I’ve been renting from a corporate landlord (who owns half my neighbourhood) for the last two years and the difference is insane. Two inspections a year, small repairs follow within a month, inflation-only rent reviews, issues acknowledged same-day with fixes scheduled by the following day.

In my previous flat I dealt with a leaking shower recess that was destroying several walls from the inside out - not affecting me, but destroying the landlord’s property, for 18 months.

Yes, I think larger corporate landlords would improve the rental environment significantly in Australia. Many rental agents and property managers in Australia are small businesses and definitely act like it.

There's a big difference between "rental agents" and "property managers" too.

There is between strata managers and rental agents, yes. ‘Property manager’ can cover a few different roles I have observed.

Yes. I'm thinking about the managers of rental properties when they have the authority to schedule repairs and such rather than just pass on an email to the owner.

nah, rentierism = parasitism. landlords are parasitic cunts.

True! Be it landlords direct, or letting agents acting in on their behalf.

Had more problems with RE agents acting on the owners' behalf than the actual owners.

Yeah, I’ve been an accidental landlord, and some RE people just make things worse.

Well if your agent acts like a stingy cunt, that's not much of a difference in practice.

We found out where the owner lived - sent him a letter outlining our grievance - he switched agents. So they don't always represent the owner.

Landlords should not exist, full stop.

So you are in favor of landlords first. Do you have an older brother that is a landlord?? People can be wrong but that does not make land lords correct.