Cubbi

I used Cubbi last year to rent a property in WA. My phone interactions with Michael and his team have always been positive, and their responses have always been prompt. Their fees are very fair, and I will continue to use their services. Recommended. Thanks Cubbi!

I've been using cubbi for my investment property for over a year and as far as I'm concerned, they are a Thousand Times Infinity better than using real estate agents. A much more streamlined and transparent process. And one of the most professional and helpful companies I've ever dealt with. Thank you!

Don't use Cubbi service – I paid $200 and registered for rent my property. But in Realestate website not publish house in spection time. And rent not published. After my request they changed. Their system and servic not good more than 1 months my property no rent. Please don't trust this cubbi website. It's more difficult and disappointed

Really buggy and unreasonable for tenants – I am a LL, and judging from my tenants experience with applying through Cubbi, I would never put my prospective tenants through that pain. The apply button doesn't exist on the desktop web version, and the mobile web version is buggy at best (lots of freezing). On top of that, there are very unreasonable and unusual mandatory questions that as an… Read more

experienced LL, REAs will never ask of tenants (and indeed as tenant, I would never want to answer). Because they are set as mandatory, you CANNOT submit until these are answered, which means as an LL, I will never receive potential tenants who might just be slightly short of the bill (e.g. they must have BOTH the mobile (why mobile and strictly mobile?) number AND the email address of former employers, they MUST have a cover note (it's a tenant application, not a job application?), etc.). It's just ridiculous and really limits my business options, I suggest Cubbi reviews actual applications out there and not make random assumptions because that doesn't contribute to "better" customer experience, but a worse one.

User friendly but incomplete – I had my property advertised with an agent for 5 weeks, and they hadn't found a tenant. I noticed they offered **1 x ten minute inspection per week*** If you're a tenant & you liked thel look of my property but couldnt make it, too bad. Or is it me the landlord that should be told 'too bad'. I tried my best in these 5 weeks, changed the… Read more

blinds, added some shelves, decorations, lamps.. dropped the price $25.. got professional photos done... no luck.

It was time to take matters into my own hands. I fired the agent, & found Cubbi.

I was impressed by how easy it was to create my listing, loved the layout of the website, loved how quickly it went to air.

When my previous agent listed it I found the property on the 3rd page... with Cubbi I found my ad on realestate.com on the first page (near the bottom); still, I would like the option with Cubbi of being able to select premium listing - ie pay more to have it listed at the top on both realestate.com & Domain.

In Parramatta, Sydney, theres a huge influx of properties on the market & i have to fight to get the tenants at my inspection (the agent also said there's less tenants applying with the low interest rates/first home buyers out of the rental market).

Well Cubbi's listing worked, after dropping my price (another) $10, I got double the number of people at my inspection, and 3 applications. I held an hour long inpection, and captured 3 more parties (that an agent would have missed) at the end of this hour. I met my applicants & we both got the opportunity to suss each other out.

It was me who called all their references, I looked up their workplaces online & called & asked for their boss that way, to ensure they were genuine references.

The main reason Im not giving 5 stars is because of the 'Application form'- it's so incomplete! It doesn't ask their rental history, work references, previous addresses, emergency contacts, & other things. I couldnt send my applicants there to use it & found a template online to use.

I would be more than happy to pay more & get sent a Landlord Pack - which had a blank Initial Inspection report, (NSW Fair trading) New Tenant Checklist, Fair Trading Bond Lodgement application form, blank Residential Tenancy Agreement (lease), & a template for rental receipts. & other stuff Ive probably missed.

I did like the option of just using Cubbi to advertise ($199), and I'll self manage payments/accounting.

As someone else wrote & I wholeheartedly agree: "No more phone tag with a junior agent who lacks the interest and experience to adequately deal with your problem is pretty appealing to me (I also rent)."

Less stress, better tenants, better returns – I am renting out two houses. Both needed new tenants at the same time (May 2018). For one I use Cubbi, for the other a normal real estate agent. Here is my real-life comparison. First, let me spoil the plot already: It’s a difference like daylight and darkness. And Cubbi is the light: House 1 is in Donvale (Melbourne suburb), which I have… Read more ·  1

been renting out through different agents since the early 2000s.

