Why should I use a Property Manager? Surely I can do the job myself?
Many Landlords do have years of experience but do not have the time. Other Landlords have the time but do not have the experience. Many factors could affect your decision - such as your day job, your family and children, or the fact that you live miles away from your property. If you are considering property management services in London, the article below breaks down 7 key points for you to consider.
At Your Home Managed, we strongly believe Landlords should use professionals to handle their ongoing tenancies to ensure the best possible service is provided. Yes, there is a bunch of new techs available to help, but that costs more money and you still have to use it properly to get the best out of it. That's where property management companies and lettings agents step in.
Here are 7 points to weigh up when deciding to use a Property Manager to handle your tenancies:
- Experience. Most Property Managers have spent years in the industry and are complete au fait with the ever-changing laws and legislation and ensuring that they are providing the best possible job on a day-to-day basis. We are always improving our service, implementing new ways to handle different issues, and using tools that most aren’t aware of. Our years of experience ensure our quality of service, providing you with the best possible solution at all times.
- Out of Hours and Emergencies. What does your tenant do right now during an emergency, especially out of hours? Do they have a specific person to call? Would you even answer the phone at 3 am, or is it on silent whilst you sleep? This is where we can help. At Your Home Managed, we have an out-of-hours property management service where tenants can call to report emergencies, which will be assessed and handled accordingly. If it is an actual emergency, a specialist will be attending to their property within an hour. If it is not, we arrange the work to be done the following day, providing the tenant peace of mind that when they get up in the morning, the issue will be dealt with that same day.
- Relationships with Cleaners, Builders, and other contractors. As Property Managers in London, we have strong relationships with their contractors, from cleaners to builders, handymen, electricians, and plumbers, and much more, having worked with them for several years. They go above and beyond for our clients because they know it impacts our Landlords’ and Tenants’ overall experience.
- Compliance. Are you aware of all current tenancy legislation in the UK? This year alone there have been several Covid-related laws including Eviction Notices as well as new rules on Electrical Installation Condition Reports, so keeping on top of this can be very time-consuming. Plus what do you do if something goes wrong? With a Property Management company, you do not have to worry as we organise it all for you, on time, ensuring your property is complying with all regulations.
- Dealing with Tenants. From collecting the rent every month to handling maintenance repairs and emergencies to registering deposits and handling deposit disputes, the Property Management services you pay for really take away all the hard work from you. On top of this, we know exactly how to handle each situation and issue. Not only do we collect your rent every month, but we also ensure the rent is paid within 24 hours of the due date and a personal statement is provided. We also handle tenants’ future references and all administration, saving you more time. You would have seen the press reports about the number of fraudulent tenancy applications that have increased over the past few months. It’s essential that all potential tenants are properly vetted, a thorough and comprehensive review of their backgrounds, and the ability to fund the tenancy. You cannot afford to take shortcuts here.
- Regular Inspections. At Your Home Managed, we provide all of our Landlords with a regular inspection every 6 Months, for Free! That’s right, we personally attend to your property and complete a full inspection report as part of our service to you. That way, you are always aware of your property’s condition and have the evidence to back it up. This way, if a tenant isn’t taking good care of the property, or they don’t report certain issues to us, we become aware much sooner, which in turn means your property is not being jeopardised for a longer period of time.
- Free Information and Advice. In recent years, the information we hold impact the decisions we make. If you want to invest your money into stocks, most people use a stockbroker. If you’re in bad health, you visit a doctor. It is the same thing in the property industry, and that is where your Property Manager or Letting Agent comes in to help. No matter the issue, emergency, simple matter, or random question, your Property Manager is likely to have an answer for you or know someone who does. If you require a different property service than what your current property manager offers, they are likely to know someone who can help. What does this mean for you? Free Expert Information and Advice, that you may not have had elsewhere. Google and YouTube help, but a lot of answers simply cannot be answered online, let alone within the time frame you may require.
So, are you searching for a property management company or letting agent in London? Have you never considered such property services before?
It will make all the difference to your life as a landlord.
