How Good Property Managers Approach Tenant Management (What Landlords Should Expect)
Daniel Hillier • 12 February 2026
Effective tenant management is the day-to-day handling of communication, issues, and behaviour in a way that protects the property, reduces stress for the owner, and prevents small problems from becoming costly ones.
For landlords, tenant management is often the biggest time drain. Poor handling leads to constant interruptions, unresolved maintenance issues, and escalating disputes. Good tenant management does the opposite. It keeps things quiet, predictable, and under control.
What tenant management actually includes
Tenant management goes beyond answering emails or arranging repairs. A competent property manager is responsible for:
- Clear communication with tenants from the start of the lease
- Setting expectations around behaviour, maintenance, and reporting issues
- Responding as quickly as possible to requests and complaints
- Identifying recurring problems early and solving them right away
- Keeping the owner informed without unnecessary back-and-forth
The goal is not to keep tenants happy at all costs, but to keep the tenancy running smoothly while protecting the owner’s interests.
Tenants being happy will follow naturally when this is done.
How good property managers handle tenant communication
Strong tenant management starts with boundaries. Good managers:
- Respond consistently and professionally
- Avoid emotional or reactive communication
- Keep all discussions documented
- Do not allow repeated informal exceptions to lease terms
This reduces confusion, prevents manipulation, and keeps disputes from escalating.
From an owner’s perspective, this means fewer urgent calls, clearer updates, and confidence that issues are being handled appropriately.
Why tenant management affects long-term outcomes
Poor tenant management often leads to:
- Delayed or poor property maintenance
- Property damage going unnoticed and unattended to
- Rent arrears escalating over set due dates
- Increased vacancy or legal disputes driving property value down
Good tenant management reduces these risks by keeping issues visible, controlled, and resolved early.
What owners should ask about tenant management
When speaking with a property manager, owners/landlords should ask:
- How tenant issues are handled day-to-day
- How quickly problems are escalated when behaviour breaches occur
- How owners are kept informed without being overwhelmed
- How recurring issues are tracked and addressed
Clear answers to these questions indicate a manager who understands the operational side of tenant relationships.
The strongest protections keeping landlords legally compliant and safe as possible in an event where breaches have occured, all revealed right here.
Goal setting is incredibly important, as part of my personal and business development, I take a unique approach to setting and measuring my goals. If you’ve ever seen my Google Calendar, it looks incredibly complicated and jam packed. In reality, it’s not. I use my calendar to set reminders, to ensure I don’t forget to call back that owner, or the council or the local water provider. And it’s all colour co-ordinated, so it can look completely wild and overwhelming to the untrained eye. A critical function of my calendar is to help me set goals. I set goals for the week, for the month, for every 3 months, 6 months and for every year. The unique thing about my goal setting is that I will record a video, and prompt myself to open the video in my calendar, say in 6 months time for example. The video is generally 5 minutes long or so, and I talk about what’s happening in my life at that time, how the business is going, any issues and problems I am facing, and importantly, where I want to be at the time I open the video. Before starting EZPZ, I set goals and thought about goals, but I never had a habit of really sitting down, taking 5 minutes to simply record a quick screenshot of my life, as it was in that moment. I have learned some valuable lessons from making these videos. The first thing is, whatever is bothering me or causing me problems and stresses right now, likely won’t be an issue in 3 months time, heck, it likely won’t be an issue in 3 weeks time. It’s often trivial and amusing when I look back at a video I sent myself 3 months ago to open. The benefit of this reflection and hindsight allows me to digest problems in a healthier and less taxing way. In the present, when facing issues or problems that are high in stress, I find asylum knowing this problem will pass. I used to get very stressed, and truthfully I still do - stress is an important tool for growth and action. But ensuring that the stress is not overwhelming or taking a physical toll on me is super important. Reminding myself of the videos is reassuring and helps me keep a holistic mindset. As we close off the first full year of business operations (2025), EZPZ has been able to far exceed expectations and smash goals which I had previously set. The volume of listings that are now under management are a clear reflection of the large appetite for quality property management services in Melbourne. As I navigate the path of entrepreneurship, goal setting will continue to be a critical part of ensuring the success of the company, and me personally. Best, Daniel
The idea for EZPZ Property Management started long before any official paperwork was filed. It was late 2019. I had just bought my first apartment in Auckland, New Zealand. After living in the apartment for several months, I made the decision to rent it out. That’s when I encountered something unexpected: Poor service levels in the Property Management (and Real Estate Sales) industry. I was struck by: ● A surprising lack of care, ● Minimal communication and responsiveness, ● High levels of staff turnover in every agency I approached. Eventually, I signed with a rental agency—but weeks went by, and my apartment remained vacant. No updates, no urgency, and no clear plan. Frustrated, I took matters into my own hands. I grabbed my phone, took some photos, and listed the apartment on a few social media platforms. Within days, I was getting messages and enquiries. I even began scheduling inspections on behalf of my property manager. It wasn’t long before a tenant, someone I had directly connected with, signed the lease. At the time, I didn’t realise it, but a fire had been lit. My sales background & foundation: In 2020, I moved into a role in real estate sales, working with a boutique agency in Auckland. We specialised in selling apartments, offering one-on-one inspections instead of traditional open homes. It was a more personal approach, and it worked—our conversion rates were some of the highest in the city. That role sharpened my sales skills and gave me valuable insight into what property owners actually want. Over the next two years, I built a small property portfolio in Auckland. New City, New Chapter: In September 2022, post-COVID, I felt it was time for a change. I explored options between Sydney and Melbourne, eventually choosing Melbourne to start fresh. New city, new challenge—close enough to home, but far enough to grow. I took a role at South Yarra BMW, where I worked for nearly two years. It was a return to a familiar skillset—sales—but something still pulled at me. While living in Australia, I continued to experience frustration with my property manager back in New Zealand: ● Confusing income statements, ● Extra charges for organising basic maintenance ● Poor communication all around. Despite living overseas, I eventually took over management of my NZ properties myself—from Melbourne. That experience only confirmed what I already knew: Property owners deserve better. The Turning Point: While still working full-time, I started laying the groundwork for something more. I’d print flyers at work, mock up QR codes, and brainstorm how I could one day launch my own property management business. I’d show my workmates the drafts and share my vision with them. But I had doubts: ● I'm young ● I didn’t grow up here ● I had no support network or connections in Melbourne I’ve always been someone who takes action—often impulsively, always with intention and I don’t let the fear of failure stop me. I try, I learn, I improve. At the time, I lived alone in my apartment in South Yarra—just around the corner from South Yarra BMW. I was saving every dollar I could. Not for crypto. Not for shares. Not for a house deposit. I was saving to buy time—enough to give myself 12 months of rent, food, and basic expenses so I could commit, fully, to starting this company. And So, EZPZ Was Born. On the 28th of July, 2024, I took the first official step. That’s the day this photo was taken. The first day of EZPZ Property Management. A company built on personal experience, frustration, and a vision for how things should be. Why EZPZ? Because property management should be easy: ● Easy for owners – clear communication, transparent fees, zero fluff. ● Straightforward for tenants – respectful service and reliable support. ● Backed by action, not excuses. That’s what I set out to build. And that’s what EZPZ is all about.