Switching property managers
Changing property managers takes one written notice to your current manager; Dunmore Property Management handles everything after it. Records, keys, bond paperwork and a proper introduction to your tenant are collected and arranged for you, and your tenancy continues unchanged. Most switches complete within two to six weeks.
How do I change property managers?
Four steps, and Dunmore Property Management does three of them:
Check your notice period. It is in your current management agreement; thirty to ninety days is common in New Zealand.
Give written notice. Dunmore drafts the letter for you; you send it.
Sign the Dunmore management authority. One fee with everything included, and the service standards written in. The terms are set out in plain English on our fee page.
We collect the file. Records, compliance statements, inspection reports, smoke alarm contracts, keys and codes, plus the change-of-agent paperwork for the bond held by Tenancy Services. Your tenant gets a joint introduction so nothing feels sudden.
Will my tenants be affected?
No. The tenancy agreement stays exactly as it is, the bond stays lodged with Tenancy Services, and the rent account details change with proper notice. Dunmore Property Management introduces itself to your tenant together with the outgoing arrangement wherever possible; a well-handled switch is invisible to a good tenant except for one thing: the standard of communication that follows.
What does switching cost?
Dunmore Property Management charges nothing to switch: no setup fee, no onboarding fee, no transfer fee. Whether your current agreement sets an exit cost is written in that agreement; check the termination clause before you give notice.
When is the right time to switch?
Owners rarely leave over one bad week; they leave over patterns. A property manager not responding to calls or emails. Inspection reports that stopped arriving. Arrears that aged quietly for weeks before anyone mentioned them. Statements that need chasing. If you are unhappy with your property manager and wondering what to do when your property manager ignores you, the notice period in your agreement is the answer; everything else on this page is Dunmore’s job. Some owners ask how to fire a property manager: the polite version is a written notice, and Dunmore drafts it.
Can a landlord terminate a property management agreement?
Yes. A management agreement is a contract between you and the manager, and its termination clause states the notice required. Serving that notice ends it; no reason has to be given. Dunmore’s own terms, in full: Your agreement runs for 12 months, and renews when you renew your tenancy with us. After that, either of us can end it with 30 days’ notice. If you leave early, or leave and keep a tenant we placed, our letting fee applies once: one week’s rent plus GST. There is no fee if you sell, move in, or if we miss a written standard and don’t put it right within 14 days of you telling us.
Frequently asked questions
How long does switching property managers take?
Usually two to six weeks: the notice period in your current agreement plus a few days for the handover. Dunmore Property Management runs the handover in parallel with the notice period wherever possible, so the switch completes the day the notice expires.
What happens to the bond when I change property managers?
Nothing changes for the tenant. The bond stays lodged with Tenancy Services; Dunmore Property Management files the change-of-agent paperwork so the record points to the right manager.
Do I have to tell my tenants myself?
No. Dunmore Property Management arranges a joint introduction with your tenant as part of the handover, including new contact details and rent payment instructions with proper notice.
What if my current manager is slow handing over records or keys?
Your records and keys are yours. Dunmore Property Management requests the full file directly from the outgoing manager and follows it up so you do not have to; handover obligations sit in the outgoing agreement, and most managers complete them professionally.
How do I complain about a property manager?
Raise it in writing with the manager first, and check whether the company belongs to REINZ, which operates a complaints process for members. For breaches of the Residential Tenancies Act, the Tenancy Tribunal hears disputes. If the relationship is past fixing, the termination clause in your agreement is usually the faster path, and Dunmore Property Management handles everything after the notice.
Page reviewed 5 October 2026.
Do I have to tell my current manager?
No. Dunmore drafts the notice letter for you; you sign and send it, and we handle everything after that.
Does my fixed-term tenancy carry over?
Yes. The tenancy agreement stays exactly as it is, including its fixed term; only the manager changes.
What if my current manager charges an exit fee?
Check the termination clause in your current agreement first; it states any exit cost. If one applies, the switch offer on this page may cover part of it.
What you switch to matters more than the switching. One fee with everything included, and eight service standards written into the management authority, with a performance exit if we miss one.
Start with the number, not the paperwork.
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