Water Usage in Queensland

June 23, 2021

Water usage in Queensland rental properties is the most misunderstood issue in the industry, so we compiled 7 facts about it to help you.

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Sally

15:12 10 Aug 20

Arena Property Management are Awesome Property Agents!!! I feel very fortunate that Arena Property are managing the house that I rent. Laura is always extremely professional, friendly and helpful. Every time repairs or maintenance have been required at the house Laura & Dee contact the Owners promptly and the work is always completed quickly and to a high standard. I really appreciate the time and care taken by Arena Property to provide a fantastic service to both the Owners and the Tenants. Thank You.

Janine Daly

09:50 04 Sep 20

Great Agency Awesome property manager Awesome maintenance teamOur property is managed by Arena Property real estate, our property manager Laura is just wonderful she is respectful and listens to her tenants and is super helpful when dealing with any issues that arise. We also recently had our first inspection with Dee and oh my word she is just lovely, she was so super friendly respectful and helpful, we have lived in our house for almost 5 years and recently started dealing with this agency, they took the time to learn about us and our family situation, they are quick to help with any maintenance issues and their trades people are respectful and prompt, if your looking for a great agency you cannot go past a Arena 5 stars all around.

lucy Zhang

10:19 21 Sep 20

We were very impressed by Marvin during the process of purchasing of our next home in Eight Mile Plains. Highly professional, friendly and down-to-earth. Great communication between the buyers and the seller, and been extremely helpful to make the process smoothly as it could be. It has been a pleasure dealing with him and his team. It is not common that you get positive feedback from the buyers' side. We highly recommend Marvin for his excellent service, and will definitely seek for his assistance when we need a hand to manage our properties.

Sue Pham

10:22 24 Sep 20

Best Service!Never have I ever come across property managers who actually care about the tenants.Before we were even accepted with a property Laura from Arena kept us constantly updated and handled all our enquiries with such care and professionalism.Since being at this property all communication has been phenomenal. I doubt we will ever receive service this like this again.

Flap Jack

00:00 15 Oct 20

Laura provided us with a house after hours of persuading an owner to consider the possibility of our tenancy due to the fact that we are students. Without her we may have faced a lot of difficulty relocating, especially due to covid. Thanks to arena for giving us a happy home.

touma ishinozeki

01:29 13 Nov 20

Great service and experience!!Laura and Jack were a pleasure to deal with for my first rent out . They constantly kept me updated and worked around our schedule to ensure the whole process went smoothly. It was a great experience to work with someone as professional and genuine as them.

Simon Duan

04:18 13 Nov 20

Outstanding ServiceARENA property management is a very supportive and professional team. Our agent Laura Pope is explaining very single details before we start the process and she is all very easy to approach and helpful. With the help of Arena Team, we manage to rent my house in very short time and we are both happy about the result. As the landlord, I recommend you to choose ARENA as your letting agent, they will not let you down. Good job ! Arena Team 🙂

Nani Lee

02:15 04 Nov 21

Had a chance to speak to the agents about new property purchase and investment property rental management, wish I knew these guys before I contracted with my agent. I always thought it is what it is and didn't expect anything back from the real estate but this guys really care about my transaction, spend time to go through the details and most of all passionate about my property portfolio. Very impressive and highly recommended. I will definitely come to them when my contract is up with my current agent. Five star service with professionalism.

Azaad Mahomed

23:24 16 Jan 22

It was an absolute pleasure dealing with Marvin for our purchase. He made sure that we were well taken care of and explained everything we needed to know before any decisions were made.Thanks Marvin!!

Samantha Stenner

23:47 08 Jan 22

Jasmine, Catherine and the team at Arena Property Springwood were a dream to work with. With the sale of my house I needed to secure a rental ASAP. These ladies were efficient and friendly. 10/10

Greg Black

03:33 24 Feb 22

Jasmine and Arena Property are beautiful people to deal with and are so helpful and friendly. Would highly recommend them to anybody and hopefully will also be buying one of their properties in the future.