House 2 is in Bundaberg, where I live. I just bought it and I use Cubbi to rent it out.

I had a little bit more work with the Cubbi house, but less trouble, less stress and got a better rent (and probably better tenants too) and of course I pay lower fees.

Here is why Cubbi was so much better:

Less stress

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Real estate agents tell you they take care of all the trouble with tenants. Wrong. As every landlord will tell you, tenant trouble reaches you anyway and you pay for it. And on top of the tenant trouble you will have agent trouble. Most of the time they do their job well, but believe me, often they don’t and whenever that happens you will pay for it.

With Cubbi I have transparency and I have control of all the important steps of renting out a house. If something needs attention, I know it in real time and I can address it at once.

The search for tenants met similar problems with both houses (good applicants withdrawing their application and lots of bad applicants). With my Cubbi house I was on top of all the problems and could solve them quickly. Very little stress. With house 1 the only thing I could do is wait for the next bad news from my agent. Stress.

Better tenants.

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It’s only logical that you get better tenants with Cubbi because:

a) You get to know them yourself and you can use your instincts to choose (and of course you check the national tenancy database, IDs and income, which is easy because Cubbi does the legwork). With an agent you can only hope that the recommended tenants are good and that the checks have been done properly. They often weren’t with my Melbourne house (agent-managed). That’s normal, an agent wants to rent out your property as quickly as possible so they have less work. A bad tenant is mainly your problem and much less theirs. For agents it’s actually better to find a bad tenant quickly than a good tenant that takes time to find.

b) Better choice because you attract more applicants: It’s your house and you care for it. That’s why you will always do a better job at presenting it. For an agent you are just one of many places he or she is managing.

I can’t really blame agents for that, they have only limited time for every appointment. But you as the owner you have the time and motivation to really nail the open house.

You can take better photos too. Some agents do a good job with their photos, I can’t complain about my Melbourne house, I admit. But I see so many bad photos in advertisements. Wrong lighting, blurry, dull colours. Some look like they have been taken with a mobile phone! You can take better pictures because you have much more time. Wait for the right lighting and experiment with settings in post processing programs. You don’t need an expensive camera, just a decent one.

It took my agent two months to find a tenant for my Melbourne house, it took me four weeks for my Bundaberg house. And Melbourne has generally a better choice of tenants.

I can only hope that my Melbourne tenants are good. But I am sure that my Bundaberg tenant is good, having met her myself.

Better rent

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My Melbourne house (using an agent) was rented out for $20 per week less than expected (it was in fact $20 less than the rent I got last year!). I am sure, had I done it myself with Cubbi, I would have at least gotten the same rent as before. That’s not very hard is it? But the agent couldn’t do it!

My Bundaberg house (using Cubbi) was rented out for $10 per week more than two agents had predicted.

Lower fees

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I not only get better rent with Cubbi, I only pay much less in fees (2% instead of 8% of the rent). Initial fees are lower too.

Emergency repair insurance included

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There is an emergency repair insurance included in the Cubbi fee. It’s not included in the much higher fees of my Melbourne agent.

Better condition report

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It seems that with an agent, the person who does the initial condition report is never the same as the one who does the final inspection (why, I don’t know, but I found they always change). This means things can be easily missed when a tenant moves out. I have had some unpleasant surprises when I came back to Melbourne and see my house after the tenant had moved out.

With Cubbi you take videos (instead of only photos, as agents do), you fill in the report and at the end you check things yourself (all paper work done easily online, including signatures). It’s not pleasant work and with an agent you don’t have to do it. But it’s a vital task, you really need to do it yourself and not leave it to an agent.

Tenants happier

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My applicants and final tenant liked the quick responses and that they dealt with the owner directly and not the middle man. And because they know me personally, the relationship is bound to be better (they are likely to treat the house better and not come with all kinds of unreasonable requests).

