Rental appraisals: how achievable rent is really assessed

Advertised rents are not evidence

Portals show asking rents, not achieved rents, and the gap between them widens whenever the market turns. A professional rental appraisal works from leased comparables, current vacancy in your suburb and the enquiry depth we see across our own rent roll. That is the number you can budget against.

What actually moves rent

Within a suburb, the rent levers are condition and presentation, functional extras (air conditioning, storage, secure parking, pet-friendliness), and listing quality itself. Small targeted spends, a dishwasher, fresh paint, a reverse-cycle unit, often lift rent by more than their annualised cost. An appraisal should identify these, not just quote today’s number.

Vacancy is the silent rent killer

A fortnight vacant costs more than most rent differences being argued over. Pricing slightly inside the evidence band to lease fast to a quality tenant routinely beats chasing the last twenty dollars and waiting weeks. The arithmetic is unglamorous and decisive, and a good manager will show it to you.

Get the real number

We provide rental appraisals free, with the comparable evidence attached and improvement suggestions costed against their likely return. Request a rental appraisal and choose the rental option in the form.