Alex Treloar

01:24 04 Nov 21

Catherine was so helpful with applying for our new home. I have applied for over 100 houses and never had a real estate agent actually take time out of their day to help with an application when they receive so many for a property. I’m sure without her help we would not have found the home of our dreams. Very excited to move in and have Arena as our realestate.

Lynn Hsu

11:18 17 Jul 22

Arena Agency is really awesome. I would say they're definitely the best agents nearby. I used to be the tenant of one of their managed property. They are very helpful and always reply us fast. Couple months ago we have to break the lease because we bought the house. Jason and his team have helped us so much. We have communicated many times, and he is very patient answering all my questions. It's not easy to find a real-estate agent like him. We really appreciated his patience and service. He's very professional and I do wish I can rate Arena more than 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐I will definitely use their service again if I have another property one day. They're professional and reliable.

Frankie Ho

05:13 01 Jul 22

"We are so grateful to have been recommended the services of Arena Property. We were fortunate enough to have had Jason all plays a role in managing our investment property promptly, professionally and effortlessly.Always contactable and approachable that is not tip of the tongue for most, into a manner that we were able to understand and digest, was super important to us.Jason delivered a great outcome for our investment property.Thank you!"

Yukiko Tirzah

01:58 08 Jul 22

Thank you so much for the great service! The staff named Amel is really helpful. I do recommend her great service! I hope that you could develop the company to be better and better each day.

Steven Yang

12:28 08 Jul 22

Thank you Arena for doing an amazing job and taking good care of the tenancy! Amelia and team are all very helpful. Happy to work with them!

Fangyu Chen

04:17 30 Jun 22

Arena Agency is an awesome property management team. They offered great service and always helped out in a timely manner. Especially Jason, who was extremely friendly and professional. I would greatly recommend their service and would come back again in the future.

Guy Smith

00:15 12 May 22

I purchased a townhouse on behalf of a client through Marvin Wong and he was great throughout the process. Marvin was upfront providing information about the property which gave us confidence to make an offer. Marvin is a great communicator and is always prompt responding to any queries. I'd highly recommend Marvin to sellers.

Prabhjot Singh

00:01 08 Jul 22

Arena property management is the best real estate agency in around. They helped me secure a home, with in one day, specially Jasmine she is a professional, who look after you and will help you find a perfect home for you, sorting it out according to your needs, family and preferences. Thanks to Arena management and Jasmine highly recommend.

Cash Zhang

11:25 10 Jul 22

Marvin has a wealth of experience in selling residential property and was my first choice real estate agent. Marvin and his team were very knowledgeable and got the job done with the minimum of fuss. Marvin helped us to get our property sold in days and it was our third property he sold for us. We can highly recommend Marvin and his team to anyone looking for the best results in selling or renting their property.

OnlineSales Seven Print

05:49 19 Sep 22

I would like to share my recent experience of letting out my apartment in South Brisbane. back in 2021 I had trouble letting it out due to close down, and I was not confident to increase the rent this year when the lease is finished. My property manager Jason has strongly encouraged me with his market knowledge. We had the property live on Thursday and already receiving applications before Sat the first open. More than 12 group show up on the first open, Jason has managed a efficient and organized open home with extra 2 staff from Arena, My apartment was rent out on the day with a $130 / week more than what I get now.I am very pleased with his service and more than that, he is really trying to help me to maximize the value of my rental property. He could has done the minimums by renew with a small increase but he didn't, he has gone through the hustle to built confident and knowledge and proofed me he is truly professional and he cares.Thank you Jason.

Carmen Ng

23:32 27 Oct 22

Marvin is the most efficient and communicative real estate agent I have dealt with. His friendly manner and proactive nature assisted in a smooth and quick sale. He ensured we were kept updated every step of the way from organising tradesmen to necessary repair and paintwork to recommending conveyancing as we were located interstate.His attention to detail is second to none, we are very glad we came across him and we are very happy with the result he achieved for us.

kartik pandey

21:07 07 Feb 23

Arena property agents is one of the best real estate agency in Brisbane. They always go above and beyond to keep both the tenants and landlords happy and always have their best interests in mind. The whole team is very helpful and humble and not to forget that, it is lead by a great and down to earth principal Marvin! who is always full of energy and enthusiasm which clearly shows in his work.

