Is your agency prepared for the latest Property Management legislation?

PROMOTED POST - Yasemin Kemal, Director of Property Management at Rental HQ

With sweeping revisions to Fair Trading legislation across New South Wales and Queensland, staying compliant has become a non-negotiable for property managers.

The volume and pace of reform—from updated eviction procedures to new clauses around pets—are placing mounting pressure on agencies, particularly smaller independents.

Yasemin Kemal, Director of Property Management at Rental HQ and a respected industry professional with more than two decades of experience, says many agency owners are already nearing their limit.

“We’re seeing a significant rise in agencies struggling to maintain compliance and manage day-to-day operations,” she explains.

“With fee compression across the industry and rising salary expectations for experienced PMs, many independents are questioning the viability of managing their own rent roll.”

For agencies managing fewer than 100 properties, the situation is particularly challenging.

Employing a full-time property manager can quickly erode profitability, while juggling property management alongside sales and business development responsibilities is unsustainable for most principals.

Ms Kemal encourages agencies to ask themselves:

• Are we fully across the latest changes to tenancy and eviction laws?

• Have our internal systems been reviewed in light of new compliance requirements?

• Do we have the resources to manage these changes effectively, without compromising client service?

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Despite these challenges, many principals are hesitant to let go of their rent rolls—something Ms Kemal says is entirely understandable.

“Most agency owners hold onto their managements for two reasons,” she notes. “First, every property under management is a future listing opportunity. Second, a rent roll—when managed well—is one of the most valuable long-term business assets an agency can own.”

However, attempts to streamline operations through offshore virtual assistants (VAs) can backfire if not built on a foundation of solid internal processes.

“VAs can be a clever solution, but only if the agency already has clear systems in place,” she explains. “Without that structure, communication breaks down, and service delivery suffers.”

In recent months, she has seen a notable increase in enquiries from agency owners looking for a more complete solution. Rental HQ offers a full-service model that allows principals to retain 100 percent ownership of their rent roll while outsourcing the day-to-day management to a trusted local team.

“The scrutiny on licensees-in-charge has never been greater,” Ms Kemal says. “There’s more regulation, more paperwork, and less room for error.

What we provide is the ability for principals to step back from operations without sacrificing revenue, control, or the long-term value of their rent roll.”

The model is proving particularly attractive to business owners wanting to focus on sales, regain work-life balance, or scale their business without the operational burden.

In today’s market, the question isn’t just whether agencies can manage properties—it’s whether they can do it profitably, sustainably, and in full compliance with ever-tightening legislation.