Policy: Switching Between Long-Term Leasing & Short-Term Stays 

Company Position: 

Property Provider’s vision is to “Help People Live Better” by being Sydney’s most flexible residential rental company. This vision is driven by three core values: Passion, Performance and Partnership. Importantly, we seek profit not through dollars and cents, but through the pursuit of our guiding principle that all meaningful long-term partnerships have a strong foundation of mutual investment, respect, risk and commitment. We aim to create these virtues in all our relationships and touch points with long-term leasing tenants, short-term rental guests, employees, suppliers, partners and our property owner partners.

Document Purpose: 

To clearly communicate Property Providers Policy in relation to transferring a property between short-term rentals and long-term leasing (or vice versa). 

Background: 

Property Providers is positioned as Sydney’s most flexible residential rental agency ( offering six different rental services).  Our motto is that it is “Your Property, Your Way.” We encourage our partner owners to leverage the full breadth of our service range to suit their individual situation and of course both their short-term and long-term goals. Many of our owners take advantage of our unique ability and willingness to switch between long-term and short-term rentals. As stated, we support pivoting between products however it is important to recognize that short-term stays and long-term leasing operate under different legal frameworks with differing marketing channels, operational systems, separate trust accounts and in some cases different staff members. Therefore, it is important to have a structure in place regarding switching between rental models to avoid confusion and conflict for all parties. There is also the consideration of the purpose of the occupant of the property to keep in mind. In relation to short-term stays, the occupant of the dwelling is a guest who is requiring temporary accommodation. Juxtaposing when long-term leasing a property, the occupant (tenant) requires a primary or principal place of residence. Therefore, the occupant’s needs and expectations vary depending on their rental model. By managing this process several times, we have identified the traps and pitfalls of switching between rental models and have drafted the policy to provide structure and clarity around the process.  

Policy Objectives:

  1. To be clear, concise, consistent, reasonable, and provide a fair operational framework. 
  2. To effectively manage expectations on all sides of the equation (i.e. internally, to guest/tenant and to owner/investor). 
  3. To proactively anticipate and avoid confusion, conflict, and costs for all parties. 
  4. To adhere to regulations and compliance. 

Agency Policy:

  • This policy has several different elements and components to it and so has been structured as follows:  

Assessment & Confirmation: 

  • Should the owner wish to switch rental models, they must notify Property Providers in writing with as much notice as possible.  
  • Property Providers will then conduct an onsite inspection at the property to determine if it is appropriate to switch and report on what is required to do so before an agreement to switch is made i.e., painting, carpet cleaning, re-stocking of crockery/cutlery, etc.  
  • Should the owner confirm they are willing to adhere to our recommendations, the switch can be organized. Otherwise, at this point, the request to switch can be respectfully denied by the agency if the property is not suitable for the alternate rental offering. 
  • For the rental model switch to be approved, the owner must commit to the chosen model for a minimum period of six-months to make it worthwhile to conduct the changeover i.e. a property cannot flip back and forth constantly as this can create confusion and conflict. 
  • An initial upfront commitment of six months is where the agency defines whether occupancy is long-term or short-term. Importantly, short-term rentals that begin as less than six months as an initial term and then extend beyond six months are still considered short-term rentals as the occupant’s intent remains that they require the property for temporary accommodation purposes. 
  • A switching cost of $150.00 + GST will be charged to the existing owners’ ledger at the time of being advised/notified that the rental structure is changing.  
  • Appropriate management agreements will need to be in place as there are different costs, processes and legal frameworks that are required.  
  • Owners must also be aware that a short-term property has different government regulations that need to be followed, including registering the property with Fair Trading and fire safety compliance regulations.   
  • Owners must understand that Property Providers use different software for short-term renting versus long-term leasing and therefore owner payments will be made on different dates and statements will look different depending on the model chosen. If this happens mid-year – in no case will the accounts be aggregated into a single statement, so the owner will have two EOFY statements for that year.  
  • It is the owner’s responsibility to understand their strata by-laws in relation to rentals and what is/is not permitted.   
  • The owner is responsible for having the correct insurance required for the rental model they are choosing to operate on.