Carmen C

03:12 25 Nov 22

I'm a first home buyer and Marvin has been an absolute pleasure to work with. He's walked me through every step of the way of the entire process and turned a daunting experience to an extremely positive one.His honesty, communication and promptness is second to none. I highly recommend Arena Property Agents.

Dai Hartin

01:55 13 Dec 22

We want to thank you for all the fantastic work you have done for us! Thank you for going the extra mile for us on every step of our journey! We are so grateful for your assistance, patience and expertise!You have done it again!To Marvin and his team! Merry Christmas and Happy new year! Highly recommend!

Qiuying Wang

13:04 18 Sep 23

I highly recommend Arena Property Agents. Marvin was very prompt in responding to all the questions and matters that I sought his assistance. He was very kind, polite, proud, prompt, efficient and knowledgeable, I can’t find enough words to say thanks. He is really good at caring for people and for following up with any matters, he is the best sales agent that I have never worked with.And Jason is also very friendly and professional, good at understanding the interests of both homeowners and tenants, and actively and patiently communicates with all parties. He does not delay anything and always handles problems carefully and professionally. your team is very fortunate with having him.I definitely will work with them again.

L M

02:47 30 Oct 23

I have just sold a property through Arena and they have done an outstanding job! They went above and beyond in getting the property in good nick which ended up fetching a higher sale price.I’ve also been using Arena to manage my properties and I wish I found them earlier. I’ve used used at least 3 other property managers and none of them come close to the level of service I get from Arena. Highly recommend them for property management and property sales.

Michael Adams

06:35 10 Aug 23

I couldn't be happier after switching to Arena Property as my managing agent - especially with Rebecca Singleton-Foley at the helm. She helped guide me through a rough tenancy, and most importantly has given copious amounts of her time, excellent advice and direction with her trusted tradie contacts to help me get this property back into rentable shape. She's also gone even further and provided insurance suggestions based on real life experience. The property rented within only a few short days once online, a great result! Rebecca has demonstrated a high level of professionalism and reliability that is absolutely invaluable. She's one we'll stick with for life.

Mary Liu

05:39 01 Aug 23

As a real estate agent, Marvin is truly exceptional. He is thorough and efficient throughout the preparation, listing and negotiation process of my property sale. Marvin provided me and my husband, guidance and support for a very fast, smooth and pleasant property sale which could have otherwise been very daunting as first-time sellers. Thanks to Marvin and his team member Marley and Candy, patiently going over the process step by step with us, we were able to achieve a sale within a very short time frame. I couldn’t have been happier with ARENA Property’s service. I would not hesitate to recommend them to my family, friends and anyone, with confidence.

Sotirios Spiliotopoulos

07:04 25 Aug 23

Marvin Wong is the best agent! I have known Marvin Wong for 10 years plus. During this time, Marvin has sold 3 of my properties, has offered advice and helped my buy new properties. Apart from being a good person and great friend, he has constantly proven to be a genuine, professional and highly dedicated agent. Marvin's passion for real-estate really shows in how he presents not only himself but in his work. I cannot recommend Marvin more highly and will use Marvin again to buy or sell my next property.

Molly Xu

05:40 30 Oct 24

Marvin is an excellent agent, friendly, professional, approachable and reliable. Marvin is very efficient and knowledgeable with the market and sale of my home. He is fantastic real estate agents! his professionalism, dedication, and attention to detail made the entire process smooth and stress-free. Marvin always available to answer questions and provided invaluable guidance. Highly recommended! I had a great experience working with Marvin!

Sonika Navroz

01:30 22 Oct 24

Excellent service.From the time we saw the property online to making it our home, Marvin helped us at every stage. He showed us the property and all the licences and other documents that came with it. He explained at every step if there was something he had to say and also answered our questions in detail. If there was anything he did not know, he promptly found it out for us. He went out of his way to accommodate all our needs like additional inspections etc we wanted to get done and everything we asked to be fixed before the sale was done.Marvin is blessed with excellent communication skills and his professionalism is to be commended.Most importantly he became more of a friend by the end of the sale than just the agent. We could so easily connect with him at a personal level.We hope your business flourishes Marvin for you put your heart and soul into it.All the best!

