The problem is where do you start to try and fix it because there are many reasons some of which are.
The government, the media and the banks actively encouraged everyone to be an investor so that they could become instant millionaires. This brought in amateurs, people who have not the foggiest idea of whats involved as distinct from the professionals who do try to do it in a fair manner because they can see they will lose money otherwise.
The tenancy laws are a complete joke, Australia has always had phobia that anyone who rents is a deadbeat. The tenancy laws do not recognize the people who do want and need to rent long term. In Australian residential tenancy laws there is no provision for long term tenants.
Many of the properties that investors buy for rentals are not suitable for rentals. They are bought because they are cheap.
Tenants have to be taught to be good. They have to know that if they don't pay their rent on time there will be penalties. Part of this teaching is that when a tenant says that something is not working it is fixed instantly, not in two or three weeks. Don't ask the tenant to do something if you are not prepared to do it.
Regardless of the amount of rent there are basic standards that have to be supplied and this comes back to properties that are not suitable for rent in the first place
As to what the tenant wants, they have no right to want anything, but if you give them something that improves the property in the long term it should be done for your benefit.
There are a few different types of maintenance Preventive where if you leave it it will cost more latter Legal where the tenant can do it at your cost or can force you to do it. Improvements for capital gain Things that the tenant may ask you to do and you do it because you want to keep the tenant happy and it benefits the association with the tenant who may do more than is required to improve your CG
I don't see any of these things happening soon The NET investment return on most residential investment properties is about 3% to 4% so you have to wonder without a booming market with great Cap gains as we have seen over the last 15 years are they worth the trouble?
