Property managers are trying to balance struggling tenants and stressed rental providers.

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Millions of Australians have worried about keeping a roof over their heads over the past three years — but oft-maligned property managers are some of the forgotten sufferers.

Industry experts say agents have been at the coalface of managing stressed tenants and property providers through the treacherous period and are suffering burn out as a result.

Proptech company: Different’s national head of property partners Danielle Bunton said almost a quarter of employed property managers intended to resign in the next 12 months, with rental shortages, heavy rain and flooding continuing to heap stress on already difficult workloads.

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“Having worked as a property manager for over 16 years, I have experienced first hand how the constant stress can quickly affect your health and wellbeing if you’re not careful.

“It’s important to implement work-life balance boundaries, keeping your work set within your working hours,” Ms Bunton said.

“This means switching off once you’ve made it to the end of the day and not looking at the emails rolling into your inbox after hours, you can check them in the morning.”

Barry Plant head of property management Emma Gordon said Victoria’s new minimum standards for rentals had added another layer of stress to balancing tenants and providers.

“Coming up to March 29 next year the final legislative changes come into place whereby properties need to meet new requirements for heating, for electrical switchboards, and there is a heightened level of stress among property managers again at the moment trying to encourage landlords to spend money to meet those new legislative requirements,” she said.

“What do we do when landlords say ‘well, I’m not prepared to do that’?

Ms Bunton said the average tenure of a property manager was now just nine months.

She said property managers should prioritise their health and exercise, and working somewhere that treated them well, in order to be best placed to avoid burn out.

Danielle Bunton

Prioritise your health and exercise – We’ve heard it all before but that’s because it works! Prioritising good health and exercise outside of work will help you to stay on the ball at work while also helping you to switch off once the day is over.

Stick to your 9 to 5 — It’s tempting to work overtime, but these hours only accumulate and drain you long term. It’s important to recognise if you’re just having a busy period or consistently working extra hours.

Choose your workplace wisely – Finding a workplace that suits your lifestyle is important. Whether you need flexible hours, work from home options or casual dress codes – you’ll work better with a company that has policies that align with your lifestyle.

Remember you’re only human – It might sound silly, but remember you’re only human and that you only have a certain number of hours in the day to get as much done as you can. If you don’t hit all your goals from today, remember there’s always tomorrow, and if you are doing the absolute best you can, then that’s all you can do! Be kind to yourself.

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