You are still able to move house during stage 4 restrictions within curfew hours, if you had made arrangements to relocate. You are advised to take extra steps to stay safe including wearing a face covering.

Please contact the property’s selling agent or Property Manager to make the necessary, contact-free, arrangements.

Private inspections are once again permitted in Victoria by appointment only. Inspections will be led by one agent and can be attended by one prospective purchaser, along with their partner/spouse, and any children under the age of 18. Viewings must last no longer than 15 minutes and social distancing practices must be followed throughout. Hand sanitiser will be provided by the agent however we encourage clients to refrain from touching household items during the viewing. We ask that clients not attend if they show any signs of fever or flu-like symptoms.

From the safety of your computer or phone screen, you can explore each room completely with 360 degree viewing and move freely through the home to give you a sense of its flow.

We have fully digitised all our sales and leasing contracts, legal documents and forms including allowances for digital signatures. This means properties can be seamlessly leased or bought and sold remotely if required.

If you have found a property that you like, suits your requirements and is at a price that you think is good value, then you should buy it. The time to buy a house is when you see the one you want. At present there is a shortage of properties, so if you don’t buy the one you like now, you may well be waiting for a while before another comes along. 

If you are considering selling or leasing your property in the future, please reach out to our agents who will be more than happy to discuss the options available.

We are now able to conduct one on one property appraisals by appointment. Please contact our offices with your details.

Private inspections are once again permitted in Victoria by appointment only. Inspections will be led by one agent and can be attended by one prospective purchaser, along with their partner/spouse, and any children under the age of 18. Viewings must last no longer than 15 minutes and social distancing practices must be followed throughout. The owner of the property must vacate the property whilst the inspections take place.

In accordance with the most recent State Government guidelines, from Monday 19 October 2020 live auctions can take place with with a maximum of 10 registered bidders at a property. We have adapted our processes to ensure that we can continue to safely meet your needs. Take a look at our Auctioneer page for more information.

Renting rules and support during the moratorium – Consumer Affairs Victoria

We have reviewed these changes and included some frequently asked questions (and other things we think you might want to know) so you are up to date with the very latest information.

The tenant receives daily reminders through Managed App as soon as they fall into arrears. Your Property Manager will discuss with you the process and strategy and keep you informed along the way.
If you are concerned, we suggest you ask your Property Manager for a full report of financial transactions that are happening at your property.
Our MW Managed App provides live, daily updates to you on rental payments, rather than waiting until the end of the month.
This information is available to your property manager, so it is definitely worth asking if you are uncertain of your rental position.

Approximately 12% of tenants are facing financial hardship across our 5 offices. Some areas are reporting numbers around 15%-20%, which is having a big impact to landlords.
If a tenant advises they cannot pay their rent, we request evidence they are suffering hardship as a direct result of COVID-19
Items we can ask for to demonstrate hardship include: Employer Separation Certificate, Evidence they have applied for Job Seeker, Confirmation of Job Keeper eligibility, a letter from their Accountant if a business owner etc.

Download our Tenant Financial Hardship Application here.

With Job Keeper and Job Seeker payments the number of tenants unable to pay their rent declined when we came out of our first lockdown. Now in Stage 4 restrictions we have seen an increase in tenants who are suffering hardship and can no longer pay rent.

We have been in touch with a number of landlord insurance providers, and from our discussions, this is based on the policy taken out. Many insurance companies have said they will cover loss of rent for the entire period, others have said for a certain number of weeks.
One of the major providers in the industry, Terri Scheer Insurance, has put together some FAQs which may be helpful at this time. View them here.
If you have any specific concerns or questions about your policy, we suggest giving your provider a call to ensure you are confident about what you are covered for over this time.
It’s worth noting that most providers are not taking on any new policies at this time. Check with your Property Manager if you require insurance cover.

Many banks are offering relief to landlords over this time. Please see below links to a range of banks and their assistance packages:
• ANZ 
• NAB
• Westpac 
• CBA

Absolutely, just in a different format. Routine Inspections are conducted virtually, either a FaceTime or zoom call with the tenant with follow up photos provided by the tenant. The photos are viewed and inserted into the Routine Inspection Report and sent to owners as normal.

Stage 4 restrictions means we are not permitted to do any face to face inspections, that means no open for inspections or private inspections. Our team arranged walk through videos of most of our vacant properties prior to lockdown.
If your property becomes vacant during lockdown we are not permitted to get professional photography, however we may have the opportunity to do a walk through video when conducting the final inspection.

Yes, a tenant can move in or out during Stage 4 by providing the required notice period in line with the end of their fixed term.

If the tenant is on a monthly tenancy, they need only to provide 28 days notice to vacate.

Simply, no rent increases from 30 March 2020 for six months, or until the COVID-19 pandemic is declared over.

If a rent increase was agreed prior to 30 March 2020, and it was due to take place in the next 6 months, it now cannot take effect until the emergency period is over.

Rent increases are based on market value, so it may not be appropriate to increase the rent at this time.

Unfortunately, maintenance work is not allowed, other than works deemed as urgent. Urgent repairs under the Residential Tenancies Act are as follows:

• Burst water service
• Blocked or broken toilet system
• Serious roof leak
• Gas leak
• Dangerous electrical fault
• Flooding or serious flood damage
• Serious storm or fire damage
• Failure or breakdown of any essential service or appliance provided by a landlord or agent for hot water, water, cooking, heating, or laundering
• Failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply
• Any fault or damage in the premises that makes the premises unsafe or insecure
• An appliance, fitting or fixture that is not working properly and causes a substantial amount of water to be wasted
• A serious fault in a lift or staircase

Read more here.

No, you cannot attend a property unless it’s vacant and only for urgent repairs. Vacating inspections must be contactless. The property owner cannot attend with the Property Manager.

Following the introduction of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act we believe it would be unlikely that any major changes would be coming however it is unclear. We are staying up to date and should any further changes be announced we will provide this information to the community as soon as possible.

We are here to help navigate you and your property through this time. We will continue to keep you updated but if you have any questions between now and then, please do not hesitate to contact Zara Singh our General Manager, or your Property Manager here.