Invest
Help! My property manager is stealing rent
The banning of a Sunshine Coast property manager for stealing nearly $47,000 in rent has raised questions around what investors can and should do in similar situations. We asked an expert to find out.
Help! My property manager is stealing rent
The banning of a Sunshine Coast property manager for stealing nearly $47,000 in rent has raised questions around what investors can and should do in similar situations. We asked an expert to find out.
Elizabeth Anne Provan, director and former principal licensee of Dicky Beach Real Estate Pty Ltd, was found guilty of wrongfully converting trust money and acting as unlicensed property agent after charges were brought by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for breaching the Property Occupations Act 2014.
Ms Provan, who did not appear at the Caloundra Magistrates Court, was fined $25,000 after converting rent money for her own use and asking tenants to place rent money into her own personal account, which totaled $46,793, from January to July 2017. She was also banned for 10 years.
Ms Provan’s breach of trust, lack of remorse and failure to cooperate with the OFT investigation all contributed to her sentencing, a statement read.
Brian Bauer, Fair Trading executive director, said agents who do not follow the law have no place in the property industry.
“The OFT will take action against real estate agents who put consumers at financial risk by disregarding their legal obligations,” Mr Bauer said.
What if it happens to me?
If an investor finds themselves in the hands of a dodgy property manager, Peter Koulizos, chairman of the Property Investment Professionals of Australia, said they should consult the organisation which the property manager is a part of, if any, as well as the appropriate Office of Fair Trading.
“Now they call them different things in different states, but generally, real estate comes under the umbrella under the Office of Fair Trading, so you should contact them,” he said to Nest Egg's sister site, Smart Property Investment.
However, before an investor even finds themselves in such a situation, they should carefully look at their rental statements every month and bring up any discrepancies.
Going back even further, they should also make sure to go through the relevant checks to ensure the property manager is worth their time and money.
“It might be word of mouth, it might be on the net to see what other people say about them, the member of their relevant organisations,” Mr Koulizos said.
“There's no guarantee that you're going to get somebody that doesn't rip you off, but at least you minimise the chances if ... other people say that they're good, and you keep an eye on them and they're a member of the appropriate association.”
RELATED ARTICLES
Property
New investment platform Arkus allows Australians to invest in property for just $1
In a groundbreaking move to democratise investment in property-backed mortgage funds, GPS Investment Fund Limited has launched Arkus™, a retail investment platform designed to make investing ...Read more
Property
Help to Buy goes live: What 40,000 new buyers mean for banks, builders and the bottom line
Australia’s Help to Buy has opened, lowering the deposit hurdle to 2 per cent and aiming to support up to 40,000 households over four years. That single policy lever will reverberate through mortgage ...Read more
Property
Australia’s mortgage knife‑fight: investors, first‑home buyers and the new rules of lender competition
The mortgage market is staying hot even as rate relief remains elusive, with investors and first‑home buyers chasing scarce stock and lenders fighting for share on price, speed and digital experienceRead more
Property
Breaking Australia’s three‑property ceiling: the finance‑first playbook for scalable portfolios
Most Australian investors don’t stall at three properties because they run out of ambition — they run out of borrowing capacity. The ceiling is a finance constraint disguised as an asset problem. The ...Read more
Property
Gen Z's secret weapon: Why their homebuying spree could flip Australia's housing market
A surprising share of younger Australians are preparing to buy despite affordability headwinds. One in three Gen Z Australians intend to purchase within a few years and 32 per cent say escaping rent ...Read more
Property
Tasmania’s pet-positive pivot: What landlords, BTR operators and insurers need to do now
Tasmania will soon require landlords to allow pets unless they can prove a valid reason to refuse. This is more than a tenancy tweak; it is a structural signal that the balance of power in rental ...Read more
Property
NSW underquoting crackdown: the compliance reset creating both cost and competitive edge
NSW is moving to sharply increase penalties for misleading price guides, including fines linked to agent commissions and maximum penalties up to $110,000. Behind the headlines sits a more ...Read more
Property
ANZ’s mortgage growth, profit slump: why volume without margin won’t pay the dividends
ANZ lifted home-lending volumes, yet profits fell under the weight of regulatory and restructuring costs—an object lesson in the futility of growth that doesn’t convert to margin and productivityRead more
Property
New investment platform Arkus allows Australians to invest in property for just $1
In a groundbreaking move to democratise investment in property-backed mortgage funds, GPS Investment Fund Limited has launched Arkus™, a retail investment platform designed to make investing ...Read more
Property
Help to Buy goes live: What 40,000 new buyers mean for banks, builders and the bottom line
Australia’s Help to Buy has opened, lowering the deposit hurdle to 2 per cent and aiming to support up to 40,000 households over four years. That single policy lever will reverberate through mortgage ...Read more
Property
Australia’s mortgage knife‑fight: investors, first‑home buyers and the new rules of lender competition
The mortgage market is staying hot even as rate relief remains elusive, with investors and first‑home buyers chasing scarce stock and lenders fighting for share on price, speed and digital experienceRead more
Property
Breaking Australia’s three‑property ceiling: the finance‑first playbook for scalable portfolios
Most Australian investors don’t stall at three properties because they run out of ambition — they run out of borrowing capacity. The ceiling is a finance constraint disguised as an asset problem. The ...Read more
Property
Gen Z's secret weapon: Why their homebuying spree could flip Australia's housing market
A surprising share of younger Australians are preparing to buy despite affordability headwinds. One in three Gen Z Australians intend to purchase within a few years and 32 per cent say escaping rent ...Read more
Property
Tasmania’s pet-positive pivot: What landlords, BTR operators and insurers need to do now
Tasmania will soon require landlords to allow pets unless they can prove a valid reason to refuse. This is more than a tenancy tweak; it is a structural signal that the balance of power in rental ...Read more
Property
NSW underquoting crackdown: the compliance reset creating both cost and competitive edge
NSW is moving to sharply increase penalties for misleading price guides, including fines linked to agent commissions and maximum penalties up to $110,000. Behind the headlines sits a more ...Read more
Property
ANZ’s mortgage growth, profit slump: why volume without margin won’t pay the dividends
ANZ lifted home-lending volumes, yet profits fell under the weight of regulatory and restructuring costs—an object lesson in the futility of growth that doesn’t convert to margin and productivityRead more
