Property Management Operations & Arrears Assistant

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Property Management Operations & Arrears Assistant to provide comprehensive back-office support to our Victorian property management team.

The primary purpose of this role is to take ownership of the day-to-day administrative and follow-up functions of the portfolio, allowing our Senior Property Manager and Australian-based Property Managers to focus on owner relationships, inspections, complex tenancy matters and portfolio management.

This is a proactive role. We are looking for someone who does not simply process tasks, but actively monitors outstanding matters, follows them through to completion and escalates issues when required.

Important: All communication with property owners/landlords must go through our Senior Property Manager. The offshore team member is not to communicate directly with owners unless specifically instructed to do so.

Key Responsibilities

1. Rental Arrears Management

Arrears management will be a key responsibility of this role.

• Review the rental arrears report every business day.
• Identify all renters who have fallen into arrears.
• Contact renters promptly by telephone, SMS and email.
• Follow up outstanding rent consistently.
• Obtain payment commitments and expected payment dates.
• Record all payment arrangements and commitments.
• Diary promised payment dates and follow up immediately if payment is not received.
• Maintain detailed file notes of all calls, emails, SMS and renter responses.
• Monitor repeat arrears and identify renters with recurring payment issues.
• Maintain an up-to-date Arrears Action Register.
• Escalate persistent, serious or non-responsive arrears to the Senior Property Manager.
• Provide clear arrears summaries showing the amount outstanding, days in arrears, last contact, payment commitment and next action required.

There should be no arrears matter without a documented follow-up action and next step.

Any decision regarding formal notices, possession proceedings or VCAT will be handled internally.

2. Maintenance Coordination

• Manage maintenance requests from renter notification through to completion, including logging requests, gathering information, coordinating contractors/access, obtaining quotations and following up works.
• Monitor outstanding and overdue maintenance, maintain accurate records and escalate urgent or unresolved matters to the Senior Property Manager.
• Prepare maintenance updates, quotations and supporting information as required.

Maintenance matters should be actively managed from request through to completion, rather than simply logged into the system.

3. Rental Applications

• Process applications, check completeness, conduct employment/income and rental reference checks, and follow up missing information.
• Prepare application summaries, maintain accurate records and assist approved applicants through to tenancy commencement

Final applicant approval remains with the Australian-based team/owner.

4. New Tenancy Administration

• Prepare and coordinate rental agreements, tenancy documents and electronic signing, including following up outstanding signatures.
• Enter and maintain accurate tenancy information, issue approved renter correspondence and ensure complete, correctly categorized digital files.

5. Lease Renewals

• Monitor upcoming lease expiries, maintain renewal schedules and flag matters requiring action.
• Prepare and issue approved renewal documentation, follow up outstanding signatures and update records upon completion.
• Escalate unresponsive renters or disputes.

All communication with owners regarding renewals, rental amounts or lease strategy is to be handled by the Senior Property Manager.

6. Rent Review Administration

• Monitor upcoming rent reviews, maintain schedules and provide relevant tenancy/property information to the Senior Property Manager.
• Prepare approved renter notices, track dates, follow up outstanding actions and update records.

The offshore assistant does not determine rental pricing or negotiate rental amounts with owners.

7. Vacating Renters

• Process Notices of Intention to Vacate, update records, issue approved instructions and monitor the tenancy through to vacate.
• Coordinate final inspection scheduling, follow up documentation and keys/access devices, maintain file notes and prepare files for finalization.
• Escalate disputes or issues to the Senior Property Manager.

8. Rental Applications

• Assist with routine bond administration, documentation, record keeping and follow-up.
• Ensure supporting documents are correctly filed and immediately escalate bond disputes.

The offshore team member is not authorized to negotiate or resolve disputed bond claims.

9. New Tenancy Administration

• Monitor and schedule routine inspections, issue renter notices/reminders and coordinate or follow up access.
• Upload inspection documentation, assist with reports and identify maintenance or follow-up actions.
• Escalate overdue inspections or significant issues.

All owner communication and delivery of inspection outcomes must go through the Senior Property Manager.