How good are Cubbi’s website and processes?

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The process of advertising, managing requests, inspections, costs, applications, doing the contract, managing the bond and doing the condition report works very well. The website is mature, you are guided through all steps.

You are in charge, you can take action immediately.

Doing the contract, a tasks that every normal human hates, was fairly painless. Signatures and all paperwork was done electronically.

I can even record expenses using the website, including saving scanned receipts for every purchase.

How good are Cubbi’s people?

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Very good - fast responses, quick problem solving, motivated. Sometimes I got questions answered after working hours.

Problems with Cubbi

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1

When prospective tenants apply to rent Cubbi asks them already for their banking details. And the tenant asks “why do I have to give my banking details already? My application is not even approved yet. There are no payments due.”

Worse still, some won’t ask, they will simply walk away from the application process. And even worse: it’s the smart people with money on their accounts that are most careful and most likely to object to the practise. But those are precisely the people you want as tenants.

Cubbi tells me that they have identified the problem and that this will change (when, I don’t know).

As a work-around I have told my applicants that they can put in fake bank details and correct them once the application is approved.

2

Algorithm does not check bond amount. In Queensland the maximum allowed bond amount is 4 weeks’ rent. I did not know this and I entered one month’s rent as bond. The website accepted this for the advertisement and for the contract.

Also here Cubbi informs me that in one of their next updates the website will check if the bond amount you enter is within regulations.

Great customer service – I'm very happy with Cubbi. They have a low management fee and an excellent customer service. I much prefer this kind of management. It allows you to deal with the tenants personally while they do all the invoicing and legal aspects for you.

Cubbi is a breeze – Cubbi is a breeze so user friendly if you have questions they are quick to respond supplying all you need EOFY report is just a matter of logging in and downloading some ch a breeze for your Tax Agent If you have the time today put into your asset/s and gate being over charged Give Cubbi a chance Show reply

Forget about real state agents. Cubbi is the way to go – Cubbi is excellent!!!! We've been using it for years and the only reason why we are stopping is that we are selling. We were frustrated with all the agencies and the poor service and property management services they provided, they were no flexible, they couldn't care less about our property, they were rude, we had many periods of vacancy. Since… Read more ·  1

we start using Cubbi, we can have more control over our property, we can communicate a lot more efficiently with our tenants, our tenants are a lot happier, we have CERO vacancy periods, everything just flows smoothly. And most importantly, Cubbi assists with all our contracts, paperwork, payments, so we have peace of mind. We have seen the evolution of Cubbi through the years, their people work hard to improve every day, and we are sure that they will eventually displace much of today's real state agents.

Cubbi Care Factor is ZERO – I have been awaiting a response via Cubbi email for the past 5 days. I am interested in applying for a specific property and to increase my chances had clicked to complete the Tenant Check, PAID only to be CHARGED but unable to move forward as my identity needed verifying. I cannot verify my identity apparently I need to be approved first. This… Read more

wouldn’t have happened had there been a clause not to complete the check until ID verified. No customer service what so ever and a disgusting waste of time, there is no care or human decency. I won’t be attaching a file as my personal details are in the email I’ve sent, to which I have again, sent another. I expect a refund.

The worst service I ever used! Customer service is ZERO. They charge extra money without any explanation. Hopless – Charge extra fees with no explanation. My bank transactions show I paid on time. I tried to contact them many times but it didn't work. Very bad and completely disappointing

Cannot make contact with anyone from Cubbi – I have just started using Cubbi. The advertising section is great and I've had a lot of interest. However, when Cubbi has been reviewing the tenants, they seem to have made a mistake with the estimated income and there is also uncertainty regarding one of the referees. I just want to be able to follow up with them on this but there is no phone… Read more

number to do so. No one is available on the live chat and no one has responded to my email, sent over 24 hours ago. I'm worried that I wont be able to contact anyone ever using this service.

