Our Services for Property Management

Being a landlord is considered by many a surefire way to bring in extra readies, but there is no denying that property management in Hong Kong is a big responsibility requiring a lot of both money and energy. The complexities and intricacies of letting can be challenging and not many people know what support is at their disposal to help them along the way.

Enlisting the help of a property management company can help save landlords a significant amount of time and money and make owning a rental property more rewarding. Minimum vacancy, maximum rental returns and good tenants who help look after your property form the basis for a successful investment. Habitat knows this from managing over 150 properties for our clients; we have a skilled professional team providing a full range of property and housing management services in Hong Kong to make sure your asset is managed properly at all times while maximising its value.

What do Property Managers do?
  • Dealing with the tenant’s day-to-day demands
  • Advertising your property for rent
  • Finding and screening tenants
  • Managing the on-going reporting process
  • Managing the leasing and tenancy agreement process
  • Managing budgets and financial records
  • Managing the rent, including setting, adjusting and collecting
  • Signing of the tenancy agreement and collection of the security deposit
  • Handling emergencies, complaints, evictions and other difficult issues
  • Handling repairs and other renovation works efficiently
  • Knowing specific local landlord-tenant laws
  • Keeping an eye on the tenant and ensuring they are well looked after
  • Preparation of the property for tenant handover
  • Handover and hand-back of premises and release of security deposit
Why should you use a property manager?
  • Less tenant turnover and minimum vacancy, maximising annual rental
  • Free up your time from managing day-to-day requests and complaints
  • Ensure you comply with any tenancy laws
  • Quality management attracts better tenants and keeps them longer
  • Regular communication and updates on your property
  • Fewer problematic tenants due to tenant selection
  • Improve cash flow through regular rent collection with systems that enforce penalties in place
  • Manage outgoings through timely invoice payment procedures
  • Manage repairs and renovations works to maintain the property’s condition and maximise asset value
  • Ensure any repairs or maintenance are carried out quickly and cost-effectively
  • Accurate itemized monthly statements
  • Maximise rental returns by ensuring you are achieving the correct market rental
  • A good property manager can advise what will make your property more appealing to maximise the rent achievable
  • Property management fees are tax-deductible in Hong Kong if the property is owned in a company structure
How does property management add value to your investment?

1. The right market rent

Our property managers are tuned in to the local market and aware of what other similar properties nearby are renting for.  This knowledge enables Habitat to achieve the maximum rental for your property.

Priced too low and you are not maximising your rental yield; priced too high and it may result in unwanted vacancy between tenancies, hence a poor rental return.  We are well-positioned to advise our clients on what to do to achieve the highest rental, e.g. what small tweaks or renovation work are required to obtain the best possible results.

The Hong Kong market is dynamic and can move quickly.  An exclusive benefit of allowing our qualified team to handle property management is the increased exposure to potential clients. Our ability to advertise properties promptly through our website and strong social media platforms means yours is more likely to be leased quickly at the maximum possible price.

2. Addressing maintenance issues

A lot of tenants come to us specifically looking to be in properties we manage as they feel more comfortable and secure living in a home with professional housing management.  Many landlords who attempt to manage properties by themselves run into troubles when they fail to fix a difficult issue within the apartment promptly.  Tenants often leave properties without proper property management services when problems are not dealt with in a timely and professional manner. We see this happen all the time, and it causes frustration for both parties in the process. With our extensive experience in housing management, we can find out quickly what needs to be fixed and identify the root causes that are sometimes the responsibility (i.e. cost) of the tenant. 

Our bilingual property managers have an extensive network of maintenance contractors and specialists, who can be mobilized promptly and economically into action to fix any maintenance issues.

Tenants are also able to reach us anytime via our 24-hour hotline in case of an emergency.

3. Reach the greatest number of potential tenants

When you are looking to rent your property out, knowing how to reach and appeal to the maximum number of relevant renters is crucial to finding the best tenant for your property. This is where you can benefit from our property management services.

Habitat stays on top of the local market – we know how best to position and promote a property to drive maximum interest. By utilising Habitat’s property management services, your property is given priority on our website and across all our social media platforms, where we have the largest following of any Hong Kong estate agency.  As the market leader in Hong Kong, our agency team will help ensure that your property is leased at the highest and best price to a good tenant.

4. Finding the best tenant

A good tenant who will treat your property with respect can mean the difference between a high and low-performing investment. Being able to collect rent on time will help you better manage your cash flow, which is your priority. If you maintain a positive relationship with your tenant, they are often more likely to renew the tenancy, thereby reducing your turnaround costs and the potential of no rental income over the changeover period. As a first-rate real estate agent and property management company, Habitat’s reach and reputation will connect your property with the most eligible, quality renters in the market.

5. Accurate financial records

Keeping accurate accounting records is important to an investor so that any property related expenses can be claimed correctly come tax time.

As part of our property management services, we help you do the bookkeeping. Habitat makes things easy and provides you with a fully itemized statement each month, along with a comprehensive rental statement at the conclusion of each financial year for you to simply pass on to your accountant.

6. Collecting rental

Sometimes it can be difficult to collect money owed.  If you are a landlord with an investment loan, not being paid on time each month can directly impact your loan repayments and the viability of the investment.

At Habitat, quality property management means collecting your rent on time.  We have robust rental arrears procedures that are implemented should a tenant fall behind.  Trusting an independent property manager to oversee rental payments will take away the stress and save you plenty of time.

7. Landlord-tenant laws

Habitat verifies the tenancy agreement signed by the tenant protects the landlord and complies with local legislation. We ensure the payment of stamp duty and the lease registration (CR109) are duly complied with in the required time frame.

There is so much more to being a landlord than the transactional aspects that can be daunting and demanding, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Your time and energy should be placed more meaningfully and efficiently at endeavours that truly matter to you. Leave the stresses of property management to trusted professionals who are well-trained to take care of it all for you so that you can sit back and reap the fruits of your property investment. Habitat’s experienced team is poised to become your partner and help you maximise the payoff of your asset.

About Habitat Property Management Limited 

Habitat Property Management Limited (HPML) was established in 2003 by Victoria Allan, as part of the Habitat Property Group, specialising in Leasing and Property Management.

From finding you the right occupants, through drawing up agreements, managing the utilities, rent collection, payment of outgoings to efficient response and repair service, HPML delivers a high calibre Tenancy Management Services solution.

For further information or to discuss your property management services needs,  contact Angie Lui or Victoria Allan on 2110 4734

“Habitat has done a great job managing our property over the last decade and particularly through COVID.

Angie and her team are very responsive & have kept our property fully leased throughout this period. I highly recommend them”.

Landlord
Looking for exceptional Property Management?
GET IN TOUCH