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A Queensland property manager makes it a condition of tenancy for older applicants to sign up to the Red Cross Telecross system to provide daily checks.
Linda Tuck, director of Property Ladder Realty told Residential Property Manager that many of her tenants are aged 60 and over.
“I’d say just under 30 per cent of our unit portfolio is made up of seniors,” Ms Tuck said.
“As they get older, they’re starting to retire and those who are renting can’t afford a $450 house to rent. I just had a couple move into a duplex and the older of the two was 75.”
For the more ‘fragile’ tenants who are in their late 80s to 90s, Ms Tuck signs them up to a program designed by the Red Cross.
“If I feel it’s needed, I make it a condition of tenancy that they sign up to this free program called Red Cross Telecross," she explained.
“The Red Cross is given the details of the tenant, their doctors and their medical history and then every morning at a set time, the Red Cross rings them to make sure everything is fine.
“If the occupant doesn’t answer the phone, they will call back in 10 minutes. If they still don’t pick up they will contact next of kin.”
Ms Tuck believes this is the best way to balance the tenant’s needs and other property management responsibilities.
“That way you don’t have these horror stories where their rent is being paid automatically, they have no family, they’re dead and no one finds out until the next inspection comes around,” she said.
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