Cubbi is the best! – Cubbi has the best service ever. It's the third time I'm using it and it's perfect in a way of platform use, efficiency, and customer support. Thank you guys, you made my rental experience very positive Show reply

Excellent & efficient service – I wasn't sure about using an online agent, however, went with Cubbi and have been impressed beyond expectation. Consistently excellent and efficient turn around, very helpful during Covid with changes. Show reply

Exceptional service and great value platform – The Cubbi platform is great value, especially if you have multiple properties. The best thing though is their incredible customer service. It surpasses any property manager I have worked with. Show reply

Using for 3 years – Excellent Company. Easy process from advertisement, tenant selection and monthly payment. Also, Cubbi is great in answering all my questions. Furthermore, Cubbi is update with latest government rules. Few time Show reply

Good platform. Way better(and cheaper) than an agent in the middle – First time landlord. Cubbi made the process easy, took care of posting the advertisement to all web sites but I dealt with all inquiries and inspections and met and chose the tenants which is what I wanted. Cubbi made sure all paper work and contractual stuff is in order. Cubbi's application form for tenants is quite detailed but if a tenant… Read more

can't or doesnt want to do it then maybe you dont want them as a tenant, it gets you the info you need to make a decision. A few hiccups on the Cubbi website were sorted out quickly. I have good tenants so havent had any issues but good to know that there is support and advice there if needed and I dont have to deal with it all myself. Just to not have to check that rent is coming in and chase up if its not is worth the 2% fee for me as Cubbi keep on top of that. If I get another property I will go through Cubbi again. So far so good. Michael

Makes it very easy for landlord and tenants – I've been using Cubbi for nearly 1 year now and although I've had some interesting hurdles with a tenant, Cubbi has always made it easy to make sure all problems can be addressed and recorded. The site works well on desktop/mobile, easy to navigate. Shoutout to Ben who has always been very helpful. My key feedback would be: -The ability to… Read more ·  1

easily have multiple entities for account management -Native mobile application for iOS/Android. -Allow landlords to update tenant information

Hate Cubbie – The most ridiculous payment plat form for tenants. Constantly spams my email account. Multiple times tried direct debbiting my account 3 days before rent is due, even though I said it needs a to be taken out on a certain dates. Caused me to incur multiple dishounor fees. Cant make one single payment to pay rent and water bill as system doesn't recognise the one payment. This is a cheap option for landlords.

Don't waste your time – Service definitely does not live up to what they promise, Service is generic and inaccurate Always behind\late in replying and correspondence Organise repayments beyond move out dates Great in supplying the most basic of information linked to government sites. Might be OK for the most basic of requirements - ie. you need someone to google how to… Read more

apply for your bond back or send you a link to your tenancy agreement. I let (I take full responsibility as I let Cubbi look after the tenancy as long as i did) my tenants get to $4000+ in arrears. Now Cubbi sends me an email stating there is so much in arrears I should take on legal proceedings - no further information.. just that. Please do yourself a favour and get real people looking after your investment.

This service would be perfect only if you have no problem with your tenant – Very slow response, like there is no one working there at all, my last query was responded 1.5 day after.

Its about time we got a FANTASTIC service like Cubbi !! – Cubbi is very easy to use, the customer service via the online chat are extremely knowledgable, helpful and prompt. The fees for my rental to be managed are very affordable compared to a conventional real estate agent. Everything is taken care of by Cubbi of which a regular agent would do.  I feel confident with the whole Cubbi experience.  … Read more

Because its all online, I can log in whenever i need to and get answers, see rental payments progress, and just generally manage my account. The convenience is absolutely fantastic!!! 

I have already recommended Cubbi to friends who have rental properties!

Trying to join up for last two days, not going well – Ok, I signed up and completed my first property as a landlord. The application took all my personal details, the current managing agent, uploaded my personal ID and then NOTHING. The system said we will generate a form for you to sign and then we can take over managing your property but this is where it all went bad. I checked my email and there… Read more

was no form there. I then went to support to ask if they could send the form. No one replied. I logged back in, but there was no property listed so I don't know what happened to all my personal details I sent them. Not a good start. Certainly nothing like the Air BNB system, that they think they can emulate. Here at least the owner of the property has control over their own property listing and NOT Cubbi. I don't know why they need to send the form, when I should be able to. I hope this can be fixed up soon, or will not be using their services.

