Choosing who looks after your investment property is one of the bigger decisions a Brisbane landlord makes. This guide sets out what a property manager does, what to check before you appoint one, and the Queensland rules that apply to every rental property, whoever manages it.
What A Property Manager Does
A property manager acts for the owner of a rental property. The day to day work usually includes:
- Advertising the property, running inspections for prospective tenants and checking applications
- Preparing the tenancy agreement and lodging the bond with the Residential Tenancies Authority
- Collecting rent and following up arrears
- Arranging repairs and maintenance, within limits the owner agrees to
- Carrying out routine inspections and reporting back to the owner
- Issuing the correct notices and managing the end of a tenancy
Before You Appoint A Property Manager
Check The Licence
Anyone managing property for a fee in Queensland must be licensed. You can check an agency or agent on the Office of Fair Trading’s public licence register before you sign anything.
Read The Appointment Carefully
A property manager’s appointment, including every fee they can charge, has to be agreed in writing before they act for you. In Queensland this is usually a Form 6 Appointment of Property Agent. Read it line by line and ask about anything you don’t understand.
Understand The Fees
Fee structures vary between agencies, so compare them on the same basis. Common fees include:
- A management fee, usually a percentage of the rent collected
- A letting fee when a new tenant is found
- Advertising costs
- Fees for lease renewals, routine inspections, tribunal attendance or end of financial year statements
A low management percentage can be offset by higher fees elsewhere. Ask for the total cost over a typical year. Our guide to property management fees in Brisbane explains each fee and how to compare them.
Ask How Rent Is Handled
Rent collected by an agency is held in a trust account before it is paid to the owner. Ask how often you will be paid and what statements you will receive.
Ask How The Appointment Can Be Ended
Find out how you can end the appointment if the arrangement isn’t working, how much notice is needed, and whether any fees apply.
Questions Worth Asking
- How many properties does each property manager look after?
- Who will be my day to day contact, and who covers them when they are away?
- How quickly do you respond to tenant maintenance requests?
- What amount can you approve for repairs without contacting me first?
- How do you assess and select tenants?
- What is your process when rent falls into arrears?
- How often will you inspect the property, and what will the report include?
- How long do your properties typically sit vacant between tenancies?
Queensland Rules Every Landlord Should Know
Bonds
A rental bond cannot exceed four weeks rent. It must be lodged with the Residential Tenancies Authority within 10 days of being received, and it is held by the RTA, not by the agency.
Rent Increases
Rent cannot be increased more than once in any 12 month period, and the limit attaches to the property, not to the tenant. For a general tenancy, at least two months written notice is required.
Routine Inspections
Routine inspections cannot be carried out more than once every three months unless the tenant agrees in writing. The tenant must be given at least seven days notice on an Entry notice (Form 9).
Minimum Housing Standards
Every Queensland rental property must meet minimum housing standards, covering things like weatherproofing, working locks, plumbing, privacy coverings and freedom from vermin, damp and mould. The owner is responsible for meeting them at the start of the tenancy and throughout it.
Smoke Alarms
All Queensland homes, including rental properties, must have interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms by 1 January 2027. The owner must test and clean each alarm within 30 days before a new tenancy starts.
Water Charging
A tenant can only be charged for water consumption if the property is individually metered, the property is water efficient, and the tenancy agreement says the tenant pays. Fixed water and sewerage charges stay with the owner.
The Residential Tenancies Authority publishes the full detail at rta.qld.gov.au, or on 1300 366 311.
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Thinking Of Selling Instead?
If you are weighing up whether to keep your investment property or sell it, Calibre Real Estate can give you a current market appraisal of what it could sell for.
This guide is general information only, current as at October 2026. It is not legal or financial advice.
