There are many S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares that pay investors passive income. But, there are not many that have a reliable-looking dividend yield of more than 6%.
One name that I really like for reliable income is Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW), which is a real estate investment trust (REIT), as the name suggests. That means it has a portfolio of property.
It's managed by the fund manager Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC), which is one of Australia's leading property managers, in my view.
There are a number of positives that make this business appealing, so I'll outline each one.
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Diversified portfolio
While there are are some advantages to investing in a residential property, there are negatives too. For example, it lacks diversification, with all of one's investment capital focused on a single asset in a single location.
However, being invested in a typical ASX REIT means owning a portfolio of properties across the country.
The Charter Hall Long WALE REIT is particularly diversified because its portfolio is spread across a number of subsectors – it's not just a shopping centre REIT or an office REIT.
The ASX 200 share is invested in hotels and pubs, government entities (such as GeoScience Australia), telecommunication exchanges, data centres, service stations, grocery and distribution centres, food manufacturing, waste and recycling, Bunnings properties and plenty more.
By being so diversified, it lowers the risks of the REIT and also gives the ASX 200 share a wider investment universe to find the best opportunities.
Long-term rental contracts
One of the most special things about this business as an income investment is the length of rental contracts it has signed with its tenants.
By locking in rental income for longer, it means investors have greater security with the rental profits and distributions.
At the end of FY25, the business had a weighted average lease expiry (WALE) of around nine years. That's impressive visibility of the rental income for the coming years, combined with an occupancy rate of 99.9%.
Compelling rental growth
One of the reasons this ASX 200 share is so appealing for income is that it is seeing regular rental income growth, which is contracted with tenants.
Around half of the portfolio has exposure to CPI-linked rental growth, while the rest of the portfolio is experiencing fixed annual increases.
In FY25, the business experienced a weighted average rental review (WARR) of 3.1%, which is a solid growth rate for a REIT.
Large dividend yield
When you put all of that together, the business has defensive earnings, with a useful earnings tailwind and long-term rental contracts.
Pleasingly for income-focused investors, it has decided on a 100% distribution payout ratio of operating earnings, providing investors with a very rewarding distribution yield, which is paid in quarterly instalments.
It's expecting to deliver an annual payout of 25.5 cents per security in FY26, which translates into a distribution yield of 6.25%.