Great platform for tenants and owners alike – I've tried the usual route of renting out my townhouse through bricks and mortar agencies. I've also periodically looked online for alternatives. Now I've found Cubbi, I'll never look back. The bricks and mortar option for me is much more expensive, particularly when you consider the week rent you say goodbye to each year for turning over a… Read more ·  1

rental agreement, on top of the 8% fee for collecting the rent and passing it on to you. In my experience, inspections haven’t been performed with any attention to detail, if at all, unless I’ve actively managed the agent. Most of the work is done for you via the platform so the overhead is little more than it is through an agent.

Renting a place is one of those things, for me at least, that is best done properly by one's self, as no one is going to look after your place better than you! cubbi gives you the benefits of establishing a positive relationship with your tenant on a human level, which will likely encourage them to treat your place well.

For tenants, you have the opportunity to sus out your landlord, and establish a direct relationship with them, which will only encourage them to be prompt about sorting out issues when they arise. No more phone tag with a junior agent who lacks the interest and experience to adequately deal with your problem is pretty appealing to me (I also rent).

As for the staff at Cubbi, I've found them to be highly engaged and really focussed on customer satisfaction. When things run smoothly I find the Cubbi processes easy to navigate. When I experience difficulties, Cubbi have always been prompt and flexible about smoothing out the wrinkles. Good service is easy to provide when things are going well - what makes all the difference is how one manages a situation with challenges. Cubbi has out done itself on multiple occasions, in my case.

I recommend Cubbi to landlords who want a better return, want to establish a better relationship with their tenant, and want the advantages of a platform for managing that.

I also recommend Cubbi to prospective tenants who want to get an insight into what the property owner is like before spending good money on moving in.

Not accessable – Try to get hold of the agent but couldn't as he didn't answer his phone for two days. Tried to call the Cubbi for two days and they simply didn't answer and the machine hanged up on me. Just doen't give me the mind comfort that a customer needs to trust the service.

Not reliable – Not reliable in terms of payments, often late direct debits, sometimes early. Website is quite poor, very few capabilities in ongoing administration of renting once initial and infrequent arrangements are made such as initial lease commencement.

Fantastic alternative to conventional real estate agents – After many dealings with lacklustre real estate agents, thought I would try Cubbi. I am very pleased I did to find new tenants for our high end inner city free standing house. The online process to upload photos and floor plan was very easy. Online support was excellent and even helped with a silly error I made on the weekend. The house was… Read more ·  1

only on the market for 4 days and we got 5 quality applications and a resultant long term corporate lease.

November 7th 2018 Update: Second time around with Cubbi - equally as good

This was my second property let successfully through Cubbi.

I contrast this with a recent agent experience, when we were encouraged to accept the first application (agenda of the agent is to get it let and get the commission), whereas we screened a number of prospective applicants to ensure we ended up with someone looking for a long term home, and long lease.

The house is interstate, and even with the need to fly there to do open inspections, it was still well worth using Cubbi. The tenants loved the online application and I found it easy too. There were lots of enquiries and we secured first class, long term tenants. Being there for inspections allowed me to screen applicants before they applied. Eg an older man inspecting on behalf of a group of 5 students; another wanted to put the house on permanent AirBnb.

Only negative is the video Condition Report. I prefer having multitude photos. Uploading video files take a lot of time, shaky picture.

Excellent service – After finding a new place in the city, we rented out our old family house. Since it was our first time to do this, we though getting the services of a professional was the best way to go. We never regretted this decision since Cubbi made the entire experience as smooth as possible.

Excellent service, simple to use – Cubbi was easy to access and we have our second set of tenants through the agency. It made getting our message out there very simple and had maximum coverage. My only issue was a technical one with photo storage in the Library. Accessing photos was difficult on two occasions and hopefully will be remedied soon. Response time was quick with issues and we will use Cubbi again.