The Blog

Dec 14, 2017

Tenant of the Month November 2017

We are super thrilled to announce November's winners for Tenant of the Month! These tenants moved into our home at the beginning of the year and with a bit of guidance and education they are truly making  an effort to look after this property, we are so happy with these tenants! They have made us proud throughout the tenancy with communication, their constant effort on keeping the house clean and tidy and we love seeing them every week without fail to pay their rent! Well done to you three... you totally deserve this award!

Nov 28, 2017

19 Unwin Crescent Plans

Nov 8, 2017

Christmas Colouring Competition

Be in to win $200 to spend at Toyworld! To enter, simply colour in the picture and return to our office with your name and contact details. Our office is located at 5/53 Angelo Street, South Perth (above Coles Supermarket. Return your kids creative artistic skills to our office before Monday 11th December 2017 5pm to be in to win! Xmas Comp 2017 Winner will be announced via Facebook on Tuesday 12th December so be sure to like and follow us on Facebook to find out if you're the lucky winner! @RWRrealestate

Nov 7, 2017

Tenant of the Month - October 2017

Congratulations to Sharon & Karen! These lovely ladies have been long term tenants since September 2011 and are the ultimate "ideal tenants"! It is a wonderful moment when the team come bouncing into the office to advise that they have a nomination for Tenant of the Month  and this is exactly what they did after their recent routine inspection! Congratulations Sharon & Karen, we hope that you enjoy our token of appreciation and a night out at the movies on us!

Nov 6, 2017

Protecting Children

A recent coronial inquest was held into the death of a 22 month old boy, who tragically died at his family’s Yokine home in October 2013.  Forensic pathologists found that the boy had died of injuries he suffered when the 1.25m tallboy he was climbing on toppled onto him. During the inquest the boy’s mother gave evidence that before the tragedy she had asked her landlord to allow her to bolt the tallboy to a wall but her request had been denied. Small children tend to climb on freestanding bookshelves, drawers, wardrobes and sideboards and if they are unsecured the child’s weight can cause them to topple.  Furniture units over a metre tall and any unstable furniture should be secured using angle braces or anchors screwed into the wall. Landlords have a responsibility to ensure that rental premises are safe to live in.  Under common law, landlords have a duty of care to tenants, as well as to anyone the tenant invites into the property. As you would be aware, under Western Australian tenancy law, tenants can be prohibited from affixing fixtures, renovating, altering or amending a home OR they can be allowed to, on a case-by-case basis with consent.  Consumer Protection encourages landlords and property managers to give tenants the permission to anchor furniture in a bid to protect children. It is important to remember that a hole in a wall can be patched or repaired at the end of a rental agreement, but a child’s life cannot be replaced. As evidenced above, unstable furniture can tip over when a child climbs or pulls on it.  If the furniture falls on top of a child it can cause serious injuries or be fatal.  Between 2000 and 2015, at least 14 children under the age of 9 died in Australia after domestic furniture fell on them, with many more presenting to hospitals with serious injuries. SOURCE: Consumer Protection Bulletin

Oct 9, 2017

Tenant of the Month - September 2017

Congratulations Andrew & Brenda for winning Tenant of the Month for September 2017. It is lovely to see how well you are looking after your home and garden.  Rent has been on time and you are a lovely couple to communicate with. Thanks again for being wonderful tenants Andrew & Brenda....... enjoy a night out at the movies on us!

Sep 8, 2017

WA State Budget Good News For Property Owners

The 2017 Western Australian State Budget left property taxes alone, but introduced a new 4 per cent foreign-owner duty surcharge. The McGowan Government has listened to the concerns of the Western Australian property industry and did not change property taxes in the 2017 State Budget. The treasurer, the Hon Ben Wyatt MLA, said the state government did not consider increasing property taxes for Western Australian residents as a budget repair measure, recognising the impact of the three consecutive land tax increases in previous budgets. REIWA deputy president Damian Collins welcomed the decision. “REIWA welcomes the state government’s commitment to keep property taxes on hold for WA residents, and whilst some of the reforms we recommended were not addressed in the Budget, we appreciate the current fiscal position,” he said. Related content: Perth property prices could tick higher this spring: REIWA The four per cent foreign-owner duty surcharge The Western Australian government plans to introduce a four per cent foreign-owner duty surcharge from 1 January 2019. This measure is expected to raise $49 million by 2020-21. Collins warned foreign investors should not be further discouraged. "Despite foreign investors only representing a small proportion of the Western Australian property market, caution must be placed to ensure this section of the market does not reduce further." Collins warned that even though the Western Australian government expects to raise revenue from the surcharge, transfer duty revenue may actually decline if foreign investors are discouraged from buying residential property in Western Australia. REIWA recommendations In its pre-budget submission, REIWA recommended the government: Make no further changes to rates or thresholds for land tax. Don't increase transfer duty rates or change thresholds. Undertake a state tax review to assess the viability of a shift to a broad-based land tax system that ultimately removes transfer duty. Maintain the existing transfer duty exemption for first home buyers at $430,000 and re-introduce the $3,000 First Home Owners Grant for existing dwellings. Introduce a $10,000 concession on transfer duty for seniors over the age of 65 to encourage ‘right sizing’. Stronger economic growth in Western Australia is predicted The State Budget revealed that Western Australian economic growth is expected to recover from 0.25 per cent in 2016-17, to three per cent in 2017-18. Employment growth is also forecast to recover, with nearly 20,000 jobs expected to be created in 2017-18, attributed to a modest increase in population growth. (SOURCE: The Real Estate Conversation)

Sep 5, 2017

Is Co-Living The Next Big Thing?

Co-living is evolving all around the world, meeting the needs of younger generations who aren't interested in buying a home and who want to live with less. A new report from Secret Agent examines the phenomenon. Co-living spaces are popping up in major cities all over the world, including London, New York and Tokyo. The main features of co-living are: well designed communal spaces communal activities the deliberate fostering of community and belonging flexibility of tenure furnished rooms single payment covers bills, and even amenities such as shampoo, coffee, and gym access Co-living meets the needs of younger generations who are more interested in travelling and experiencing the world than settling down with a home and mortgage. Co-living is also in line with the growing 'living with less' movement. Good design and planning are essential for co-living dwellings to work. Another downside of co-living is the perception that co-living is an inferior form of accommodation. However, the Secret Agent report concludes: Overall co-living will not be for everyone however Secret Agent feels that this is a beneficial addition to the housing market. It will be interesting to see if co-living truly takes off in Australia as it has in the USA and other parts of the world. Want to read more? Check out the Secret Agent Report HERE