Archives September 2020

How to manage your property remotely… Remote working offers a great number of benefits for both employees and employers including better productivity, a happier workforce, and lower costs. It’s something that many businesses are now offering their employees as a matter of course where possible, and although this has been hastened due to the rules around coronavirus, it is something that was always going to happen eventually.

But what about landlords? Can they take care of their properties remotely? Should they? Let’s look deeper into this idea of how to manage your property remotely.

New Tenancies

Before a new tenancy can take place, the property needs to be inspected and any repairs that have to be done before someone can move in must be seen to. Yet if you live a long way from the property, or perhaps even in another country entirely, how can you do this if you plan to manage your property remotely?

The answer is simple; you have an inventory clerk do the inspection for you. An inventory clerk like us here at Looksy will carry out a checkout, full inventory, and then a check-in on your behalf, meaning you don’t have to step foot in the property if you don’t want to.

Of course, if work needs to be carried out you can then choose what to do next. This is where having a trusted team of tradespeople on hand can be ideal – you will see the extent of any damage from the inventory report, and you can instruct your painter, plaster, gardener, carpet layer, kitchen fitter, or anyone else to do the work that needs doing. Simple.

Tenant Relationships

Although a lot of the time the interaction between landlord and tenant ends after the tenant moves in, and the only connection between them will be the monthly rental payment, sometimes more needs to be done. If there is an issue in the property, for example, there should be a clear line of contact and communication so that the problem can be dealt with swiftly before the tenant becomes unhappy (possibly unhappy enough to leave which will then cause the landlord the hassle of finding a new tenant) or the problem escalates into something much more expensive.

Using an agent to help you is a good idea if you want to manage your property remotely. Yes, it will cost you money – often a certain percentage of the monthly rent – but it does mean you don’t have to be dealing with issues when you can’t do much about it. Instead, the agent will be the first port of call and they will have people on hand to fix issues quickly. Agree a maximum price for repairs, and they can organise everything without even having to bother you.

Conclusion About How To Manage Your Property Remotely

It is entirely possible to very successfully manage your property remotely if you are a landlord. The key, however, is to remember you can’t do it alone. You are going to need a good support network behind you to help you, and only then can you really cut the apron strings and be much more independent.

If you want Looksy Inventories to be part of that network, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and chat about what we can do for you.

From : https://news.sky.com/story/thousands-of-private-renters-at-risk-as-evictions-ban-comes-to-an-end-12077652

Tens of thousands of private renters in England and Wales could be at risk of losing their homes as a ban on evictions ends today.

Renters have been protected from eviction during the pandemic by a ban announced in March that was then extended, meaning anyone served with an eviction notice since 29 August has been given a six-month notice period.

But according to campaign group Generation Rent, up to 55,000 households which were served notices between March and August do not enjoy this protection.

The National Residential Landlord Association said it has encouraged landlords to “work with their tenants to sustain tenancies wherever possible”.

But it added it was important to begin tackling the “most serious cases” including tenants committing anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse, or with rent arrears which “have nothing to do with COVID-19”.

Labour has called for protective measures to be extended and has warned of a winter homelessness crisis, while the Local Government Association has said councils are “concerned that the ending of the ban could see a rise in homelessness”.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “We’ve taken unprecedented action to support renters by banning evictions for six months, preventing people getting into financial hardship and helping businesses to pay salaries.

“To help keep people in their homes over the winter months, we’ve changed the law to increase notice periods to six months and introduced a ‘winter truce’ on the enforcement of evictions for the first time.

“In addition we have put in place a welfare safety net of nearly £9.3bn and increased Local Housing Allowance rates to cover the lowest 30% of market rents.”

Mould is a huge issue for many landlords and their unfortunate tenants. It is by far the most complained about aspect when it comes to rental accommodation, and it is something that is going to affect most people at some point, whether they have to deal with the mould or they have to live with it. It is crucial that landlords and tenants understand more about mould so they know what they have to do when it rears its ugly head.

What Is Mould?

Mould is caused by damp. Damp itself can be caused by all kinds of different issues, none of which are good… it might be rising damp because the damp course is faulty (or non-existent), or it could be from a leak on the roof, for example. Essentially, when there is condensation of moisture in the air, mould will form.

Condensation can be a structural issue (like those mentioned above, or perhaps a faulty heating system or insufficient insulation), or it could be a result of how the tenant is using the property (as in not using enough ventilation when showering or cooking or drying clothes inside the house).

The problem is that mould isn’t just unsightly; it can also damage property and possessions and, in some cases, be a health hazard too.

What Can Landlords Do To Prevent Mould?

The extent to how far a landlord can go will depend on what the cause of the problem really is. A missing roof tile or a blocked gutter can be dealt with quickly, stopping the mould in its tracks (after which some redecorating may well be required internally). Something bigger like a leak from an unknown source or an issue with the tenant might take longer to sort out.

However, as a rule of thumb, the earlier the damp problem is noticed the sooner it can be fixed and the less damage the mould is going to cause. This is just one of the reasons a landlord should conduct periodic property inspections. By doing this on an annual or six monthly basis, or perhaps more frequently (how often will depend on the overall length of the tenancy and the tenancy agreement), the landlord will be able to see if there is a problem, and will be able to see if the tenant is using the property in the right way.

Of course, sometimes landlords are unable to do this due to other commitments; they might live many miles away, or even if a different country. This is why hiring an inventory clerk to carry out these midterm inspections can be an ideal solution, particularly if there have been mould problems in the past.

If it turns out that the damp and mould is due to a structural issue, the landlord has responsibility in dealing with it under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (section 11).

Advice To Tenants

For tenants who are worried about causing mould and who want to prevent it from happening as much as possible, here are some useful tips:

• When cooking, use lids on pots where you can
• Don’t dry clothes inside (use a washing line or tumble dryer). If you really have to use a clothes airer, it should be kept in the bathroom with the window open and the door shut
• If there is an extractor fan in the bathroom use it every time you have a shower
• Don’t let the property get cold; keep your heating on a low level all the time
• Try not to put furniture against outside walls

For More Advice…

For more advice, contact Looksy Inventories today. We can arrange to inspect your property on a regular basis to keep landlords and tenants happy.