Cheryl Pollock

05:38 29 Oct 24

Marley and his team did not disappoint. With his market knowledge of Multi-Unit Complexes and expertise he was able to achieve a contract in a matter of days and at a price we were extremely happy with. Marley went above and beyond to keep us informed and remained professional throughout working hard to make things happenWe would have no hesitation in recommending Marley

zhen li

00:20 06 Aug 24

.Rental team. .I recently had the pleasure of working with Jason and Arena Property, and I couldn’t be more impressed with their service. From the very beginning, Jason demonstrated a remarkable level of professionalism and expertise. He was responsive, approachable, and genuinely invested in ensuring that all my needs were met. I highly recommend Jason and Arena Property to anyone in need of top-notch property management. Their expertise, professionalism, and genuine care for their clients make them a standout choice in the field.

Hannah Dailo

05:13 01 Aug 24

Amazing experience with buying our first home with ARENA Property! The process was simple, quick and professional. Marvin, Marley and Candy had amazing service and had quick replies with their texts and emails. Thank you to Rebecca our property manager that took care of our investment home until we moved in. Incredible Service. 10/10

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Water usage in Queensland

June 24, 2021

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Water usage in Queensland rental properties is the most contentious and misunderstood issue in the industry today. Property Owners have been given the authority to charge tenants for water usage (under strict guidelines), but the Legislation makes it very hard for them to enforce this right. The issue is further complicated for interstate owners because water billing policy varies greatly between states. To try to clarify some of the challenges, here are a few facts that you as a property Owner needs to be aware of:

Fact 1: Water Billing Policy in QLD

In Queensland, all water bills are sent to the property owner and not the resident. This is because all the bills are in your name and it is a legislative requirement that you as the owner must pay the bill in full irrespective of whether you will be on charging the tenant.

Fact 2: Which part of the bill is chargeable to the tenant?

The owner must pay the full water bill before on charging the water usage part to the tenants. In the scenario below, the property is water compliant. Therefore, the tenant is charged the water usage section of the bill. The owner must pay for the full bill before on charging the tenants their portion of the bill.

The scenario below suggests the owner must pay $353.09 and on charge the tenants the water usage part of the bill = $160.01. Moreover, the tenant has 30 days from the day that they receive the invoice to reimburse the owner of the water usage part of the bill.

Fact 3: Can I charge the tenant the full water usage?

The tenant can be charged the full water usage if the property is ‘water compliant’ according to the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (‘WELS’) Scheme. You will need to contact a certified plumber to conduct an inspection on the property and provide the water compliance certificate. Should the property not be made water compliant, we can ask the tenant to pay anything above 35KL? If the property is water compliant, this will reflect Scenario 1. However, if the property is NOT water compliant, this will reflect Scenario 2.

Scenario 1:

The Property is water compliant the tenants are charged the full water usage = $160.01.

SCENARIO 2:

Here, the property is not water compliant, the tenants may be charged anything above 35KL. This bill is charged as below: 126KL-35KL = 91 KL. 126/517.08 = $4.10 * 91KL = $373.44. Hence, the tenants will be charged $373.44.

Fact 5: How long do the tenants have to pay for the water bill?

As per legislation the tenants have 30 days within receiving the bill to pay for their portion of the water usage. If the invoice is not paid for, they are in breach of their agreement and a Notice to Remedy Breach (RTA Form 11) will be issued.

Fact 6: How do you charge the tenants a water bill if they move or vacate the premises in between the water billing period?

When the entry condition report/exit report is conducted a water meter reading will be taken. This is calculated as per below.

Fact 7: What happens if there is faulty plumbing?

In the event of a water leak, the tenant can put forward an argument to avoid paying the water usage bill. Should they take matters further and progress to QCAT, studies have shown that adjudicators do favour the tenants in regard to this situation. Thus, ensuring your property is well maintained will prevent tenants from seeking compensation.

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