamination?
“Meth House of Horror!”, “Ice Epidemic!”, “Rental Properties Test Positive for Meth/ice”. The headlines are alarming and fuel widespread fears about meth contamination. Concerns are particularly prevalent in the rental industry, with stories about investment properties being used as clandestine laboratories or smoking dens, and subsequent tenants suffering ill-effects from exposure to the toxic residue. With alarm bells ringing, agents…
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Fiddling on the roof: Sharon Fox-Slater
We are mid-way through winter and many parts of the country are getting windy and wet (although unfortunately not the right places right now!) When wild weather descends, roofs take a battering – and many come off second best. At RentCover around 55 per cent of all storm damage claims we receive relate to roofs. Last winter alone approximately $1.5…
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Vacation rentals & insurance: Sharon Fox-Slater
For many landlords with property in cities and prime holiday locations, the lure of the short-stay accommodation market is strong. Some choose to rent their property to holidaymakers, others may look for a corporate lease. Some have their property available to rent all the time, and some switch, looking to cash in during peak season. Although the financial rewards can…
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