What does a real week look like?
Monday starts with the arrears report. You check which tenants missed rent over the weekend, then send reminders, make calls and follow up on payment plans before anyone falls further behind. After that comes the overnight maintenance inbox: a leaking tap, a broken oven, sometimes a burst pipe that needed a plumber at 2am. You sort each job by urgency, issue work orders to trades and let owners know about the cost.
Two or three days a week you are out of the office. You do routine inspections with photos and notes, ingoing and outgoing condition reports, and the odd meeting with a tradesperson to quote a bigger job. Back at your desk you write inspection reports for owners, chase renewal decisions, check market rents and approve invoices.
Friday is usually end-of-month or disbursement pressure, lease signings and tenancy applications. Tribunal hearings land whenever they are listed. When one does, you need your ledger, notices and photos in order and ready to present.
Which tasks take the most time?
Maintenance and communication eat most of the week. Every request means a three-way conversation between tenant, owner and trade. The urgent ones cannot wait. In NSW, urgent repairs cover problems that threaten the structure, put lives at risk, leave a home unsafe or insecure, or cut off essential services. Arrears come next, because rent that goes unchased for a week is hard to recover.
Renewals and rent reviews come in cycles. Bond work sits at both ends of a tenancy. You lodge the bond with the state authority at the start. At the end you compare the exit condition with the entry report and agree any deductions. If the parties cannot agree, the dispute goes to the tribunal. Portfolio size depends on the agency and on how much leasing and admin support you have. It is the main thing that decides how manageable the job feels.
How does state tenancy law shape the job?
Tenancy law is state-based, and it decides your diary. In NSW, routine inspections need at least 7 days' written notice each time, with no more than 4 in any 12 months. Entry is generally not allowed on Sundays, on public holidays or outside 8am to 8pm. Victoria allows no general inspection in the first 3 months of a rental agreement and no more than one every 6 months after that. Queensland allows one routine inspection every 3 months unless the tenant agrees in writing.
The rules keep changing. From 19 May 2025, NSW owners need a valid reason to end any lease. In NSW, tenants can apply to keep a pet, and the application is approved automatically if the owner does not answer within 21 days. NSW also limits rent increases to once a year. Each change adds paperwork and owner conversations. A good property manager keeps owners informed before the law forces the issue.
Who suits the job?
People who do well are organised, calm on the phone and comfortable saying no to an owner or a tenant when the law requires it. You need to keep accurate records, because tribunal outcomes often come down to whether a notice was served correctly and whether the photos match the condition report.
The job suits people who like variety and problem solving more than selling. It can be tiring when a portfolio is too large or support is thin. Many property managers later move into business development, senior or head of department roles, sales, strata or commercial management.
Pay
AUD a year, before tax. Award rows are the official Real Estate Industry Award 2020 (MA000106) minimums from 1 July 2026. Typical earnings are modelled from ABS Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025), moved forward with a wage index, and the state figures are modelled estimates. Portfolio size, location and seniority move actual pay. Refer to the Residential Property Management salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- State licence or registrationProperty management is licensed work under state law. The entry requirements differ between states and are set out in our state licence guides.
- Driver's licence and carInspections, condition reports and meetings with trades happen on site, so most agencies expect you to drive your own car.
- Working knowledge of tenancy lawYou need to know your state's notice periods, entry limits, bond rules and grounds for ending a tenancy. Get these wrong and you can lose a tribunal case.
- Record keepingRent ledgers, served notices, photos and condition reports are your evidence in bond disputes and hearings.
- CommunicationYou negotiate every day with owners, tenants and trades, often when someone is unhappy.
State by state
| New South Wales | Inspections need at least 7 days' written notice, up to 4 times in 12 months. Entry is generally not allowed on Sundays, public holidays or outside 8am to 8pm. From 19 May 2025 owners need a valid reason to end any lease, and NCAT hears disputes. |
|---|---|
| Victoria | A general inspection needs 7 days' written notice. It can only happen after the first 3 months and no more than once every 6 months, between 8am and 6pm on days that are not public holidays. Bonds go to the RTBA within 10 business days of receipt, and VCAT hears disputes. |
| Queensland | Routine inspections are limited to once every 3 months unless the tenant agrees in writing, and need 7 days' notice on an Entry notice (Form 9). Bonds must be lodged with the RTA within 10 days, and the maximum is 4 weeks' rent for general tenancies. |
How to get there
- Before you startGet licensed or registeredComplete your state's entry-level property management requirement before you take on a role.
- Year 1Leasing or admin roleLearn applications, lease paperwork, bond lodgement and the trust accounting basics.
- Years 1-2Assistant property managerSupport a senior manager with maintenance, arrears and inspections across a shared portfolio.
- Years 2-4Property managerRun your own portfolio, including renewals, owner reporting and tribunal matters.
- Years 4+Senior PM or BDMTake the complex portfolios, or move into winning new management business for the agency.
- Years 5+Head of department or licenseeLead a team, own compliance and the rent roll, and take on the full licence where your state requires it.
Open now on PropertyRoles.com.au
Questions people ask
How often can a property manager inspect a rental?
It depends on the state. NSW allows up to 4 inspections in 12 months, each with at least 7 days' written notice. Victoria allows one every 6 months after the first 3 months, and Queensland allows one every 3 months unless the tenant agrees in writing.
Who lodges the bond?
Usually the property manager. In Victoria, landlords, property managers and agents can lodge bonds with the RTBA, and must do so within 10 business days of receiving the money. In Queensland the bond must be lodged with the RTA within 10 days, and failing to do so is an offence.
Do property managers go to tribunal?
Yes. When tenants and owners cannot settle disputes over rent arrears, bond deductions, repairs or ending a tenancy, the matter goes to the state tribunal, which is NCAT in NSW and VCAT in Victoria. The property manager usually prepares the evidence and often appears for the owner.
Can a NSW landlord end a lease without a reason?
No. Since 19 May 2025, NSW owners must give a valid reason to end any type of lease, and longer notice periods apply to some leases. This changed how property managers handle end-of-lease conversations with owners.
What is the minimum pay for a property manager?
Under the Real Estate Industry Award 2020, the Level 2 representative minimum is $58,193 a year, or $29.45 an hour, from 1 July 2026. Typical earnings sit higher, at around $80,700 a year nationally on modelled ABS data.
Is property management a stepping stone to sales?
It can be. You build tenancy law knowledge and relationships with owners, and some of those owners later sell. Others stay in management and move up to senior, business development or department head roles.
Sources
- NSW Fair Trading: Minimum notice periods for access to rental property
- NSW Fair Trading: Landlord access and entry to a rental property
- NSW Fair Trading: Landlord responsibilities for repair and maintenance
- NSW Government: Ending no grounds evictions on 19 May 2025
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Rental providers' entry rights and responsibilities
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Lodging the bond with the RTBA
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Property management agreements and bonds
- Residential Tenancies Authority (Qld): Routine inspections
- Residential Tenancies Authority (Qld): Rental bond
