Wiseberry Heritage continues to appreciate the important role tenants play in real estate, with the latest winners of the Tenant of the Year award announced at an awards night.
To win the coveted award, tenants are nominated in a range of categories including gratitude, loyalty, community spirit, best interior, best garden and consistency of rent paid, with five finalists chosen in each category.
This year’s Wiseberry Heritage Tenant of the Year was awarded to Nathan and Melissa Edgell who have been long-term renters in Rutherford, NSW.
Ms Edgell said she was shocked to win the award
“We’ve always tried to maintain the property just like it was our own and this award, makes you a bit more aware about the extra effort you put in,” Ms Edgell said.
Nathan and Melissa Edgell were awarded one month’s free rent, which Wiseberry Heritage pays for.
“A month’s free rent amongst the cost of living crisis did help us a little bit, so that was a huge bonus for us,” Ms Edgell said.
She said she hoped the award would also help make a difference to the property owner and show them that their property is valued.
Other winners include the Gratitude award, which was given to Skye Coull and recognises tenants that experience hard times but remain gracious and never fail to put a smile on the faces of the property management team.
The Wiseberry Spirit award went to Liz Hitchins, Best Routine to Justin Byrnes and the Loyalty award to Brett Davis and Helen McCaffery.
Wiseberry Heritage General Manager, Megan Green said The Tenant of the Year award came about when they wanted to start recognising the important role that tenants were playing.
“The tenant of the year was actually an initiative from Principal Darin Butcher,” Ms Green said.
“We used to hear from tenants who felt like they were the forgotten people in the process.
“He was basically just looking for a way that we could recognise tenants for doing great things because there’s some tenants who genuinely do treat the property like it is their own and they really do care for the property and make it easy for the landlord.”
She said the awards also recognised a range of different areas.
“It’s not always in relation to the property, sometimes it’s things that they’re doing in the community which tie in with the values of our business,” she said.
“It’s evolved from that idea and then every year we’ve held the event and each year we’ve tweaked or tailored the program as it’s gone on.”
Ms Green said the award has also been something that landlords have been able to get on board with.
“It’s been really great for landlords as well because it doesn’t cost them anything,” she said.
“The whole night gets funded by the business, and over the past two years we’ve now added sponsorship opportunities so we offer that to some of our trades or people within the real estate community.”
