Is your rent still at market?
Improve the performance of the property you own.
Best for: Owners whose rent hasn't been reviewed in the past 12 months
A property can become harder to hold simply because the rent has not kept pace with the market. Small gaps compound quietly over a year.
Why this matters
Rent that drifts below market erodes the cash flow buffer that lets you hold through rate rises, vacancies and unexpected costs. The numbers add up quickly: a $50 per week gap is $2,600 per year, before considering any compounding effect on your holding position. Owners often don't notice the gap because increases feel disruptive to arrange, so they get deferred.
POTENTIAL IMPACT
$50 per week below market = $2,600 per year
What to check
- Current weekly rent
- Date of last increase
- Comparable rentals in the immediate area
- Local vacancy conditions
- Lease expiry date and any rent review clauses
Who can help
Property manager
Ask for a written rental appraisal with recent comparables and a recommendation for the next review.
TAKE ACTION · EMAIL TEMPLATE
5 minutes — one email to your property manager
Request a rental appraisal
Copy this email and send it to your property manager.
What happens next
Compare the appraisal against your last increase date. If the gap is more than 5%, ask your property manager to outline the process and notice period for a rent review. If the market has softened, this is also useful information: it tells you not to expect an increase, and to focus on the other HOLD levers instead.
Important considerations
- This is general information, not personal financial or legal advice. Confirm specifics with your own adviser before acting.
THE HOLD QUESTION
Is this property earning what it should, or are you quietly subsidising it?
NOT SURE WHAT TO ASK AI?
Ask a Better Property Question
Most people don't need more AI — they need to ask AI better questions. Type your question (or skip it) and copy a prompt that makes any AI tool ask you the right things first.
I am trying to understand this property issue. Before answering, identify any important information that is missing. Ask me only the questions that materially affect the answer. Once I respond, explain the issue in plain English, separate facts from assumptions, identify the main risks and give me the next three actions. Flag anything that should be confirmed with a qualified professional.
Privacy: do not paste passwords, tax file numbers, bank account details or other sensitive personal information into an AI tool. If a document contains personal details it doesn't need, redact them before uploading. This is a way to prepare — not financial, tax or legal advice.
Not sure what else to review?
Run the Annual HOLD CheckRelated HOLD Tips
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