Property management vendors.
Licensed, insured, and contracted.
Uninsured contractors. Authorisation thresholds not specified. After-hours rates that weren't agreed. Kontractually reviews property management vendor contracts against your standard playbook before engagement.
No credit card required. First 3 reviews free.
What changes when vendor contracts are reviewed before engagement.
A plumber completes emergency after-hours work on a rental property. The invoice is $2,800 - triple the normal rate. The vendor contract had no after-hours rate schedule. The landlord disputes the cost, and the property manager is caught in the middle.
Kontractually flags vendor contracts that lack after-hours rate schedules and emergency call-out fees. Rates are agreed before the first emergency, not disputed after the bill arrives.
A maintenance contractor causes water damage to a tenant's belongings while fixing a leak. The contractor's public liability insurance expired 3 months ago. The property manager is exposed because the contract didn't require current certificates of currency.
Kontractually flags vendor contracts that lack insurance verification requirements and certificate of currency renewal obligations. Expired coverage is caught before work is authorised.
A cleaning company is engaged for end-of-lease cleans across your portfolio. The contract has no scope definition - just 'end of lease clean.' Disputes arise on every second job about what was included. Three landlords complain in the same month.
Kontractually flags scope-of-works clauses that lack specificity. The cleaning contract is updated with a detailed checklist of included tasks before the first job, eliminating scope disputes.
6 provisions to review in every property management vendor contract.
At minimum: public liability insurance ($20M is the common requirement for trade contractors working in occupied premises), professional indemnity insurance for advisory services, and workers compensation for their employees. For strata-related work, some contractors also need contract works insurance. The property manager should verify current certificates of currency before authorising work - not just at contract signing.
Common market practice: authorise routine maintenance up to $500-$1,000 without landlord approval (property manager discretion), require landlord approval for anything above. Emergency works (urgent repairs to prevent damage) are often pre-authorised up to a higher threshold. Specify these thresholds explicitly in the contractor agreement to avoid disputes when bills arrive.
The vendor contract should require the contractor to maintain current insurance for the duration of the engagement and provide updated certificates of currency on renewal. If insurance lapses, work should be suspended until coverage is reinstated. Many property managers only check insurance at contract signing and never verify again. Kontractually flags contracts that lack ongoing insurance verification requirements and certificate renewal obligations, so the obligation is contractual rather than relying on manual follow-up.
Residential tenancy legislation in most states requires landlords (and their agents) to arrange urgent repairs within specific timeframes - typically 24-48 hours for issues like burst pipes, dangerous electrical faults, or failures of essential services. The vendor contract should pre-authorise emergency work up to a defined threshold (commonly $1,500-$3,000) so the contractor can respond without waiting for landlord approval. The contract should also define what constitutes an emergency, specify after-hours rates, and require the contractor to notify the property manager as soon as practical after commencing emergency work.
Yes, in certain circumstances. If the property manager engaged an unlicensed contractor, failed to verify insurance, or continued to use a contractor with a known history of poor work, the property manager may share liability for damage caused. The vendor contract should include an indemnity from the contractor to the property manager for claims arising from the contractor's negligence. Kontractually flags vendor contracts that lack indemnity provisions, insurance requirements, or licence verification obligations.