Invest
Help! My property manager is stealing rent
The banning of a Sunshine Coast property manager for stealing nearly $47,000 in rent has raised questions around what investors can and should do in similar situations. We asked an expert to find out.
Help! My property manager is stealing rent
The banning of a Sunshine Coast property manager for stealing nearly $47,000 in rent has raised questions around what investors can and should do in similar situations. We asked an expert to find out.

Elizabeth Anne Provan, director and former principal licensee of Dicky Beach Real Estate Pty Ltd, was found guilty of wrongfully converting trust money and acting as unlicensed property agent after charges were brought by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for breaching the Property Occupations Act 2014.
Ms Provan, who did not appear at the Caloundra Magistrates Court, was fined $25,000 after converting rent money for her own use and asking tenants to place rent money into her own personal account, which totaled $46,793, from January to July 2017. She was also banned for 10 years.
Ms Provan’s breach of trust, lack of remorse and failure to cooperate with the OFT investigation all contributed to her sentencing, a statement read.
Brian Bauer, Fair Trading executive director, said agents who do not follow the law have no place in the property industry.

“The OFT will take action against real estate agents who put consumers at financial risk by disregarding their legal obligations,” Mr Bauer said.
What if it happens to me?
If an investor finds themselves in the hands of a dodgy property manager, Peter Koulizos, chairman of the Property Investment Professionals of Australia, said they should consult the organisation which the property manager is a part of, if any, as well as the appropriate Office of Fair Trading.
“Now they call them different things in different states, but generally, real estate comes under the umbrella under the Office of Fair Trading, so you should contact them,” he said to Nest Egg's sister site, Smart Property Investment.
However, before an investor even finds themselves in such a situation, they should carefully look at their rental statements every month and bring up any discrepancies.
Going back even further, they should also make sure to go through the relevant checks to ensure the property manager is worth their time and money.
“It might be word of mouth, it might be on the net to see what other people say about them, the member of their relevant organisations,” Mr Koulizos said.
“There's no guarantee that you're going to get somebody that doesn't rip you off, but at least you minimise the chances if ... other people say that they're good, and you keep an eye on them and they're a member of the appropriate association.”

Property
Twice the demand: the case study behind Melbourne’s first‑home buyer surge
Melbourne has quietly engineered one of Australia’s most consequential housing turnarounds, with first‑home buyer demand running at roughly double the national pace and four of the top five buyer ...Read more

Property
First‑home buyers now anchor Australia’s mortgage growth — but the risk maths is changing
Great Southern Bank’s revelation that nearly one in three of its new mortgages went to first‑home buyers is not an outlier. It is the leading edge of a broader market realignment powered by government ...Read more

Property
Home guarantee scheme shake-up challenges Australia’s housing market players
From 1 October 2025, the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) materially widens what first-home buyers can purchase and where. By sharply lifting price caps and relaxing eligibility settings, the ...Read more

Property
GSB’s first‑home buyer play: turning policy tailwinds into market share
Great Southern Bank’s latest results show that nearly one in three of its new mortgages now go to first‑home buyers—evidence of a fast‑moving market reshaped by government guarantees, easing rates and ...Read more

Property
Why investors are fleeing and renters are scrambling in Australia's housing maze
Australia’s rental market is tightening even as individual landlords sell down. New data points to a multi‑year investor retreat tied to higher holding costs and regulatory uncertainty, while prices ...Read more

Property
Australia's 5% deposit guarantee: Unlocking gains while balancing risks in the market share race
Can a bigger government guarantee fix housing access without fuelling prices? Australia is about to find out. The Albanese government’s expanded 5% deposit pathway aims to help 70,000 buyers, remove ...Read more

Property
Australia's bold move the 5% deposit scheme shaking up the housing market
Can a government guarantee replace lenders mortgage insurance without inflating prices or risk? Canberra’s accelerated 5% deposit scheme is a bold demand-side nudge in a supply‑constrained marketRead more

Property
When rates drop but stress sticks: exploring Australia's mortgage arrears dilemma
Headline numbers suggest arrears ease as rates come down. The reality in Australia is messier: broad measures dipped into mid‑2025, yet severe delinquencies and non‑bank portfolios remain under ...Read more

Property
Twice the demand: the case study behind Melbourne’s first‑home buyer surge
Melbourne has quietly engineered one of Australia’s most consequential housing turnarounds, with first‑home buyer demand running at roughly double the national pace and four of the top five buyer ...Read more

Property
First‑home buyers now anchor Australia’s mortgage growth — but the risk maths is changing
Great Southern Bank’s revelation that nearly one in three of its new mortgages went to first‑home buyers is not an outlier. It is the leading edge of a broader market realignment powered by government ...Read more

Property
Home guarantee scheme shake-up challenges Australia’s housing market players
From 1 October 2025, the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) materially widens what first-home buyers can purchase and where. By sharply lifting price caps and relaxing eligibility settings, the ...Read more

Property
GSB’s first‑home buyer play: turning policy tailwinds into market share
Great Southern Bank’s latest results show that nearly one in three of its new mortgages now go to first‑home buyers—evidence of a fast‑moving market reshaped by government guarantees, easing rates and ...Read more

Property
Why investors are fleeing and renters are scrambling in Australia's housing maze
Australia’s rental market is tightening even as individual landlords sell down. New data points to a multi‑year investor retreat tied to higher holding costs and regulatory uncertainty, while prices ...Read more

Property
Australia's 5% deposit guarantee: Unlocking gains while balancing risks in the market share race
Can a bigger government guarantee fix housing access without fuelling prices? Australia is about to find out. The Albanese government’s expanded 5% deposit pathway aims to help 70,000 buyers, remove ...Read more

Property
Australia's bold move the 5% deposit scheme shaking up the housing market
Can a government guarantee replace lenders mortgage insurance without inflating prices or risk? Canberra’s accelerated 5% deposit scheme is a bold demand-side nudge in a supply‑constrained marketRead more

Property
When rates drop but stress sticks: exploring Australia's mortgage arrears dilemma
Headline numbers suggest arrears ease as rates come down. The reality in Australia is messier: broad measures dipped into mid‑2025, yet severe delinquencies and non‑bank portfolios remain under ...Read more