10. Lease Renewals

• Maintain the compliance register, monitor due dates and coordinate approved contractors and renter access.
• Follow up outstanding appointments, certificates and reports, upload documentation and monitor upcoming Victorian safety/compliance requirements.
• Escalate overdue or unresolved compliance matters immediately.

This includes applicable Victorian rental property safety and compliance requirements managed by the agency.

11. Rent Review Administration

The offshore assistant may communicate directly with renters regarding routine matters such as:

• Arrears, maintenance and contractor access.
• Inspections, lease/renewal documentation and approved rent review notices.
• Applications, vacating procedures, compliance access and general administrative enquiries.

All communication must be professional and recorded in the property management system. Sensitive, unusual or disputed matters must be escalated to the Senior Property Manager.

12. Owner Communication – Strict Requirement

All owner/landlord communication must go through the Senior Property Manager.

Unless specifically instructed otherwise, the offshore team member must not:

• Call or email owners directly.
• Negotiate, advise or make commitments to owners.
• Discuss rental pricing, compensation or disputes with owners.
• Approve expenditure.

Instead, the assistant will:

• Prepare information, draft communications and supporting documents for the Senior Property Manager.
• Identify matters requiring owner decisions and flag outstanding approvals.
• Record instructions and follow up internally to keep matters progressing.

The Senior Property Manager remains the primary owner contact and relationship manager.

13. Property Management Inbox Management

• Monitor, review and categorize property management inboxes; respond to routine renter enquiries and allocate matters appropriately.
• Route all owner correspondence to the Senior Property Manager and immediately escalate urgent matters.
• Follow up outstanding internal actions and maintain appropriate records.

14. Database & File Management

• Maintain accurate property, renter, lease and tenancy information, including contact details, documents and file notes.
• Manage diary tasks, follow-up dates and document categorization, and ensure completed matters are closed correctly.
• Assist with database audits, file clean-ups and identifying missing documentation.

15. Daily & Weekly Portfolio Reporting

The offshore assistant is expected to proactively monitor the portfolio and provide the Senior Property Manager with clear exception reporting:

• Arrears and broken payment commitments.
• Open, urgent and overdue maintenance.
• Lease expiries, renewals and rent reviews.
• Vacating renters and vacant properties.
• Rental applications and routine inspections.
• Compliance and outstanding documentation.
• Matters awaiting approval or requiring Senior Property Manager attention.
• Unresolved renter matters.

The objective is to identify and resolve issues before they become larger portfolio problems.

16. Standard Operating Procedures

As included in the original proposed role, we would like the assistant to assist with documenting and improving property management procedures:

• Create and maintain SOPs, recurring workflows, templates and checklists.
• Update procedures following system or operational changes.
• Identify opportunities to improve administrative efficiency, consistency and processes.

Matters Specifically Outside the Role

The following functions will remain with our Australian team or dedicated departments and are not the responsibility of the offshore member:

• · Owner relationship management and direct owner communication.
• Trust accounting, accounts payable/receivable, owner statements/disbursements and financial reconciliations.
• Payment processing or authorization.
• VCAT applications, preparation and hearings.
• Legal proceedings, formal disputes and legal strategy.
• Notices to Vacate/possession decisions.
• Negotiation of disputed bond claims or compensation.
• Approval of maintenance expenditure.
• Final rental pricing decisions.
• Final renter application approvals.
• Any matter requiring management authority.

Requirements and Qualifications

• 2–3+ years Australian property management experience, preferably Victorian.
• Strong understanding of residential property management, including arrears, maintenance, applications, tenancy documentation, renewals, vacates, inspections and compliance.
• Strong experience with Australian property management software; PropertyTree highly regarded.
• Excellent written and verbal English with a professional telephone manner.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, time management and follow-up.
• Ability to prioritize urgent matters and recognize when escalation is required.

The offshore assistant will serve as the administrative and operational backbone of the property management department, ensuring the portfolio is consistently monitored, followed up and kept under control. The offshore team will handle administration, renter follow-up, coordination, monitoring and reporting,