Residential Rental Providers Have Obligations Surrounding Safety-Related Gas, Electrical and Smoke Alarm Checks

Residential Rental Providers should now be very well aware of their obligations surrounding the safety-related gas, electrical, and smoke alarm checks that were implemented last March via the RTA reforms. 

The deadline for compliance is now less than a year away and Victoria-wide, agents are scrambling to ensure their clients are covered. Contractors have been swamped under the sheer volume of work being directed to them, directly affecting timelines and causing months of delay to get work completed.

Likewise, costs are increasing everywhere, placing strain on renters and investors alike - even our fees have had to be adjusted in part.

Consumer Affairs Victoria provides a guide for rental providers on gas and electricity safety checks on their website.

Smartcare - A More Affordable Option For Our Investors

In view of these factors, we have been interviewing and researching compliance providers to ascertain if there is a better and more affordable option for our investors and we are confident we have found just that. 

We are opting to replace our current safety check provider, Smarthouse Solutions, with a smaller but well-versed company called Smartercare Home Protection. Smartercare currently oversee a smaller number of properties and their overheads are significantly less than that of their larger rival providers. They will require more input from us on an agency level, meaning additional work and a technology investment on our behalf, but their fees are such that we can include some costs for the work we do and our clients are still $264.00 better off for the full two-year package.

This amazing saving for most of our clients couldn't come at a better time.

Pricing:
 

Current two-year package price

• 2 x smoke alarm checks
• 1 gas check
• 1 x electrical check
• = $890.10 including GST

New package

• 2 x smoke alarm checks
• 1 gas check
• 1 x electrical check
• = $627.00 including GST

More Effective, Less Intrusive

On top of the above savings, Smartercare will perform all three safety checks in one visit (as opposed to three), making the whole system far more effective and less intrusive for our renters.

Want more? A multi-property discount of $36 is offered to all investors who have multiple residential investments (even if we don't manage them!). That's an extra $36 off each property if you chose to take up the full package.

A Winning Combination

We have already sent out over 400 invites to the new contractor service with a nearly 90% take on from our investors. Obviously, the fee structure is an appealing offer and the more considered approach to renter inconvenience is a winning combination.

There may initially be a transitional double up, particularly on electrical checks whilst Smartercare pulls everything into a streamlined due date for all three programs, but that will iron out over the coming twelve months.

For those who haven’t received their invite, systematic rollouts are planned for the coming month, so keep your eyes peeled for yours, alternatively, feel free to get in touch with any questions.