Operations & Cleaning:  

  • Owners understand that when transferring between properties, extra charges for cleaning can occur due to the different styles of renting.
  • The management of a property pivots from the occupants being Short-Term Rentals (or Guests)  to Long-Term Leasing (or Tenant), therefore, Property Providers will by default dress the present property in its best possible light and commensurate with an executive or luxury rental.  This will include preparing/making the beds to maximize rent. The labour (pick, pack, ship and pick up) and linen rental costs will apply and will be charged to the owner’s account ledger (if there is an existing lease) or the client’s credit card on file at the most current linen higher rate. If there are enough funds available or if the credit card has expired or been cancelled, we will create/send an invoice for immediate payment. The agency will then organize the linen to be collected from the property prior to the tenancy commencement. If the tenant requests for the linen to remain, Property Providers will collect the linen no more than 30 days after lease commencement and will charge the owner for this service at our nominated labour rates (minimum call, two hours)  to pick up and transport to our warehouse as well as charge the tenant for the refreshed set. 
  • Connection or disconnection of utilities including but not limited to; electricity, gas, water, internet, Foxtel, etc. are solely the responsibility of the owner.  
  • It is our standing recommendation that Internet/WI-FI in a furnished property is never disconnected to enable switching rental models to be smoother. If Property Providers is required to meet trades at the property to assist in connecting/disconnecting services our labour rates card will apply.  
  • If the internet is not working when tenants/guests move into the property, Property Providers reserves the right to provide guests with a pocket WI-FI dongle and recharge at the owner’s expense. 
  • If Property Providers is required to organize, order, and manage deliveries on the owner’s behalf to make the property guest-ready then labour rates will apply. Vice Versa if we are required to organize the disposal of items then labour and disposal costs will apply.   
  • If the owner returns in between switching they need to ensure enough time is provided to conduct the switch after their departure, i.e. getting guests ready. 

Marketing:  

  • At the time of switching, it is to be assessed what marketing package the owner is currently on and what upgrades/ new marketing packages are appropriate to drive results and achieve desired outcomes. Any current or previous marketing commitment will expire on its original renewal date.   
  • The agency also requires enough time to update the property’s advertising to ensure it is accurate and reflective of the property’s current condition. In some circumstances, new photographs may be required.  

Execution:  

  • When transferring a property’s rental offering between short-term stays or long-term leasing, Property Providers require the property to be vacant for a minimum of one week from the end of the existing in-house rental to ensure a smooth and professional transition. 
  • At the end of the existing in-house stay, the Property Manager will be responsible for conducting an onsite inspection of the property, to the extent below:
    • For long-term leasing:  An outgoing condition report. This can take several hours, especially for furnished properties. If damage is discovered, the legislation provides consumer rights for the tenant to go back and rectify the damage themselves (often it is cleaning) or by using their trades and incurring the costs directly. This coordination of this communication and planning can take far more time than people anticipate. 
    • For short-term stays: The property manager will need to not only conduct a post-exit clean inspection but will also need to complete our “Guest Experience Review Process.” This checks that the property is “guest ready” and provides insights into what needs to be fixed if it is not. Then time is required to sort out any last-minute fixes or additions that need to be made.    

Rationale:

Switching between rental models is more complex than it may initially seem. We are happy to provide our owners with this option as part of our flexible service offering but need to manage it appropriately to ensure the best results for all parties involved.  

We feel the above policy supports our company’s value of Partnership. We feel it is important to collaborate to effectively drive results. 

Time is required to do this properly.  Property Providers core purpose is to “Help People Live Better.” We believe that it is important to give our staff and partners reasonable preparation time to do their respective jobs in order to successfully execute a rental model switch. 

Reference Materials: 

Effective Date:  This policy is effective July 1, 2021

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