Improving the percentages of tenants staying for longer terms.
2019 will be a definitive year in the lettings industry, and tenants are set to financially reap the benefits of the ban in agents’ fees and also the deposit cap at 5 weeks rent. Both these changes will allow tenants to move more freely from rental to rental.
Many of the reasons why tenants leave may be: buying a home, relocation for work, the start or end of a relationship, however, many tenants leave because they are unhappy with their current rental home. Keeping a good tenant happy, will reduce the amount of wear and tear as they are likely to stay longer, you know from regular inspections that the property is well kept and the tenants are looking after it. Financially there are no void periods and if the landlord uses a tenant find service then there are savings on agents’ fees.
Tips on keeping a tenant happy
- Ensure the property is cleaned to a professional standard before the tenancy start date, start on the right foot by ensuring that when tenants move in, the property is as you would expect it to be if you were moving in. Put yourself in the tenant’s shoes, would you be satisfied? Make sure any niggly jobs are complete by move in date, make sure all the lights are working, empty the bins and remove all personal items.
- When a tenant is in the property and repairs are reported, act quickly to remedy the issues. A swift response protects your property from any long-term deterioration if for instance, it’s a leak or structural issues. This willingness to respond quickly also shows the tenants that you care about the home and the tenants.
- Occasionally tenants don’t want to report maintenance issues, some don’t want to be seen as a nuisance, some are fearful and wrongly assume that they will be charged for any repairs. By dealing with an approachable agent, tenants are are more likely to feel confident in reporting any repair issues and our maintenance team have the ability to ensure any issues are resolved in the quickest possible time and the standard of work is completed to the tenants and landlord’s satisfaction.
Campbell & Grahams Management service includes a settling in visit to the property after the first month of the tenancy. We believe that it’s essential that for the smooth running of the tenancy that tenants feel comfortable in communicating with the agents with regards any issues that arise; after all, for the majority of our landlord clients, their homes are their biggest investment and deserve to be effectively managed, and effective communication from all sides is key to this.
A visit after the first month and every 3 months subsequently shows tenants that the landlord and agents are committed to ensuring the property is looked after. Contact Campbell & Graham today for a discussion on our fully managed service, and how we can help manage your property.
