3 Great Property Management Tools For New Zealand Landlords
Over the years, I’ve used many websites and social media pages as my very own property management tools. If I was forced to choose the top three sites of all time for landlords, they would be the ones included in this article.
So let me walk you through the three core angles from which I approached this curated list.
Tenancy Management
In simple words: your tenants pay off your rental property mortgage. Without them, you would not be a landlord.
This makes tiptop tenancy management vital to protecting your investment, your revenue streams and, of course, providing a well-functioning home for your tenants.
Property Management
The playground that all landlords and property investors play in is complex and continually changing. It requires skills and knowledge in several disciplines, including finance, property, real estate, public relations, marketing, building, décor – and a myriad of trades!
Real Estate Investment Management
Other than your own home, a rental property will almost always be the most expensive investment you ever make.
Maybe the only investments that surpass this will be your second and third rental properties. Making sound and well-thought-out decisions on the location, expected rental yield, timing, type and purpose of these properties is vital. Checkout our rental yield calculator.
The following three sites are my top picks for the most useful property management tools for landlords in New Zealand.
Managing Tenants: Tenancy Services
This may sound a little radical, but there are two organisations that I think you should seek to make friends with! The first one is the IRD and the second is NZ Tenancy Services.
For many, the mere mention of either of these can get the heart racing or the blood boiling, but that does not need to be the case. Both of them are (most of the time) fair, consistent, and there for the good of all of us.
The tenancy services website is a powerful and very complete repository of all you need for rental property management. More specifically, for managing anything and everything to do with tenants and your tenancy – from understanding accountings to maintenance requests, rent payments, online rent collection, and more.
Using Tenancy Services Tools And Resources
The way I use this site is to treat it as a top-level but definitive guide on anything that relates to:
- What tenants are allowed to do and not allowed to do.
- What tenants can expect and ask for.
- What landlords must do and are obliged to do as part of their rental property management.
- What landlords must not do and should not do.
I also use this site for the many phases and stages that a tenancy goes through, including:
- What are the minimum standards for rental properties before they can be tenanted?
- What should be included in the tenancy agreement?
- How to collect rent and bond.
- The options if rent is late, and also the options if rent is REALLY late!
- How to manage disagreements
- How tenancy services can assist with disagreements, late rent, and property damage.
How To Find Whatever You Need In The Site
You can often go down many rabbit holes when navigating this website and its many tools for landlords. It takes a while to get into the mind of the website designer to work out where everything is. However, I find that the search feature is very powerful – and will usually include exactly what you want.
The forms, templates, and resources there are very useful! As most of the templates are available in a *.doc format, you can download, save, and create whatever you need for your rental property.
Pro Tip: Even though I have many of the templates saved on my computer, I usually go back to the site to get the latest version. This is just in case there have been changes to legislation and thresholds, etc.
Managing Property – Property Investors Chat Group NZ Facebook Group
Ok. Technically, this is not a website. However, this Facebook group is one of the best tools I have come across for both self-managing landlords and landlords working with a property manager.
This Facebook group is administered by members of the New Zealand Property Investors Federation.
There are three reasons why I picked this as one of the most robust property management tools and a go-to place for all landlords in New Zealand…reach, reach, and reach!
This page has more than 60,000 active property managers, landlords, and rental property owners. It has no ads and is well-managed to keep users respectful and focused on what the group is there for.
Almost every topic will be relevant for landlords interested in rental property management. A key benefit of this group is that you will get full coverage of a topic with robust discussions on the many angles that people have on it. You will also be able to connect with other landlords who have worked through the issue, what they have learnt, and their recommendations on what they would do differently.
How to use the Property Investors Facebook page
While it is easy to post your own questions, you will find regular browsing of the content will be highly valuable and informative. There is also a healthy balance between property managers and self-managing landlords.
Pro Tip: Make sure you read the rules for the page before posting to avoid getting your content blocked. You shouldn’t post irrelevant, commercial or self-promoting content as you might get a ban from the group admins. That said, the site actively encourages newbies and experienced property investors alike – and the people there are helpful and friendly.
Investment Management – OPES Partners
Managing your existing or potential property investment properties is a fundamental part of being a landlord.
Perhaps the best way to describe it is on the OPES website… “Property investment is a bit like hitting the gym for the first time. You’re faced with a bunch of stuff you don’t understand and are forced to make so many choices, it’s tough to know where to begin.”
Just getting it out in the open at the start… I don’t have any connection with this company! They don’t know me, and I have never purchased any services from them. My comments below relate to the information and property management tools available for free on the site. They provide a range of property investment services, but I have not used these.
How to use OPES Partners Website
The site’s layout is great. It has three sections along the top that will be directly relevant for property investors and those owning or managing rental properties. The sections are:
- Learn to Invest
- NZ Property Market
- Resources
Each of these sections include a comprehensive range of advice, guides and tools to help you make decisions about what to invest in and where. The content is current, with much of the content being live…in real-time.
Their ‘Rental Yield Calculator’ under the Resources section is powerful and comprehensive. There are also other calculators for mortgage serviceability and mortgage affordability which are very useful in these times, especially as banks seem to be continually tightening the rules.
Some of these calculators are online, while others, the more detailed versions, are available for free download from their website – as an excel document.
The NZ Property Market section has useful information on prices and trends for all of the main regions in New Zealand. There are also video explainers for many regions describing what is happening in that area and whether they are a good location to buy.
Wrapping Up
Do you have other sites that you consider ‘must-use’ property management tools for landlords? Then send us a message! Leveraging the many resources available for landlords will help you excel in the journey to financial freedom through rentals.
At Your Home Our Home, we are OBSESSED with helping landlords make the absolute most of their rental investment experience. Sign up for our affordable and easy-to-use self-managing software designed for you! Got questions? Check our FAQs page. See you inside!