Free guide
You’ve got the property and the software — here’s the whole path from signing up to a signed tenant, in four phases. Each step links straight to the screen that does it, with the NSW rule worth knowing along the way.
Phase 1
List & market
Phase 2
Screen applicants
Phase 3
Sign the lease
Phase 4
Collect rent
Phase 1
Turn an empty property into a listing prospective tenants can find and enquire on.
Start with the property profile — address, type, bedrooms and bathrooms, the rent you're asking, and the bond. This is the single record everything else hangs off, so it's worth getting right once.
In NSW
Advertise the rent as a single fixed amount. In NSW it's against the rules to invite tenants to bid above the advertised price (rent bidding), though a tenant can always offer more unprompted.
Photos are what earn the click — aim for a bright hero shot of the main living space plus every room. Tenwise can draft the listing copy from the property details — edit it to sound like you, so the writing takes minutes, not the afternoon a blank page does.
Open the setup wizardPublishing gives you a clean, shareable listing page you can send anywhere. From there you can also cross-post to the portals tenants actually search — Tenwise shapes the copy, the feed file, and the photos so you re-post in seconds instead of re-typing everything.
In NSW
Before a tenant commits, you must disclose certain material facts — for example if the property has been used to manufacture drugs, has had a serious flood or fire in recent years, or contains loose-fill asbestos. When in doubt, disclose.
Phase 2
Take enquiries, collect applications with consent, and choose the right tenant with confidence.
Enquiries from your listing land in one inbox. Reply, answer questions, and invite the promising ones to apply — no spreadsheet, no lost emails, no missed leads.
Open your propertyApplicants share a reusable profile — ID, income, rental history, references — with their consent, so you're comparing like for like instead of chasing paperwork. Tenancy-database checks run from here once they're switched on.
In NSW
You can't charge a prospective tenant a fee to apply or for a background or tenancy-database check — those costs are yours, not theirs. If you use a tenancy database, you must tell the applicant which one, and give them a chance to respond to anything listed about them.
Pick the applicant who fits, and Tenwise sends a courteous decline to everyone else for you — one of the more awkward jobs, handled. Keep a short, factual note on why you chose who you chose.
In NSW
Base your choice on the things that matter — affordability, references, history. You can't refuse someone on a protected ground such as race, sex, disability, age, or because they have children or receive income support.
Phase 3
Turn an approved applicant into a tenancy on the right agreement, with the bond lodged correctly.
Convert the approved applicant into a tenancy with the agreed terms — rent, bond, start date, and any co-tenants. This is the record your messages, documents, inspections, and rent all attach to.
In NSW
NSW tenancies use the standard-form Residential Tenancy Agreement. Give the tenant a copy of the signed agreement and the NSW Fair Trading “New tenant checklist”, and remember the bond can't be more than four weeks' rent.
Generate the state-specific agreement, filled from the details you've already entered — no re-keying, no blank templates, and a copy kept against the tenancy. Electronic signing through Annature is rolling out; until it's switched on, you generate the agreement and exchange it for signature.
Lodge the bond with your state's rental-bond authority and record the reference against the tenancy — guided lodgement is rolling out; for now Tenwise points you to the right authority and keeps the reference so it's there when you need it at the end.
In NSW
In NSW the bond is held by NSW Fair Trading. Lodge it through Rental Bonds Online within 10 working days of receiving it — holding onto a bond is one of the more common (and avoidable) breaches.
Phase 4
Get paid on time, with a clean record, and the money landing in your account.
Set the rent schedule and let it run — reminders, receipts, and arrears nudges handled. Rent is paid by direct bank transfer from your tenant straight to your account, so Tenwise never holds your money.
In NSW
You must offer the tenant at least one way to pay rent that's free of extra charges, and keep a record of rent received. A rent increase during a fixed term is only allowed if the agreement provides for it, and tenants are entitled to written notice.
That’s the whole journey
Once your tenant is in, the day-to-day — messages, maintenance, routine inspections, lease renewals, and the financials at tax time — all carries on inside Tenwise, without a property manager and without a percentage of your rent.
Your first month is free, with no credit card to start. Add your first property — no setup fee, cancel any time.
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General guidance only, not legal advice. Residential tenancy laws vary by state and change periodically — the notes above are written for NSW. Check NSW Fair Trading (or your state’s fair-trading or consumer-affairs body) for the rules that apply to you, especially before lodging a bond, increasing rent, or ending a tenancy.