References are easy to stack in a tenant’s favour. A rental history check gives you the record instead: what a database listing means, and what else to look at.
Category: Landlords
Featured Articles
How to sell commercial property without an agent
You can sell your own commercial property and skip a hefty commission — but it’s a different game from selling a house. Here’s how it differs (buyers, yield, GST, leases) and a step-by-step guide to doing it privately.
Selling a house online? Our easy step-by-step guide shows you how.
Eight steps from tidying up to settlement, with what to expect at each one. A short, practical run-through for anyone selling a house online for the first time.
Latest Articles
What Is a Rental Ledger? A Landlord’s Guide (With Example)
Your tenant’s new agent asks for a rental ledger and you realise you’ve never kept one. Here’s what a rental ledger is, what it looks like, and how to keep one yourself.
How to complete an entry condition report (and protect your bond)
The condition report is the one bit of move-in paperwork it’s tempting to rush. Don’t. It’s the “before” picture that decides who pays at the end. Here’s how to do it properly, and what every state expects.
Bond lodgement explained: a state-by-state guide for self-managing landlords
The tenant’s paid the bond, so where does the money go, and by when? Bond lodgement rules differ in every state. Here’s the maximum bond, the authority and the deadline, all in one place.
How to write a rental ad that attracts great tenants
Most rental ads lease the property eventually. A little deliberate effort puts yours at the front of the pack: here’s what to cover, headlines that work, and the advertising rules most guides skip.
Residential lease agreements explained: a state-by-state guide for private landlords
Here’s something that surprises a lot of first-time landlords: you don’t actually write a…
Self-managing vs a property manager: which is right for you?
Should you run your own rental or pay a property manager 5–10% of the rent to do it? Here’s an honest comparison — what a PM really does and costs, what self-managing involves, and a quick way to decide which suits you.
How long does it take to rent out a property privately?
Worried that renting out your place yourself means it sits empty for weeks? The data says otherwise: most well-priced rentals lease in about two to three weeks — and private landlords are just as fast as anyone. Here’s what really drives the timeline.
How to write an end-of-tenancy condition report (and protect your bond claim)
When a tenant moves out, the exit condition report is the document that decides whether you can fairly claim from the bond. Here’s how to write one that holds up — and the fair-wear-and-tear-vs-damage line landlords most often get wrong.
How much rent should I charge? Pricing your rental without a property manager (2026)
Price it too high and it sits empty; too low and you leak money every week. With no property manager to hand you a number, here’s how to work out fair market rent yourself — and where to get the comparable data free.
The EOFY checklist for self-managing landlords (2025–26)
Self-managing your rental means no property manager hands you a tidy tax summary at year-end — it’s on you. Here’s the plain-English EOFY checklist: what to do before 30 June, what you can claim, and what you can’t.
How to screen tenants: a landlord’s guide to choosing well (2026)
One property, a stack of applications, and no agent to lean on. Here’s how to screen tenants the thorough, fair way — the checks that matter, what you can and can’t legally ask, and the 2026 privacy rules.
Tenant Not Paying Rent? What Australian Landlords Can Actually Do
The rent hasn’t arrived. What you can actually do, when you can do it and which form you need, for every state and territory, plus what happens if your tenant pays after you’ve served notice.
Victorian Rental Laws: Current Rules and Recent Changes for Landlords
Victoria’s rental laws changed again on 25 November 2025, and more starts in October 2026. What a landlord needs to know now: ending a tenancy, rent increases, minimum standards, pets, bond and applications.