Paperwork helper for self-managing landlords

Investors with one to five rental properties, owners who work full time, and landlords who live interstate or overseas and manage their own tenants.

A monthly fee per property, or an hourly rate for one-off jobs like lease preparation or catching up on messy records.

• Organised and detail-focused
• Comfortable with spreadsheets or accounting software
• Clear written communication
• Discreet with financial information

• Collecting or holding rent on an owner's behalf is usually a licensed real estate activity, so check your state's licensing body before touching any rent money
• Keep rent going straight from tenant to owner, and only record and report on it
• Professional indemnity and public liability insurance, so check what cover suits admin work
• Bookkeeping or tax advice may need registration, so check what you can do without a BAS agent or tax agent registration
• Council approval may be needed to run a business from home, so check with your local council
• Handle tenant and owner personal information carefully under privacy rules

Startup costs are typically around $500 to $3,000, depending on the software, insurance and equipment you choose. That suits a home office setup, so check what insurance cover suits admin work before you take on clients.

Collecting or holding rent for an owner is usually a licensed real estate activity, so check your state's licensing body first. Keep rent going straight from tenant to owner, and only record and report on it.

Monthly revenue is typically around $600 to $3,500, depending on how many landlords you work with and the services you offer. Hours start at around six a week, so it can begin part-time. These are estimates only.